Separate egg yolks and egg whites. Place egg whites in a medium bowl; set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until light and creamy.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine heavy cream, milk, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Bring to boil; remove from heat.
Whisk 1/4 cup of hot milk at a time into egg mixture. Continue to add 1/4 cup at a time, to temper the eggs.
Once all of the hot milk has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture back into the pot. Add vanilla extract and cinnamon sticks. Set to medium-low heat.
Whisk constantly for 3-5 minutes, until mixture is just slightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Eggnog will thicken more as it cools. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, whip 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add fluffy egg whites to eggnog. Whisk until well-blended.
Pour eggnog into a pitcher or other container. Cover with lid or plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator, at least 6 hours before serving.
To make it espresso chai eggnog:
To make a sugar rim, wet rim of glass with water. Dip in coarse sugar.
Fill individual glasses with half espresso or coffee. Top with eggnog.
Top each glass with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle of cinnamon.
Enjoy hot or cold!
Notes
• Store homemade eggnog in the fridge for up to one week.• If you want a thinner consistency, you can add the entire mixture to a blender with 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk and blend until smooth.Adapted from Tastes Better from Scratch