Christmas in Florida. Jealous?

Sorry it's been a while since I last updated. I'm back in Florida, folks, and it is glorious. You can tell it's almost Christmas because of the penguin wearing a Santa hat!

And I don't want to hear anyone complain that "it doesn't feel like Christmas" when it's 80° outside (~26° C). You want it to feel like Christmas? Drink some eggnog. I will take warmth tempered by a cool breeze over battling wind storms in Edinburgh any day.

Speaking of eggnog, I made some this weekend. It was a smash hit at the party I attended. Below you will find my recipe so you can try it for yourself. That way, you can enjoy a delicious Christmas beverage no matter how many miles per hour the wind is blowing.

Kimber's Eggnog Recipe

Ingredients:

• 12 egg yolks
• 4 cups of milk
• 4 cups of light whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups of sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (separated)
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• Alcohol (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a saucepan, mix milk, 1/2 tsp of vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon and using the lowest heat setting, slowly bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to keep the milk from burning or developing a film.
2. In a large bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Slowly, SLOWLY, whisk hot milk mixture into egg mixture. This part is key, because if you add the hot milk too fast, the eggs will cook and you will end up with eggnog that has the texture of scrambled eggs. The way that works best for me is to take a ladle-full of milk, dribble it into the eggs while whisking, and repeat until they are completely combined. It takes a bit of patience, but it makes all the difference.
4. Pour milk and egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook for 3 minutes on medium heat, whisking constantly.
5. Ok, here the recipe from which I have adapted mine says to let the mixture cool for an hour. I didn't do that, and my eggnog turned out fine. I imagine if you did let it cool, it would thicken a bit more. You can try it if you want, but if you're pressed for time, this step can be skipped.
6. Add cream, 2 tsp of vanilla, and nutmeg.
7. Refrigerate overnight.
8. Add alcohol if you want. I use spiced rum.
9. Serve.
10. Enjoy.