Old Fashioned Homemade Eggnog

Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hr 10 min

2 ½ cups milk

4 whole cinnamon sticks

1/8 tsp ground cloves

½ tsp vanilla extract

7 egg yolks

¾ cup white sugar

2 cups heavy cream or half and half for a light version

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1. Put the milk, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and ½ tsp vanilla into a large saucepan. Put it over the lowest heat setting on your stove for 5 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar for 1 minutes.
3. Turn the heat under the milk up to medium-high heat. Remove the cinnamon sticks. Stir the milk constantly until it just starts to boil then immediately turn off the heat.
4. Slowly whisk in about ¼ of the hot milk into the egg/sugar mixture. Then pour all of the egg/sugar mixture back into the saucepan and whisk it all together. Put it over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 3 minutes. It will thicken a bit.
5. Pour the hot eggnog into a large bowl or beverage container and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour.
6. After 1 hour, stir in the heavy cream, 2 tsp vanilla, and nutmeg. Store in the fridge and allow to cool for a t least 4 hours before serving.

Note: This is quite rich and decadent. You can thin it out with plain milk as desired.