Homemade Eggnog

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs

• 1/2-3/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 6 cups non-homogenized whole milk (could also use 5 cups whole milk 1 cup heavy cream)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/4-1 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Begin gently heating your milk on medium low. Stir occasionally.

2. While the milk is heating, combine eggs, maple syrup, and salt, and beat well with a whisk. You don't want to add too much air to them, so don't use an electric beater. You just want the eggs to be well blended.

3. Once your milk has reached 160ºF, take it off the burner. You are now going to temper the eggs. While beating the eggs, very carefully ladle in some of the hot milk, a little at a time. Go very slowly and make sure to keep the mixture moving so that you don't cook the eggs too fast and end up with clumps. This is the longest part of the process. Continue gently ladleing in the milk until all the milk is combined. You can speed it up once about half the milk is added.

4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and begin gently heating it again on medium, STIRRING CONSTANTLY with your whisk. Keep checking the temperature until it reaches 160ºF. Once it reaches temp, take it off the burner, still stirring for a minute while it cools slightly. Whisk in your vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

5. Let cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a jar in the fridge. If you've been really careful, you shouldn't have any lumps, but if it looks lumpy, you can run it through a mesh strainer.

6. Shake before serving and enjoy! Makes one half gallon.