1 egg
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. sugar
Grated nutmeg or anisette sugar

Beat egg with milk and sugar. Strain into a glass. Sprinkle the top of the drink with a little grated nutmeg or anisette sugar. Makes 1 serving.

EGGNOGS: Eggnogs should be made with the freshest and best quality eggs available, for they beat up to a greater volume and are more delicious. In addition to the eggs, a liquid is used. This can be milk, light or heavy cream, orange juice, cider, white wine, or a fortified wine such as port, sherry or Madeira. Usually eggnogs are sweetened, but the amount of sugar can be adjusted to your taste. It can be ordinary granulated sugar, brown sugar, confectioners' sugar, honey or a flavored sugar. The proportions of egg to liquid can be altered, the more eggs, the thicker and richer the drink. Or you can flavor the mixture with vanilla or other extract. For parties, rum and/or brandy or other liquors can be added.

If you want a smooth mixture, beat whole eggs and the liquid together. For richer mixtures beat the yolks and liquid together and beat the whites separately - with part of the sugar if you like - and fold this meringue like fluff into the finished drink. If you are using cream, that too can be beaten separately and folded in at the end to make a thicker nog.

While the traditional flavoring is nutmeg, you can use whatever you like: cinnamon, cloves, anise. Or you can omit spice all together if you prefer.

After you have beaten the egg mixture, strain it to remove the small lumps of thickened albumen.

Eggnog can be made in advance and allowed to mellow, but remember that mixtures like this need to be refrigerated.