Same-Day Eggnog Dex#

I really love a glass of eggnog around the holidays. It's a bit fussy cooking up a custard, and worst of all, it takes hours to cool. Grabbing a bottle from the grocery is so much easier and faster! Except, it has all that sugar in it. If only I could make eggnog at home, and drink it right away; then it would be easier than driving to the store.

Well, I've found a way, and it makes us happy. :) It's also Dex#, my term for when the carb to fiber ratio is 5:1, like what it is in blueberries. For Dex#, all the non-fiber carbs count, where as for Dex+ I only look at the fructose to fiber ratio. But enough of that, on to what makes the recipe work!

There are a few special things to consider here:



Instant clearjel: this is easy enough to mail-order, and it's a really handy ingredient to have on-hand.

Raw egg yolks are necessary for the texture, but raise health concerns. I simply use eggs from the grocery that are not "out of date", and we've never had a problem. Another option is buying pasteurized eggs, or apparently you can pasteurize them at home. If none of those options work for you, then leave out the clearjel, and cook like you would for a custard; however, it will need several hours to chill.

A blender that can powder sugar. I use a VitaMix; not sure how well other blenders do on this. Powdering the sugar is important for getting it to dissolve without the need for cooking.

Spices: Fresh nutmeg and a fine grater beats pre-ground. A rum flavoring is crucial; I use LorAnn butter rum. Almond flavor. And real vanilla. I use vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste; the paste adds those little vanilla seed specs and a lot of good flavor.

I pick up a couple of old-fashioned glass quart milk bottles to keep it in, and make two quarts at a time. I hear it's good with sherry, cognac or brandy mixed in, but I like it without. There's a bottle in the fridge right now. It is calling to me....

Same-Day Eggnog Dex#

Yield: 1 Quart

Ingredients

• 36 g (0.18 cup) sugar
• 12 g (4 tsp) instant clearjel
• 1 g (0.125 tsp) table salt
• 1 pinch accent
• 95 g (0.83 cup) dextrose
• 63 g (0.75 cup) Benefiber
• 338 g (1.39 cup) whole milk
• 58 g (0.18 cup) Karo
• 68 g (4 large) egg yolk
• 5 ml (1 tsp) Vanilla extract
• 2.5 ml (½ tsp) vanilla bean paste
• .62 ml (1/8 tsp) almond
• .62 ml (1/8 tsp) butter rum extract
• ~25 passes Freshly microplaned nutmeg
• 350 g (1.46 cup) heavy cream

Directions

1. Combine sugar, instant clearjel, salt, and accent in the pitcher of a blender and blend until finely powdered. Add dextrose and Benefiber, pulsing a few times to mix in.
2. Add milk, Karo, egg yolks, vanilla extract, vanilla paste, almond, butter rum and nutmeg, and blend until smooth.
3. Add cream and pulse the blender until just combined. Over-blending will over-fill the quart bottles. Pour into glass milk bottles, or straight into serving glasses. If it has been sitting in the fridge, shake before serving.