Festive Snowman Eggnog

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• 2.5 cups of milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 30g mini chocolate chips + 8 chips for decoration
• 0.5 cup cold rum or brandy (optional)
• 1 dried apricot, cut into 4 wedges
• Special equipment: a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip; a small brush (optional)

Preparation:

1. Whisk the eggs, yolk, and sugar in a bowl until smooth. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with 1/2 cup heavy cream over medium heat until steaming; do not bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then return the egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and a thermometer reads 165°F (74°C), about 5 minutes. Do not bring to a boil, or the eggs will curdle.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and stir in the vanilla extract and nutmeg. Let cool at room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until completely cool, at least 2 hours and up to 1 week.
3. Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat, stirring every 20 seconds, until the chocolate is just melted. Place four 8-10 oz glasses on the work surface. Dip the tip of your pinky finger or a small paintbrush into the melted chocolate and draw three buttons and two handles on the inside of each glass.
4. If desired, stir rum into the chilled eggnog mixture. Pour evenly into glasses.
5. Whip the remaining 1.5 cups heavy cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fit a piping bag with a large star tip and fill it with whipped cream. Pipe a generous dollop of whipped cream onto each eggnog to create the snowman heads. Just above the row of snowman buttons, push a dried apricot wedge into each whipped cream head to create a nose. Attach chocolate chip eyes above the nose. Serve immediately.