"Egg Not" (Eggless Eggnog) (2024)

FAQs

Does alcohol cook eggs in eggnog? ›

No. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, "eggs must be cooked to 160 degrees F to kill Salmonella that may be present. Adding alcohol inhibits bacterial growth, but it cannot be relied upon to kill it completely." However, if you use pasteurized eggs, no further cooking is necessary.

To make eggnog, in 4 cup measuring cup stir together allspice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg; reserve ½ teaspoon spice mixture. Add eggnog and rum to remaining spice mixture; whisk to fully combine. Pour into 4 glasses; top with whipped cream; sprinkle with reserved ½ teaspoon spice mixture.

Is it time to update your eggnog recipes to avoid the risk of foodborne illness? Refrigerated eggs with clean, uncracked shells can still be contaminated with Salmonella bacteria.

To make it thicker, use less milk. 1 cup of whole milk will make a smooth eggnog, but if you know that you like a thicker eggnog, stir in only ½ cup of milk.

Eggnog is typically made with rum, brandy or bourbon, and Brown likes to start with a combination of dark rum and cognac. But there's no need to go premium; he recommends using an affordable, high-proof VS cognac. The higher alcohol level will cut through the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients.

Alcohol that diffuses into the egg can denature the proteins, unraveling their three-dimensional structure and causing them to coagulate or join together. Egg proteins turn from translucent to white when they are denatured.

Traditionally made with eggs, cream, milk, and sugar, no one would say that eggnog is a healthy drink. Even a small serving can pack significant amounts of calories, fat, saturated fat, and added sugars. And then there's the fact that homemade eggnog made with raw eggs can be a food-poisoning risk.

If a recipe calls for folding raw, beaten egg whites into the eggnog, use pasteurized eggs. It has not been proven that raw egg whites are free of Salmonella bacteria. If you purchase eggnog from your local grocery store, the eggnog has been prepared with pasteurized eggs. You do not need to cook it.

Most commercially available eggnogs are pasteurized, so the risk of falling ill from uncooked eggs is pretty minimal. They have been cooked and held at 160 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that foodborne illnesses, such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria and campylobacter, are no longer present.

For a traditional eggnog you also whip up some egg whites to stiff peaks, and then fold those into the eggnog mixture, making it light and fluffy. The egg whites are not cooked and these days some people avoid eating raw eggs because of the salmonella risk.

Why don t they make eggnog all year round? ›

Most plants keep producing eggnog through New Year's, and start dumping their unsold product in January. Although associated with the holidays, eggnog doesn't need to be seasonal. Dairy plants could produce small batches of eggnog off-season for hard-core nogheads, but they don't because it's not cost-effective.

Drizzle a little chocolate sauce into the shaker with the eggnog for a chocolate eggnog. Add a splash of vanilla or almond extract, or turn your eggnog into an iced eggnog latte by pouring a shot of espresso into the shaker. Either way, you'll feel the spirit of the holidays!

What happens if you mix alcohol with a raw egg? It tends to neutralize any pathogens that might be present and mellow the flavor of the alcohol. In the Victorian period, this was a popular way to safely drink milk (which could carry tuberculosis, among other things, in pre-pasteurization days).

Though rare, there is the potential that eggnog will curdle when it's mixed with alcohol. That's typically due to too much acid interacting with the dairy.

Eggnog is usually served cold, but you may choose to heat it, especially if you're coming in from making snowmen or ice skating. And you can spike eggnog with a splash of brandy, rum or your spirit of choice, but it's also delicious simply spiked with vanilla or cinnamon.