Cinnamon Eggnog Cookies

Welcome to Christmastime! This year I plan to bring you 12 different cookie recipes, with the flavors of Christmas such as eggnog, peppermint, molasses, and ginger. I feel like I am a little behind in my baking but I’m sure I will be fine. This first cookie is a nice combination of the flavors of eggnog and cinnamon. I made half the recipe, which made about 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

This recipe originally called for Eggnog Baking Melts. When this recipe was created (2013), Eggnog Baking Melts were a specialty flavor for the holidays. I searched and searched this year, and I found peppermint baking melts but no eggnog. I decided to use vanilla baking melts and add some rum to mimic the eggnog flavor.

These cookies use a different method, in that you melt ingredients, and then add eggs and flour. When I allowed the butter mixture to cool, it solidified. This was distressing, but I let the mixer do its thing with the egg and the mixture looked great. When all the ingredients were mixed together it looked like regular cookie dough. The prominent flavor in these cookies is the vanilla baking melts, so perhaps additional rum was needed! The are a flat, bumpy cookie, but a really interesting one to add to the regular mix of Christmas cookies.

Cinnamon Eggnog Cookies
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon eggnog
10 ounces Wilton Vanilla Baking Melts, divided
1 tablespoon rum
1-1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
5 ounces cinnamon baking chips

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and eggnog and melt over medium low heat. Once the mixture is melted, add 1 cup baking melts, and continue to heat until smooth. Remove from the heat; transfer the mixture to a large mixer bowl, stir in the rum, and allow to cool to room temperature. Chop the remaining baking melts.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking pans with silicone baking mats.

Once the butter mixture is cool, add the egg and beat on medium for 3 minutes until light. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Once the mixture has come together, stir in the chopped baking melts and the cinnamon chips.

Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, using about 1 tablespoon per cookie.

Bake for 10-11 minutes, until the cookies are browned along the edges. They may look under baked, but they will set as the cool. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, letting the cookies settle and flatten. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Recipe from Kevin and Amanda