Incredibly silky and suave, these rich classic custards are made with a special twist – I substituted the usual cream/half-n-half for the Organic Valley eggnog. Now this latter product is usually only available around the holidays, and, in my opinion, it tastes better than any other eggnog brand, including the eggnog I made myself! Especially the eggnog I myself.
The thing is, I bought a couple of quarts the other day and I just kept thinking that there’s gotta be something special I could make with it! Pots-de-creme, a kind of a baked custard, seemed like the thing to do. I also briefly considered eggnog creme-brulee, but then decided that the sugary crust would take away from the whole “home for the holidays” theme, opting for a nutmeg-flavored whipped cream instead.
(Sorry about the blurry pictures – I was so delighted to finally achieve a shallow depth-of-field that I went a little overboard.)
This is what it looks like before you dig in.
Eggnog Pots-de-Creme
Serves 3
For the Custard:
- 1 1/2 C Organic Valley eggnog
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 to 1 T sugar, depending on how sweet you like it
- a sprinkling of nutmeg
For the Whipped Cream:
- 3/4 to 1 C heavy whipping cream
- 1 T sugar (optional)
- a sprinkling of nutmeg
- extra nutmeg, for garnish
To make the custards, add sugar to the eggnog and heat it over medium heat until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth. In droplets, drizzle in the eggnog mixture into the eggs, whisking vigorously the entire time (by the time you’ve added half of the eggnog to the eggs, you can go ahead and pour in the rest). Sprinkle with nutmeg. Pour into 3 individual ramekins through a fine-mesh sieve (this is really important to assure that your custard is smooth). Place the ramekins into a larger baking dish and fill it with warm (not hot) tap water to come halfway up the cups. Place into a 325-degree oven and bake until the custards are set (that is, until the centers are no longer wobbly), about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the water bath and let cool to room temperature, then chill uncovered in the fridge for several hours to allow the custards to firm up.
Meanwhile, whip cream together with sugar and nutmeg and spread on top of the cold custards. Sprinkle with extra nutmeg and allow everything to chill together a while longer. You won’t believe how good it is!
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Discovered your site a few weeks ago and have enjoyed reading, especially your recipes. When I came upon this one, since it is the holiday season and various eggnog cartons are available, I thought to try it. First issue was finding Organic Valley brand–not all that common in the Pacific Northwest Finally found some.
Everyone has their own take on how something should taste. We, wife and I, were not impressed with Organic Valley. Have you ever tasted Southern Comfort eggnog? There’s no booze, regardless of the name, but LOTS of flavor, which is missing from Organic Valley as far as this household is concerned. You might want to try it, although it may be as difficult to find in your neck of the woods as Organic Valley is in ours. I still plan to try your custard, but with some eggnog with flavor.
I certainly did not find the OV eggnog to be lacking in flavor, but yes, by all means, try it with the brand you prefer. Heat a little bit of it first though to the near-boiling point to see that it doesn’t separate or anything.
I’m guessing the difference is in the ingredients. While OV egg nog only contains milk-sugar-cream-eggs-vanilla-nutmeg, other brands may have other additives and/or higher concentrations of sugar, etc.
Can’t wait to try this recipe at our New Year’s Eve dinner party!
Do a practice run first, custards can trick you.
Oh man – that looks awesome. What’s not to love about anything called Pots-de-creme? Eggnog is one of my faves – I can’t wait to try this with my own….
Jacky – I am not guaranteeing that it will work with your own, because theirs is homogenized and all around the consistency of cream. Yours already has eggs mixed in, so I am not sure how that will affect the number of eggs you need to add.