Eggnog

We love eggnog any time of the year, but at Christmas time it's a must.  This is the best recipe for eggnog.  The recipe says to remove the chalazae in the egg.  The chalazae is one of the spiral bands of tissue in an egg that connect the yolk to the lining membrane at either end of the shell.  These need to be removed if possible.  There's nothing worse than drinking eggnog and getting a lump of the chalazae.  I just crack one egg at a time into a small bowl and use a fork to get the chalazae out.  Or you can blend the eggs all together and run them through a strainer before adding anything else.  If you don't like the idea of eating raw egg, you can cook the mixture to steaming and then refrigerate.
 
Story--My grandmother Holman had her own chickens and every day she would crack an egg and toss it in her mouth and swallow it.  Between that and the way she would flash her false teeth out at us I learned to not be afraid of anything.   One time my cousins, Scott and Clay, challenged me to eat a raw egg for $2.  I talked them into letting me eat 1/2 a raw egg for $1.  I did it. but it almost didn't stay down.

Recipe:

6 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 quart whole milk

1/2 cup heave cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/16-1/8 teaspoon rum extract

1/4-1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg or half regular ground nutmeg

Beat eggs well. Add sweetened condensed milk, salt and stir in milk a little at a time.  Strain with fine mesh strainer into a stock pot and heat over low-medium low heat, stirring constantly, until 160°F.  Remove from heat and place pot in a sink of ice water, stirring occasionally until room temperature. Strain again and stir in the cream, nutmeg, vanilla and rum extract.  Alternately, you can lightly beat cream until thick but still pourable and fold into mixture. Best if refrigerated over night.  Makes about 2 quarts.  

This can also be made without heating the mixture but the eggs won't be pasteurized and it won't be as thick.