holiday eggnog

It wouldn’t be winter without this creamy, delicious beverage. Let it snow while you sip! Tip: Skip the bourbon to make the recipe kid-friendly.

2 cups milk
2 large strips of orange peel
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped and reserved
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
⅓ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Bourbon (optional) to taste
Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish

1. Combine 1 1/2 cups of the milk, citrus peel, vanilla seeds and the whole vanilla pod in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat just until mixture is simmering.

2. While milk is heating, Whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl until well combined and golden in color (don't over mix).

3. Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan and return to the stove.

4. Cook over medium heat while stirring with a wooden spoon until thickened, about 8-10 minutes. 5. Remove from heat stir in the remaining 1/2 cup milk to stop the cooking. Transfer the eggnog to a large bowl and let cool over a larger bowl of ice for a few minutes. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

6. Before serving, scoop out the citrus zest and vanilla pod. Stir in bourbon, if using. Ladle into mugs and garnish with grated nutmeg.

Discover more information about
Herbal Holidays
in the archived edition
of our December 2018 email.