Hey, folks. It’s that magical time of year when grocery stores start to stock what they ought to be carrying year-round: eggnog. Well, this year, why not stick it to the grocery stores and make your own ‘nog?

Here’s an easy-to-make recipe for homemade eggnog. Do it right, and not only will it taste better than the store-bought junk, but you’ll be able to make it whenever you want.

Ingredients:

–1/3 cup of sugar w/ 1 tbs. in reserve,
–4 pasteurized grade-A eggs,
–1 cup heavy cream,
–2 cups of milk,
–1 tsp. ground nutmeg,
–4 ounces of spiced rum (if over 21)

*A note before we begin: there is always some risk when consuming raw eggs. However, using pasteurized eggs significantly reduces your chances of illness, and introducing alcohol into the mixture will make it safer still — there are no known pathogens that can survive in alcohol. Ultimately, your chances of getting sick are slim to none, but if you’re worried about that, recipes that involve cooking the eggs are just one Google search away.

Step 1:

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Put the yolks into a bigger bowl and the whites into a smaller bowl. Put the whites aside and beat the yolks until they lighten in color. You want them to be about the color of pineapple juice. Once the color is light enough, add your 1/3-cup of sugar and beat it until the sugar dissolves.

Step 2:

Add the milk, cream, nutmeg and rum to your yolks. Stir until all the ingredients are well-combined. One note: you can use other liquors (if you’re of legal drinking age, of course). Dark or gold rum, bourbon or brandy are all good choices. Spiced rum is what I think works best.

Step 3:

Now go back to your egg whites. Take your beater and beat them to soft peaks (this is where an electric beater becomes a lifesaver). Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar and beat the whites to stiff peaks.

Step 4:

Whisk the two mixtures together. You’ll have to mix it well because the liquid and the foam like to separate. Chill your eggnog before serving.

*Do note that the foam likes to separate from the rest of the mixture. You can stir it all back together, but the foam also makes a wonderful dip for sugar cookies. Enjoy your ‘nog however you want — you deserve it.