I made this over Christmas, and it was a good source of calories when I was up in the night with Asher. The recipe was in our local newspaper in December. I've halved it, so that it makes about five 1-cup servings (or ten 1/2 cup servings--it is very rich!).
3 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
3 cups of 2% or whole milk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream
Ground or freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Pinches of other ground spcies, such as cinnamon and cloves (optional)
Rum or brandy (optional--I didn't add either of these)
Place the eggs, sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Place the milk in a heavy-bottomed pot and bring to just below a boil, whisking frequently so the milk does not scorch the bottom. Remove the pot from the heat. Very, very slowly dribble and whisk half the hot milk into the egg mixture. Whisk this mixture back into the pot with the remaining hot milk. Place the pot over medium heat and cook (do not boil), stirring often, until the mixture lightly thickens.
Remove from heat, then whisk in the whipping cream. If the milk or milk/egg mixture scorched a little on the bottom, you can strain the mixture. Cool the mixture to room temperature, then whisk in the vanilla, nutmeg and other spices. Transfer to a glass serving jug. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled, about three to four hours. The eggnog can be made a day or two in advance of serving.
When ready to serve, give the eggnog a stir. Serve as is or add a splash or two of rum or brandy to the glasses or mugs you serve it in.