Eggnog Ice Cream Floats

This is a sponsored post by Hudsonville, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible!

Eggnog is the quintessential holiday drink. It’s thick and creamy with warm spices. But it can be really divisive! I think store-bought eggnog gives the drink a bad rap. You haven’t really had eggnog until you’ve had homemade eggnog. Good eggnog tastes like a frothy drinkable custard. But there are some important things you need to know in order to make the perfect batch.

1. Use the freshest eggs possible. Eggs are obviously the key ingredient in eggnog, so it's important to use the best quality eggs you can find for richer flavor. Pasteurized eggs will minimize the risk of foodborne illness.

2. A combination of whole milk and heavy cream is essential for making creamy eggnog. Low-fat and skim milk will produce eggnog that is watery and less flavorful.

3. Freshly grate nutmeg for the best flavor. You can use a microplane or the smallest holes of a cheese grater. Ground nutmeg has a short shelf life before it loses potency, but whole nutmeg can last several years. And there's no telling how long the ground nutmeg has been in the jar before you pick it up from the store. 

4. Chill the eggnog at least a few hours before serving. This allows the flavors to meld together and the drink to thicken.

My eggnog recipe involves tempering the eggs. This means I slowly raise the temperature of the eggs until they reach a safe temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. It's important to slowly raise the temperature so the eggs don't scramble. There are a couple of ways to do this. I think the easiest way is to use a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec. High-speed blenders use friction to cook the eggs. It's important to blend at the highest speed for four minutes initially. Watch your timer very closely because if the eggs are in the blender too long, they will scramble in the heat.

This eggnog recipe is delicious on its own, but it’s even better with ice cream and a little club soda as a float! I like to pair it with Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Peppermint Stick ice cream and combine my two favorite holiday flavors into one indulgent dessert. My family has tested a lot of different peppermint ice creams, and Hudsonville’s is by far our favorite. The mint flavor tastes very natural, and it has the perfect amount of peppermint stick crunch. I also love that it's made in the Midwest with fresh milk and cream. I have no doubt this combination will change the way you drink eggnog forever!

Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Peppermint Stick ice cream is available at Indianapolis-area Meijer stores. You can use this Scoop Locator tool to find it at a store near you.

Eggnog Ice Cream Floats

Yield: 6 servings

Prep time: About 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the eggnog

• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
• 2 cups (480 milliliters) whole milk
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) heavy cream
• 1 Tablespoon (15 milliliters) pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Optional: 1/4 to 1/2 cup brandy, rum, bourbon, or whiskey

For the float

• 6 scoops Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Peppermint Stick ice cream
• 2 cups club soda
• Optional: Whipped cream

Directions

For the eggnog

1. Add egg yolks and sugar to a high-powered blender and blend for exactly 4 minutes at the highest speed. A thermometer should read 160 degrees Fahrenheit when inserted into mixture. If it doesn't, blend another 30 seconds at the highest speed.
2. Pour in milk, heavy cream, vanilla extract, nutmeg, salt and optional alcohol and blend on low speed until combined, about 15 seconds. 
3. Pour eggnog into pitcher or mason jar and refrigerate several hours.

For the float

1. Once eggnog is chilled, divide drink evenly between 6 glasses (about 2/3 cup per glass).
2. Add 1 large scoop of Hudsonville’s Limited Edition Peppermint Stick ice cream to each glass.
3. Top off each glass with 1/3 cup cub soda and whipped cream if desired. Serve immediately with a straw and/or spoon.