Kitchen Tools Needed:
Candy Thermometer
A fine Mesh Strainer
Ingredients:
8 cups Vitamin D whole milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
20 cardamom pods or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 vanilla beans, split in half
14 egg yolks
1 1/3 cup bourbon (optional)
nutmeg to garnish
In a tall 4-qt. nonreactive pot, stir together milk, sugar, vanilla beans and cardamom.
Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
* Do not stir the milk.
However, with a spoon, skim off and discard any skin that forms on the surface of the liquid.
Boil until the mixture is reduced to about 7 cups, about 25-30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and strain into a bowl.
Place vanilla beans into the bottles.
Whisk egg yolks in the bowl of your mixer.
While whisking the yolks constantly, slowly drizzle in the hot milk mixture.
Set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture reaches 175 F on a thermometer, about 20 minutes.
* Do Not Stop Stirring or the eggs will cook.
Place a medium mixing bowl into a large mixing bowl filled with ice.
Strain the eggnog into the medium mixing bowl.
Let the eggnog cool, stirring often.
Whisk in the bourbon, if using.
Pour the eggnog into two 1-qt. jars or bottles.
Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to meld.
Serve chilled with a dusting of nutmeg.