Egg Nog Ice Cream

I have a ridiculous love for egg nog. Apparently it's normal to mix egg nog with milk so it's not as thick but you can just give it to me straight---maybe with some bourbon in there. I had to go to two grocery stores to get egg nog this year. The first store, I stopped an employee to direct me to the egg nog and he just stared at me like I had three heads and kept asking me what 'egg nuts' were. There were a good few minutes where I thought I had tragically fallen into some alternate universe where egg nog didn't exist and I was the only one who remembered this is a thing!!

But no worries, the second store had some. Again, I had to ask where it was but mission accomplished. After the pumpkin spice ice cream issue (issue being I didn't have an ice cream maker), I followed the instructions very closely and allowed extra chill time to ensure this ice cream came out well. I'm not sure what makes it 'egg nog' besides the addition of nutmeg but if I were to make it again, I would replace the cream portion with egg nog for extra flavor.

Similar to the pumpkin spice ice cream, the milk and cream are heated together in a saucepan until steaming. I didn't have to strain it this time but if you cook it a little too long, pour through a mesh strainer to catch the cooked pieces. The hot mixture is poured into a medium bowl where the mixed sugar and egg lay in wait.

The mixture is covered and chilled thoroughly before going into the ice cream maker. I did this overnight. Once it's chilled, pour into the ice cream maker according to instructions. The chilling part is definitely key. I could see the ice cream start to thicken whereas in the past, it's stayed soupy.

I let the ice cream chill for about 4 hours before serving. The edges were all the perfect consistency while the middle hadn't quite settled yet. When I scooped it the next day, it was a little harder so you may need to let it soften on the counter for a few minutes before serving.

My family is big on Jefferson cups which are the traditional vessels for egg nog so naturally, I served the egg nog ice cream in these cups as well.

Recipe
From Homemade Decadence

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (divided) 
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 Tablespoons dark rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, milk and 1/4 cup of sugar over medium heat. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is steaming but not quite boiling (around 5 minutes).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, remaining brown sugar and nutmeg. I saved the egg whites for omelettes later. 
3. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the medium bowl with the eggs and sugar. Whisk constantly until combined.
4. Return the mix to the saucepan and continue cooking over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and can easily coat the back of a spoon without immediately running off. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
5. Pour the mixture back into the bowl but through a fine mesh strainer in case any of the milk has cooked. Stir in the rum and vanilla before covering with plastic wrap (pressed gently against the mixture) and refrigerating for 4 hours or until completely chilled.
6. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
7. Freeze the ice cream overnight or at least for 2 hours before serving. 
8. Ice cream is best eaten within 3 days.