St. Patrick's Day has its green beer, New Year's Eve has champagne, but there's probably no other holiday so closely associated with a drink than Christmas with eggnog.
We asked an "eggspert" for their best eggnog recipe, Chris Bassette, whose family owns Killam & Bassette Farmstead. The family farm has about 450 chickens and sells their eggs at the farmstand.
Homemade Eggnog
6 Killam & Bassette Farmstead Egg Yolks
1 cup Smyth’s Trinity Farm’s Heavy Whipping Cream
2 cups Smyth’s Trinity Farm’s Whole Milk
½ cup sugar
½ Tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 Tsp ground cinnamon
¼ Tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon for topping
Whisk yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until creamy. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon & salt. Stir often until mixture reaches a bare simmer. Add a large spoonful of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Repeat, adding a large spoonful at a time, to temper the eggs. Once most of the hot milk has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture back into the saucepan on the stove. Whisk constantly for just a few minutes, until the mixture is slightly thickened (or until it reaches about 160 degrees). It will thicken more as it cools. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour the eggnog into a pitcher and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled. It will thicken as it cools. If you want a thinner, completely smooth consistency, you can add the entire mixture to a blender with 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk and blend until smooth. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and fresh whipped cream, if desired. Store eggnog in the fridge for up to one week. Enjoy!