blue artichoke

Move over Irma, there's a new eggnog in town.

My last effort at eggnog turned out to be my best:

Eggnog #8 "Holiday Eggnog #2"
Recipe from Raising the Bar cookbook. The recipe calls for you to make a creme anglais first, then add additional milk, cream, spices and, oh sweet glory, dark rum, bourbon and brandy. I'm sure you could use just one if you didn't want to buy 3 bottles of booze. I, however, enjoy buying booze, so I took a shine to this recipe immediately. It would probably be good without alcohol too.
ease of preparation: +, can be made in stages for the ADD cook
flavor: +, eggnoggy without being too overpoweringly alcoholic
texture: +, smooth, creamy and easy going down

Holiday Eggnog

For the crème anglaise:
16 ounces milk
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 ounces milk
16 ounces heavy cream
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¹/8 teaspoon ground cloves
6 ounces dark rum
3 ounces bourbon
3 ounces brandy
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, optional
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Grated orange zest, for garnish, optional

To prepare the crème anglaise, have ready a large bowl full of ice. You’ll also need a double boiler.

Place the milk in a saucepan over high heat. As soon as it begins to boil, stir briskly and remove from the heat. Meanwhile, in the bottom of the double boiler, add just enough water so that the top part of the double boiler or the bowl remains above the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.

In the top of the double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the hot milk.

Cook the mixture over, not in, the simmering water, stirring constantly until the mixture is thickened and coats the back of a spoon.

Remove the double boiler top from the heat and set it in the bowl of ice for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the vanilla extract and stir.

To prepare the eggnog, mix the crème anglaise and all remaining ingredients except the nutmeg and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl. Taste, adding as much confectioners’ sugar as you wish for a sweeter nog.

Transfer the eggnog to the punch bowl and grate the nutmeg and orange zest over it, if desired. Chill for an hour or serve at room temperature.

Makes 16 4-ounce servings.

Notes from Blue Artichoke: If, like me, you don't have a double boiler, boil, then simmer water in a saucepan and put a metal mixing bowl over the saucepan. Make sure the boiling water doesn't touch the bottom of the mixing bowl. Ice bath is very important. Don't forget it.

Dinner last night: Kickass Chicken Casserole (my title). This chicken casserole had chicken, hard-boiled eggs, rice and potato chip topping. Super excellent.

Dinner tonight: special new year's eve dinner party at a friend's. I made a Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake for the occasion. I'm still getting the hang of cheesecakes. I usually like to whip the tarnation out of the cream cheese, but I read that that makes the cheesecake crack because it incorporates air bubbles that expand and pop during cooking. So, I beat the cream cheese on low speed for a short time. Well, there are cream cheese lumps in the cheesecake and the top cracked! I'll never read again. Writers only lie to me. I covered the top with a dark chocolate ganache and toasted hazelnuts. I can't do anything about the lumps, except accept the ensuing shame and humiliation. I deserve it.

Happy New Year's Eve!