The eggnog recipe featured in the New York Times sounds positively divine, but at over 500 calories and 27 grams of fat a serving, it also sounds like a holiday deal breaker. I’d have to trade out too many other goodies at the Christmas buffet to make room for just one boozy glass of eggnog.
Turn Drink Into Dessert
So I’ve come up with a version that’s still plenty luscious, but a whole lot lighter (about 175 calories a serving and just a few grams of fat). While a fairly traditional take on eggnog, it does have one teensy addition: it’s prepared “float style,” topped with a scoop of frozen yogurt just before serving, effectively turning this drink into a festive holiday dessert.
A Sweet, Creamy Brew
Like most classic eggnogs, this one is made using raw eggs. It’s wise to use pasteurized eggs, such as Safest Choice, which eliminates the risk of food-borne illness. The yolks are whisked with sugar, milk, and rum, and the whites are beaten and folded into the mix just before serving. The whole frothy wonder is poured into small serving cups and finished with frozen yogurt, a dash of nutmeg, and a spoon for good measure.
Enriched with Rum (or not)
While some recipes call for bourbon or brandy, I prefer the smooth, rich flavor of dark rum in eggnog. You can leave out the rum entirely if you choose, making these floats suitable for kids. Alternatively, divide the mixture and make some with booze and some without.
Either way, it’s eggnog: creamy, delicious… the holidays in a punch bowl.
Light Vanilla Eggnog Floats
This eggnog treat is a whole lot lighter than the norm at 175 calories a serving. It makes a great holiday drink or dessert and is perfectly adaptable for kids and teetotalers: simply leave out the rum. Feel free to cut this recipe in half if serving a smaller group.
Ingredients
- 4 pasteurized eggs, such as Safest Choice brand (see notes)
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 cups low-fat milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup dark rum (for grown-up version)
- 1 quart nonfat or low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
- Dash of nutmeg
Instructions
-
Separate the eggs. Put the egg yolks into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until the eggs go from bright to a more pale yellow, about 1 minute. With the mixer going, gradually add the sugar and mix until it dissolves into the yolks, another minute or so. Add the milk, vanilla, rum (if using) and mix until smooth with no apparent granules of sugar. Pour into a large bowl.
-
Wash the mixing bowl and beaters so they are immaculately clean and greaseless. Pour the egg whites into the bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Add the beaten whites to the milk/yolk mixture and use a wire whisk to gently incorporate the two.
-
Chill until ready to serve.
-
To serve, pour about ½ cup eggnog into a punch glass, tea cup, or small glass. Add a 1/3-cup scoop of frozen yogurt. Top with a dash of nutmeg. Serve immediately with a spoon.
Recipe Notes
If you don’t have access to pasteurized eggs, use the instructions below to make the eggnog in order to minimize the the potential for salmonella: Put the eggs (yolks and whites), sugar, and 1 ½ cups of the milk in a medium sauce pan and whisk well until smooth. Set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture reaches a temperature of 160 °F. It's important not too cook the mixture over too high a heat, otherwise the eggs will effectively scramble. Remove from heat and whisk vigorously until smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and chill in the refrigerator. Once cold, whisk in the remaining 1 ½ cups milk, vanilla, and rum (if desired). Pour into serving cups and top with frozen yogurt as instructed above. This version yields 8 servings instead of 10 since the eggnog doesn't have the volume of the original recipe.
