With Christmas approaching, here's my recipe for low-cholesterol (ha ha) egg nog, guaranteed to make your holiday a little brighter. It's a pain in the neck to make (resist the temptation to ignore the word slowly in the directions below), but it's worth it. This recipe makes a little over a gallon and a half.

12 large eggs
1 lb. confectioner's sugar
1 pint dark Jamaican rum
1/2 cup peach brandy
2 qts. heavy cream
2 qts. whole milk
fresh nutmeg

Carefully separate the eggs into two large ceramic or stainless steel bowls, being careful not to get any yolk into the whites.* With a cake mixer on medium-high, beat the egg yolks for about a minute, then slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time, occasionally scraping the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. When all the sugar is added, the mixture should be the consistency of a thick paste. Mixing constantly at medium speed, slowly pour in the dark rum and the peach brandy, then slowly pour in the heavy cream and then the milk.

Clean and dry the mixer blades thoughly, and then beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry (this will take a while). Fold the egg whites into the rest of the ingredients, blending until mixed. Refrigerate thoughly.

When it's time to serve, pour into a punch bowl and grate some fresh nutmeg over the froth on top.

¡Feliz Navidad!

*In case you've never separated an egg, this is accomplished by cracking it sharply in the middle on the rim of the bowl for the whites, and then spilling the white into the bowl while gently pouring the yolk back and forth between the two half shells. When the egg white has been poured off, dump the yolk into the other bowl. Be sure to pick out any stray bits of egg shell.

It's amazing to me to think that for 30+ years I lived drinking eggnog not realizing it was raw egg.. People at home, and work, have made it for all to consume from scratch this way for my whole life, I just never knew..

I will try this this year.

That sounds like a nice recipe.

But, I think I'll just buy some at the store and put some Kalua® in it. Mmmm.

kahlua in egg nog?? kayjay, that's gross!

it's not gross! it's good. why would it be yucky??