Aged Eggnog

PHASE 1

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and place the yolks in a 2-quart container. Save the whites for another application like Cheese Soufflé, Macaroons, Angel Food Cake, or Pavlova.

Combine the rum, cognac, and bourbon in a separate vessel with a pour spout and set aside.

Add the milk to the egg yolks along with the sugar and nutmeg and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Try to keep the head of the blender well-submerged so that you whip up as little foam as possible.

With the motor of the blender still running, slowly pour the spirits into the yolk mixture and blend until fully incorporated.

Place the lid on the container and refrigerate for 30 days. (I typically transfer the mix to 2-quart jars with tight lids as they're easier to stash long term in the fridge.)

During the first phase aging, remember to shake the jars from time to time.

PHASE 2

Remove the phase 1 mixture from the fridge, (If you went with the 2-jar option, recombine into a single vessel that will hold at least 3 quarts.) Place the stick blender into the mixture and blend on medium speed. With the motor running, slowly add the milk, half and half, heavy cream, and nutmeg and blend until smooth. (The order doesn't matter. You could also combine them all and add at once.)

Return the lid to the container and refrigerate for 50-60 days. (You can divide the eggnog into a few smaller containers as long as they seal tightly.) Again, occasional shaking will help keep things nice and homogenized.

Serve straight from the fridge and remember, it's tasty but strong. As for long term storage, I can only say that I've kept unopened jars for 6 months without any reduction in quality. I have friends who swear by a year but mine almost never last that long because the stuff's tasty, you know?