To face the end of year celebrations you need the right "spirit". Even when it comes to drinks. The perfect cocktails for an evening in front of the fireplace, for relaxation after a day on the snow or for greetings with friends are soft, creamy and warm, but also aromatic and alcoholic, such as the traditional Eggnog of the Anglo-Saxon world, typical of Christmas. as much as ginger cookies.
Having become true evergreens of Christmas banquets, these drinks with a soft and seductive texture, with a full and round flavor and a warming alcoholic touch, are associated with friendship, conviviality and good luck wishes, so much so that they are also often served at Christmas lunch and New Year's Eve dinner. So why not adopt this tradition to give a warm and benevolent touch to the many festive moments that accompany December? Here are 5 easy recipes to try at home.

American classic: Egg Nog
Doses for four people.
Whip four egg yolks with 70 g of sugar in a bowl until the mixture is very light and fluffy. Heat 500 ml of milk with 3 tablespoons of ground coffee. Strain and add slowly over the egg and sugar mixture, stirring with a whisk. Transfer the bowl to a pot with a little boiling water and cook the cream in a double boiler for about 10 minutes. Then let it cool and add a glass of dark rum. Beat four egg whites adding, little by little, 30 g of sugar and mix them gently with the cold cream. Pour into 4 glasses and complete with a pinch of grated nutmeg. And if you want an unusual meringue version click here.

French chic: Lait de poule
Doses for four people.
In a small saucepan, heat 80 cl of internal milk with 8 cinnamon sticks. In a bowl, mix eight egg yolks with 120 grams of brown sugar in crystals and 4 tablespoons of honey. After three minutes, add the hot milk and continue stirring for a few minutes. Pour the drink into large glasses and sprinkle with more cinnamon. Serve immediately, hot.

Soviet Frozen: White Russian
Doses for four people.
Put 12 ice cubes in a shaker and combine 1 part of Tia Maria, 1 part of vodka and 1 part of fresh milk. Shake well. Pour the cocktail into a tall narrow glass, straining it, along with 8 crushed ice cubes.

Oriental greedy: Chocki ladybird
Doses for one person.
Shake 4/10 of cocoa milk with half a tablespoon of cocoa and a few ice cubes. Prepare 4/10 of medium sweetened coffee. Put a teaspoon of brown sugar in the bottom of a glass and, with the help of a teaspoon, pour in the milk and cocoa. Then add the sweetened coffee and 2/10 of lightly whipped cream, making sure that the ingredients do not mix. Decorate with a few coffee beans.

Non-alcoholic Italian style: Coffee delight
Doses for one person.
Blend 2 parts milk, 3 crushed ice cubes, 1 1/2 parts ground coffee, 1/4 part pineapple juice and 1/4 part lemon juice. Blend at full speed for 30 seconds. Pour into a cocktail glass and decorate with chocolate chips.

Bon bon borrach:

Doses for 4 people

2 dl of strong coffee,
1.5 dl of dark rum,
140 g of sweetened condensed milk,
100 g of sponge cake,
cinnamon powder,
a few slices of mango,
mint.

Place a disc of sponge cake cut to size on the bottom of 4 small glasses. Pour over 1.5 dl of dark rum, let it soak the sponge cake well. Then, add 140g of condensed milk trying to make a very compact layer and finally sprinkle it with ground cinnamon.
Complete the preparation by pouring the hot coffee (about 2 dl) to be added into the glass very slowly so as not to mix it with the condensed milk and thus create three overlapping layers of different colors.
Decorate each glass with thin slices of mango and a few mint leaves and, then, serve immediately still warm (see photo on the cover).