hot milk punch

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We are in Holiday and baby prep mode over here and I'm having daydreams of hot milk punch and spiked egg nog...although, at the rate this baby is going, I may have to settle for a New Years champagne toast!

HOT MILK PUNCH

1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon Demerara or other dark, raw sugar
2 ounces Old Forester Signature or other strong bourbon, vanillated (see note)
Fresh nutmeg

Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, frothing it with a whisk until it is quite hot but not boiling. Whisk in the sugar. Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon. Pour into a heatproof mug and grate a small amount of fresh nutmeg atop the foam. Serves one.

Note: To make the vanillated bourbon, slice three vanilla pods lengthwise, spreading them open to expose the pulp. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and drop them into a 1-liter bottle of 100-proof bourbon. Allow to macerate for at least a week, and top up the bottle as you use it. To make the drink without macerated bourbon, add 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract to the milk as it heats.