I have a theory about egg nog – either you absolutely love it or you scrunch up your nose in disdain at the mere thought of it.  I am clearly the former and I have a confession to make – I am a devout egg nog purist.  The concept of spiking an already pristine beverage with rum or brandy just seems sacrilege to me.  Maybe egg nog is so tempting to me because it’s like drinking a custardy milkshake, and because practically anything that contains as many egg yolks and as much heavy cream is bound to taste heavenly.  

However, while I prefer my egg nog straight up, from a locally sourced dairy farm, at a ridiculous $4 per half gallon (it’s worth it), many egg nog fanatics are more adventurous and experimental.  Upon doing a little research on Tastespotting.com, I’ve discovered not only “tipsy egg nog,” but have seen egg nog popping up in French toast, oatmeal and cupcakes!  Who knew the beverage was so versatile.  For all of the self-professed egg nog lovers out there, here are 12 creative ways to enjoy this festive drink (no partridges or pear trees).

• Latte:  If you’ve been to Starbucks recently, chances are you’ve seen “egg nog latte” on the menu board, nudged in between the “peppermint mocha” and the “gingerbread latte”.  This latte is simple to make as long as you have an espresso maker and a hand held frother at home.  Here is a recipe to follow if you’re too cozy in your home to be bothered braving the cold for Starbucks.

• French Toast:  I am a sucker for French toast this is a recipe I’ve actually wanted to try for some time now.  Perhaps I’ll step outside my egg nog comfort zone and give it a whirl: .

• Cupcakes:  These days it seems you can fashion a cupcake out of anything – peanut butter and jelly, Guinness stout, beets, even tomato soup.  Though you can find any cupcake under the sun, some just seem wrong.  I’ll take my cupcakes sans soup and vegetables, if I wanted those; I’d drink a V-8.  Oddly enough, even from an egg nog purist, egg nog cupcakes seem somewhat right.

• Cheesecake:  This recipe may exceed your dairy quota for the day, but it certainly is appealing.

• Oatmeal:  What is most intriguing about this recipe is the fact that it doesn’t actually have egg nog in it, but it still contains the same flavor elements found in egg nog.  Not to mention, it has fewer egg yolks and uses milk instead of heavy cream, so your thighs don’t have to suffer entirely.  Hey, steel cut oats are healthy anyway!  

• Pound cake:  Alright, “egg nog pound cake” is definitely a redundant statement if I’ve ever heard one.  Its name rings ominous for those trying fervently to adhere to our respective diet plans.  That’s not going to stop you though, now is it?  The rum glaze is enough to make my heart flutter.

• Ice Cream:  The thing I find most appealing about this recipe is you can basically create the egg nog yourself and then take it up a notch, by churning ice cream out of it.  Maybe egg nog has found its true calling here.

• Cocktail:  Of course this isn’t your average cocktail and it certainly gives “spiked” a whole new meaning, but it could be convenient during all the family, holiday chaos.  It’s also one that will make the gentlemen swoon.  

• Cookies:  These little beauties look like sables and might be the perfect cookie to leave for Santa.

• Muffins:  While this recipe may not be entirely guilt-free, it is definitely “guilt-less.” 

• Panna Cotta or Crème Brulee:  Egg nog goes glam in this Martha Stewart recipe,  and in this holiday party pleaser from Gourmet.

• DIY:  Awhile ago, I came across a brilliant Melissa Clark article on how to make egg nog, including an interesting new take on the drink, with the addition of scotch and butterscotch, if you’re feeling especially domestic TRY THIS.

Hayley Teater is a chronicler of all things food-related, particularly of the dessert persuasion. She writes for her blog Tiptoes in the Kitchen (hayleygolightly.wordpress.com), which covers her various food escapades and interesting tales from the kitchen.