Mrs. Becker's Egg Nog - Updated

A quick note to my readers - I recently started a new job.  That's why my posts have become much less frequent.  But I do plan on continuing the blog!

Well, with the holidays coming up, I thought I'd talk a little bit about egg nog.  When I was a youngster, the only egg nog I ever knew was this commercial non-alcoholic stuff that my father used to buy.  It was overly sweet, overly thick, overly spiced, and I couldn't take much more than a few sips of it.  I had also had non-alcoholic homemade egg nog, at the Shanks' house.  The Shanks were our dear family friends, and they would host a New Year's Eve party nearly ever year, and Ann Shank would serve homemade egg nog. It was considerably better than the store-bought stuff.  But of course, being raised in a teetotaling household, I had never tasted egg nog the way most people drink it, which is an alcoholic treat.

When I was a little older, I was served egg nog with alcohol a few times at some friends' houses, and I was nonplussed.  The alcohol usually tasted too strong, and it just didn't have a pleasant flavor.  It was made with rum, and the flavor of the rum overpowered the subtle flavors of the eggs and the milk.  So I figured egg nog was just one of those things I didn't like.

And then, one holiday season, I was visiting my friend Betsy Becker's house.  I can't even remember why I was there; usually when I was at the Beckers, it was with the whole gang from high school, but this time I don't recall the rest of the gang being there.  But some other friends of the Beckers were there, and Mrs. Becker offered everyone some egg nog.  Well, I didn't have any high hopes, but I didn't want to appear rude, so I took a glass.

I lifted it to my lips and tasted.  It was an altogether marvelous elixir.  It was just sweet enough, just creamy enough, just alcoholic enough, and whatever liquor was in it complemented, rather than overpowered, the other flavors.  "Mrs. Becker," I exclaimed, "This is wonderful!  What is your secret?"

Her secret, it turned out, was bourbon.  That was what all the other egg nogs I had been served had been getting wrong.  She also used confectioner's sugar to sweeten it.  I asked her for her recipe, and she gave it to me.

So I've been making egg nog ever since, and I always call it Mrs. Becker's egg nog.  I've long since lost the actual recipe Mrs. Becker gave me, and I just make it from memory.  But here is how I do it.  If you try to make it, be sure to give Mrs. Becker the credit!

A word of caution:  This recipe calls for raw eggs.  Raw eggs always carry the risk of salmonella.  If that's a concern for you, you probably shouldn't try this.  But you'll be missing out.  And remember, if you ever stick your finger in the raw cookie dough, or eat your eggs over-easy, you're already taking the risk.


Mrs. Becker's Egg Nog

6 extra-large eggs
1 cup confectioner's (icing) sugar
Bourbon
2 liters milk
1 cup whipping cream
Freshly grated nutmeg

Separate the eggs, and reserve the whites.

In a large punch bowl, beat the egg yolks with a wire whisk until they are lemony yellow.  Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar until the egg yolks and sugar are fluffy.  Gradually beat in the bourbon.  (How much bourbon, you ask?  It depends on how drunk you want your guests to get.  I'd start with about a cup or a cup and a half.  You can always add more later.  You could also omit the bourbon altogether, if you don't want to serve alcohol.)

Now beat in the two liters of milk.  This is where you can taste it and add more bourbon if you'd like.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are fluffy but still somewhat soft.  Float the beaten egg whites on top of the egg nog.

In the same bowl as you beat the egg whites, whip the cream to about the same consistency as you did the egg whites.  Float the whipped cream on top of the egg nog with the egg whites.

Please note - you can whip both the egg whites and the cream in the same bowl, but you must whip the egg whites first.  If you whip the cream first, the egg whites will never stiffen.

Grate fresh nutmeg over the top and serve.  Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers immediately.

This makes quite a bit of egg nog, easily enough for 10 or 15 people.

Update:  Betsy Becker tells me that her Mom would sometimes use both bourbon and rum, or bourbon and brandy - but always bourbon.  I stick to the bourbon.