Food & Cooking Recipes Drink Recipes The Original Eggnog 4.2 (36) Martha's ultra-rich and potent holiday cocktail is a classic for good reason. Prep Time: 20 mins Total Time: 20 mins Servings: 26 Jump to recipe Martha’s original eggnog recipe is rich, boozy, and an instant party starter. Made with a dozen eggs, a generous amount of heavy cream, and no less than three types of liquor, it’s a warming, iconic holiday treat that's guaranteed to please. She included it in her first cookbook, Entertaining, and it’s still well loved all these years later. You can make the eggnog base—yolks whisked with sugar until pale, then combined with the dairy and alcohol—up to one day ahead, then fold in the whipped egg whites and more cream just before serving. The recipe calls for bourbon, cognac, and dark rum, but you can adjust the amounts and types of liquor to suit your preference. One taste and you’ll know why her original recipe is still the best. I Made Martha's Viral Eggnog—No Wonder This Boozy Bev Is Breaking the Internet Credit: Brie Goldman A Little Eggnog History Eggnog's roots go back to Medieval Britain, specifically to a drink called posset, a boozy milk-based beverage served hot. The drink evolved in the 13th century to include eggs, and by the 17th century , sherry was key ingredient. Eggnog made its way to the American colonies in the 1700s, where it began to be associated with Christmas. Eggs, milk, and cream were still the main components, though the sherry was replaced with more affordable and plentiful rum. What is Superfine Sugar? Also known as caster sugar, superfine sugar is a quick-dissolving sweetener that's sometimes called for in meringue recipes or ultra-airy desserts like our whipped cream cake. As it's name implies, it's much finer than granulated sugar but is still grainier than confectioners' sugar. Heat is often applied when dissolving sugar in liquids—take simple syrup, for instance—but since Martha's eggnog recipe never touches the stovetop, using superfine sugar is a clever way to ensure the sweetener completely melts into the dairy mixture without a hint of graininess. Making Superfine Sugar at Home If you don't have superfine sugar handy, you can make it yourself by buzzing granulated sugar in a food processor until it's finely ground. Since the finer grains will pack more densely into a measuring cup, it's always a good idea to add a bit extra to the food processor to ensure you're left with enough for your recipe. A less boozy version: Martha's original eggnog packs quite a punch, so feel free to scale down the alcohol amounts by a quarter to a half, if you like. How to Make Eggnog Ahead To get a head start on this recipe, prepare the eggnog through step 2, then cover and refrigerate for up to one day. Just before you're ready to serve, whip the egg whites and remaining heavy cream, then add them to the bowl. Directions Credit: Brie Goldman Beat egg yolks; add sugar: In a very large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Gradually add sugar to yolks. Credit: Brie Goldman Credit: Brie Goldman Add milk and quart cream; add alcohol: With a wire whisk, beat in milk and 1 quart cream. Add bourbon, rum, and cognac, stirring constantly. Credit: Brie Goldman Credit: Brie Goldman Beat egg whites and fold in; fold in whipped cream Just before serving, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture. Whip remaining heavy cream until stiff and fold in. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Credit: Brie Goldman Credit: Brie Goldman How to Serve Eggnog Serve Martha's original eggnog very cold in small glasses. If desired, top each glass with a little more whipped cream and additional nutmeg. Remember that this recipe is quite potent—Martha strongly suggests only one serving per person! Making This Recipe Without Raw Eggs This recipe contains raw eggs which shouldn't be consumed by anyone with a compromised immune system. If you’re concerned about using raw eggs, swap in a pasteurized liquid whole egg product instead. Since you won't be whipping the whites separately, the drink will be a bit less frothy but will still taste absolutely delicious. 5 More Festive Drink Recipes to Try Mulled White Wine Cranberry Blood-Orange Spritz Candy Cane Cocktail Pomegranate-Champagne Punch Spiced Hot Buttered Rum Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.