– 6 eggs at room temperature, separated
– 3/4 cup sugar (for the yolks)
– 6 tablespoons sugar (for the whites)
– 1 teaspoon vanilla (use the good stuff, and/or make your own)
– fresh grated nutmeg
– 3 cups whipping cream, chilled
– 2 cups whole milk
Directions
Separate the eggs.
Put yolks in your big bowl, the whites in the electric mixer bowl. Mix the yolks vigorously with a wire whisk for about a minute – they will turn much lighter yellow.
Whisk in 3/4 C sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
Grate in a bit of nutmeg* (gently – you can always add more later, and fresh nutmeg can be powerful),
then add 3 C cream and 2 C milk and whisk a bit more. Everything should be thoroughly incorporated.
Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add 6T sugar, one tablespoon at a time, as the mixer runs. Continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks, but still looks moist (another 2-4 minutes).
Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk/cream mixture with a spatula. You should still have some small blobs of unincorporated egg white, and if the mixture is allowed to site it will separate.
Ladle out the eggnog into cups and top with a bit more freshly grated nutmeg. If the eggnog has separated give it a quick gentle stir before serving.