1. In a heavy 4 or 6-quart pan, briskly whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, and salt, until well-mixed. Whisk in 3 cups of the milk.

2. Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches 160-165 degrees F (use a candy or meat thermometer to monitor temperature).* It takes me about 10-15 minutes, and I do whisk near-constantly for this step! You will see a little steam rising from the pan, just as the egg nog reaches 160-165 degrees.

3. Remove from heat. Whisk in the vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Whisk in the remaining 3 cups of milk.

4. Cover pan and chill well (a few hours) before serving. Don't put a hot pan in your refrigerator though! If the weather is cold, I set the covered pan outside to cool, and then refrigerate. Otherwise, let cool to room temperature and refrigerate.

5. Whip the 1 cup of heavy cream until foamy, about half-way to "whipped cream". Stir into the chilled egg nog mixture (it will want to float, so stir as much as needed to mix most of it in).

6. To serve, ladle chilled egg nog into glasses, top with a tablespoon of whipped cream, and sprinkle with freshly-grated nutmeg. Enjoy!

This egg nog can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.