Christmas Eve is also National Eggnog Day, so you'll want to have this recipe on hand for celebrating both occasions. It's an easy make-ahead dessert, so all you have to do when serving it is pull it out of the refrigerator... et voilá! A rich, luscious treat.

Here are some recipes for you, if — like me — you're in the midst of a cookie baking spree:

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Cookie Butter Cookies

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Butterscotch Pretzel Brownies

Toasted Coconut Haystacks

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

Blueberry Walnut Rugelach

Ginger Shortbread

Holiday M&M Cookies

Eggnog Pudding

3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 cups prepared eggnog
1 tablespoon rum or vanilla extract
2 eggs
whipped cream, for serving
pinch of nutmeg, for serving

In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, salt, sugar, and water; bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes translucent and thick like rubber cement. Slowly whisk in the eggnog and the rum; cook for 7 minutes until boiling rapidly and thickened, stirring constantly.

Place the eggs into a medium bowl.  Remove 1/2 cup pudding and whisk it into the eggs; whisk this mixture back into the pudding and cook for 1 minute.

Pour pudding into serving glasses. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap against the pudding to prevent formation of a skin. Refrigerate until chilled.

To serve, top pudding with whipped cream and a slight pinch of nutmeg.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Bilyeu writes for AnnArbor.com on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, telling about her adventures in the kitchen - making dinner, celebrating holidays, entering cooking contests, meeting new friends ... whatever strikes her fancy. She is also on a mission to find great deals for her Frugal Floozie Friday posts, seeking fabulous food at restaurants on the limited budget of only $5 per person. Feel free to email her with questions, comments, or suggestions: yentamary@gmail.com.

Go visit Mary's blog — Food Floozie — where she enthuses and effuses over all things food-related; and look for her monthly articles in the Washtenaw Jewish News. "Like" her on Facebook, or send a tweet on Twitter, too.

The phrase "You Should Only Be Happy" (written in Hebrew on the stone pictured in this post) comes from Deuteronomy 16:15 and is a wish for all her readers - when you come to visit here, may you always be happy.