Remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Meanwhile whisk sugar and salt into egg yolks until pale yellow and ribbony.
⅓ cup sugar, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 6 large egg yolks
Prepare boiling water and place custard dishes in a large baking dish with deep sides.
Whisk ⅓ of the simmered eggnog mixture into the egg yolk mix to temper. Then stir in the remaining warm eggnog. Optionally, you can strain eggnog mixture through a fine mesh strainer before whisking into yolks.
Evenly separate egg nog custard into prepared dishes and place in preheated oven.
Pour boiling water into the baking dish until it comes half way up the custard dishes.
Bake for 45 minutes to one hour. Or until custard is firm but still a little wiggly in the center.
Remove individual custards from water bath and cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes, before placing in refrigerator to cool.
Top with cranberry sugar when ready to serve. Then place under broiler until sugar melts and bubbles. Alternately they can be caramelized with a kitchen torch.