I was watching Alton Brown’s yearly egg nog show and had forgotten that at the end he tells you that you can use the base to make egg nog ice cream (not too surprising since last year I didn’t have an ice cream maker). So I went out, bought the ingredients (it’s definitely not low fat) and proceeded to churn.

Since bourbon and nutmeg are the only flavorings used, the alcohol taste is quite pronounced. I would add some vanilla bean next time. I might also add a stream of caramel syrup during the last 5 minutes of churning to create a ribbon.

Makes 1 quart.

Ingredients

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3 ounces (85 grams) bourbon (I prefer Maker’s Mark)

Recipe

1. Beat together the egg yolks and sugar until the yolks lighten in color and the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from the heat and gradually temper[1] the milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture. This should bring the entire mixture to 160°F (71°C) where any salmonella germs will be killed (if it isn’t quite there, return to the pot and cook until it reaches the proper temperature and remove from the heat).
4. Stir in the bourbon, pour into a medium bowl, cover and set in the refrigerator. Chill the mixture until it reaches a temperature of 40°F (4.5°C), approximately 4 to 6 hours or overnight.
5. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve as is for soft-serve, or place in an airtight container and put in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours for traditional ice cream.