The History of Eggnog

It is theorized eggnog originated in Europe around the 13th century, it originated from posset which thespruceEats says “…medieval monks in Britain were known to drink ‘posset,’ a warm punch with eggs and figs. Over time this likely merged with the various milk and wine punches often served at social gatherings.” The part of the name nog may have come from a beer in East Anglia or nog could also have come from a wooden mug used to serve  alcohol, while egg obviously comes from hoe there is egg in the drink.

                             Eggnog Recipe by Ahead of Thyme

The website aheadofthyme.com’s amazing recipe for non-alcoholic eggnog is:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 and ½ teaspoons nutmeg, freshly grated
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 4 egg yolks, room temperature
• ⅓ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• whipped cream (for topping)
• ground cinnamon (for topping)
• extra nutmeg (for topping)

With their instructions being to “Place heavy cream and grated nutmeg in a large bowl with a fine-mesh sieve on top. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine milk and vanilla. Cook over medium heat, swirling occasionally, until bubbles form around the sides and the milk starts steaming. In another bowl, vigorously beat together the eggs, yolks, sugar, and salt for approximately 3-5 minutes until the mixture is thickened and pale. Add in the milk in a slow stream and whisk to incorporate. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for about 6 minutes, or until the mixture reaches 165 F. Immediately strain into the bowl with the heavy cream. Place in refrigerator uncovered. Cool completely for at least 2 hours. To serve, pour eggnog into glasses filling only ¾ of the glass. Top with whipped cream, cinnamon, and freshly grated nutmeg. This recipe takes 2 hours to set but for best results, it can be made up to one day in advance. The eggnog will keep in the refrigerator for a week.”

                                               Eggnog in Stores

Eggnog can also be bought at stores such as Walmart, Target, and Starbucks although Starbucks say they won’t have it this year. Taste of home say they have a way to have it not just for Christmas, but year round! “To order it, ask for a Chai Tea Latte and add caramel syrup—one pump for a Tall, two for a Grande and three for a Venti—and top up the drink with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar topping. Prefer it iced even when it’s snowing outside? Order an Iced Chai Tea Latte with caramel (two pumps for a Tall, three for a Grande and four for a Venti) or a frozen version by ordering a Chai Tea Frappuccino also with caramel (use the same measurements as the iced drink).”