Nog on the blog

By way of apology for neglecting the blog through the holidays, let me share the eggnog recipe i've been tinkering with this season...

Now, this is a recipe that uses raw eggs, so if you're not comfortable with that, please seek out another one. I have the unfair advantage of having my own chickens, so i know that they live in the lap of luxury with enough space and organic feed, homemade kefir, and delightful snacks. I know when the eggs were laid and don't have to wonder if they bumped around all over creation for a month before getting to the store. Anyway, i'm pretty confident about the quality of my egg supply, so i don't worry too much about using them raw.

Eggnog

8 eggs, separated
5/8 c. sugar (divided, 3/8 c. and 1/4 c.)
1 c. rum
2-1/2 c. milk
1-1/4 c. heavy cream
vanilla to taste
ground nutmeg

Beat the egg yolks with 3/8 c. sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, then mix in the remaining sugar. Add the beaten yolks gently to the egg whites. Slowly mix in the rum, then the milk, then half of the cream (somewhere in there, a splash of vanilla, too). Whip the remaining cream, then fold it into the eggnog, carefully, so as to preserve the foamy layer. Ladle into cups and top with ground nutmeg - bonus points for fresh grated - and enjoy! This makes plenty for six or eight. I wasn't organized enough to take pictures, i'm afraid, though it looked awfully pretty in my mother's china teacups with an ivy vine pattern...