I am not afraid of raw eggs in recipes — I’ve been known to add a yolk to Caesar salad dressing, serve up barely browned meringue on top of a pie, fold some peaky egg whites into chocolate mousse, and certainly eat fried eggs with yolks that are more than a little wobbly.

But I was looking for a homemade Egg Nog recipe that captured the holiday flavor of this classic drinks, but skipped the raw eggs, both for my own peace of mind in serving guests, and also because not everyone is open to the raw egg concept.

Egg-Free Egg Nog

Flipping through Alex Guarnascelli’s amazing cookbook The Home Cook I found the homemade egg nog I was looking for: creamy, rich, fragrant, and egg free. Chef Guarnascelli’s recipes are exactly what I love and aspire to create — comfort food notched up slightly, with a little twist, an extra bump of flavor, satisfying, somewhat sophisticated without being at all fancy.

This is the kind of drink (like many cocktails made with hard liquor) that can sneak up on you. It goes down mighty easily, and suddenly you might find yourself in need of a little nap if you’re not careful.

Eggless Egg Nog: This is the classic holiday drink, with all of the creaminess and flavor, but skipping the raw eggs.

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What Kind of Liqueur to Use in Eggnog

Alex says that you can sub in bourbon for rum (brandy is also an option), and I like that thought very much. She suggests serving it old-school-style in a punch bowl with a ladle. This might be a reason to actually purchase that punch bowl. I thought the drink looked perfect and festive served up in brandy glasses.

You can blend the orange zest and cinnamon right in (also the nutmeg, which I skipped because I am allergic), or blend some in and give each glass a little sprinkle, which looks downright gorgeous. But if you are serving this egg nog at a party (presuming parties are an ok thing), then it’s unlikely with all you have to do you’ll find yourself able to garnish individual drinks. I guess that’s one tick in the pro column for smaller gatherings.

Um….do I need to mention this is not for the lactose intolerant amongst us? One glass would drop Gary like a prizefighter.

Other Holiday Drink Recipes:

• Leftover Egg Nog Milkshakes
• Coquito
• Hot Toddy
• The Felix Hot Ginger Apple Toddy
• Pitcher Red Cocktail
• Cranberry Orange Shrub
• Pitcher Pomelo Palomas
• Sparkling Mint Pomegranate Champagne Cocktail