12 Days of Cookies Day 2: Eggnog Cookies

I couldn’t possibly do some Christmas baking without baking with eggnog. I really like eggnog, although I know that it’s really not good to drink too much of it. I come across a lot of “eggnog” recipes this time of year and many times the recipes don’t even include eggnog! Sure you can combine nutmeg and rum flavors, but they never come across as clearly as just using eggnog.

This recipe uses eggnog in the dough and in the glaze. The cookie dough is made as though it were cake batter: beat the butter, sugar and eggs, and then add the flour alternating with the eggnog. The dough does look like a fluffy cake batter, very similar to the batter for madeleines. I knew these would be a cakey cookie and they certainly are. The dough is pretty forgiving, too, as the random scoops of dough came out as perfectly round little cakes. Beautiful!

I made half a batch and made 2 dozen medium sized cookies. If you were serving these cookies as part of a cookie tray, I would make them a little smaller, maybe using one tablespoon of dough per cookie. The texture of these cookies is just fantastic. They are perfect little cakes. They are not overly sweet, but the eggnog glaze adds that touch of sweet that is very nice. I think they have a great eggnog flavor: not too strong but the eggnog is clearly there.

Eggnog Cookies

3 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¾ cup butter, room temperature

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup eggnog

3-4 tablespoons eggnog

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg; set aside. In a large mixer bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and stir until combined. Stir in the vanilla.

With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture alternatively with the eggnog, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir until the flour is incorporated.

Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before baking.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges of the cookies just begin to brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Make the glaze: in a small bowl whisk together the eggnog and powdered sugar. Spoon the glaze on the cookies or dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze.

Recipe from Savory Simple