Name: Eggnog Ice Cream
Yield: About 1 quart
Ingredients: 3 cups milk; 1¼ cups sugar; 1 cup heavy cream; 12 large egg yolks; 2 tablespoons sherry; 2 tablespoons brandy; ½ tablespoon vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon Myers’s Original Spiced Rum; ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; Pinch of salt

Scoops of ice cream in small white bowls assorted flavors including eggnog ice cream.

Photo by Dana Gallagher

Creamy, nutmeg-spiced eggnog is one of my favorite holiday indulgences, and has been since I was a child. It was something my dad was famous for. Every year at Christmas, he would stir together a big batch for the adults, but he was always sure to let me have a little nip. It was delicious!

Now I’ve turned my favorite holiday cheer into a compelling eggnog ice cream. It was easy to do. Since eggnog is essentially an egg custard spiked with brandy, rum, and sherry, all I did was reduce the amount of alcohol (which would prevent the ice cream from freezing) and pour the mixture into my ice-cream maker. I know my dad would approve.

Recipe information

Yield
About 1 quart

Ingredients

3 cups milk

1¼ cups sugar

1 cup heavy cream

12 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons sherry

2 tablespoons brandy

½ tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Myers’s Original Spiced Rum

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Preparation

Step 1
In a heavy saucepan, bring the milk, 1 cup of the sugar, and the cream to a simmer.
Step 2
Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add a little to the egg yolk mixture to warm it, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from curdling. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk mixture, whisking the milk constantly as you pour.
Step 3
Return the custard to the stove and cook it over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain it into a bowl. Let cool completely.
Step 4
Stir the sherry, brandy, vanilla extract, rum, nutmeg, and salt into the custard. Chill until thoroughly cold, at least 4 hours.
Step 5
Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

The Last Course Cookbook Cover by Claudia Fleming

Excerpted from The Last Course by Claudia Fleming with Melissa Clark. Copyright © 2001 by Claudia Fleming. Excerpted by permission of Random House, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book from Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.