Baltimore Eggnog Recipe

Temper yolks and heat milk

In a medium heavy saucepan, combine the whole milk and 1/2 cup of the heavy cream. Warm over medium heat until it is steaming and small bubbles form around the edge but not boiling (about 170°F / 77°C). In a heatproof bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks with the granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the yolks in a thin stream, whisking constantly to temper the yolks.

Cook custard

Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (about 5–8 minutes, reach about 160–170°F / 71–77°C). Do not let it boil. Remove from heat.

Cool and combine eggs

Place the saucepan in an ice bath and stir occasionally to cool for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the 2 whole eggs. Slowly whisk about 1/4 cup of the warm custard into the whole eggs to temper them, then whisk the eggs back into the custard. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream and the vanilla extract. Cover and chill until thoroughly cold, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Add spirits and spices

Once the custard base is well chilled, stir in the rye whiskey, dark rum, and cognac or brandy. Add the freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/2 tsp) and whisk until combined. Taste and adjust alcohol: traditional Baltimore-style eggnog can be moderately boozy, so increase spirits by up to 1 tablespoon each if desired.

Optional aging

For a smoother melded flavor, transfer the eggnog to a sealed container and refrigerate 12–24 hours to let the spirits and spices marry. If serving immediately, proceed to garnish.

To serve, stir the chilled eggnog and pour into chilled cups or small glasses. Float a single cinnamon stick in each serving and stud the rim or serve on a small plate with whole cloves (optional — you can push cloves into an orange slice or drop them into the container while chilling for subtle clove aroma). Grate additional nutmeg over each glass (about 1/8 tsp per serving).

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days if raw eggs are used; if you prefer longer storage, use pasteurized eggs or cook to a slightly higher temperature and keep for up to 4 days. Shake or stir gently before serving as separation may occur.