Description
Delight in the festive flavors of Christmas Eggnog Cookies, featuring a soft, spiced cookie base made with eggnog and a creamy, smooth eggnog frosting topped with a light dusting of nutmeg. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these cookies combine warm spices and rich extracts for a seasonal treat everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup salted sweet cream butter room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- 2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- ¾ cup eggnog
Eggnog Frosting
- ½ cup salted sweet cream butter at room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup eggnog
- Ground nutmeg optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly to combine evenly.
- Cream Butter: Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter for 30-45 seconds until smooth and creamy.
- Add Sugars: Add granulated sugar and dark brown sugar to the butter. Beat together for 1 to 1½ minutes until well combined and fluffy.
- Incorporate Eggs: Lower mixer speed to medium-low and add eggs one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated with no visible streaks.
- Add Extracts: Mix in vanilla and rum extracts until just combined to enhance flavor.
- Combine Flour and Eggnog: Gradually add the flour mixture and eggnog, alternating 1 cup flour mixture then some eggnog, mixing lightly but thoroughly until dough is smooth and incorporated.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to chill and develop flavor.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Scoop and Bake: Remove dough from fridge and use a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion dough onto baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges turn golden brown.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Frosting: Beat softened butter for 45 seconds to 1 minute until creamy. Lower mixer speed and gradually add powdered sugar and eggnog alternately, mixing until smooth and fluffy.
- Pipe Frosting: Spoon frosting into a piping bag fitted with star tip or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe onto cooled cookies in a gentle, steady motion.
- Garnish: Lightly sprinkle ground nutmeg over the frosted cookies for a festive finishing touch.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Eggnog is typically available in grocery stores from Thanksgiving through Christmas; homemade eggnog can be substituted if preferred.
- For enhanced eggnog flavor, chill dough overnight instead of just 1 hour.
- You may use unbleached all-purpose flour instead of bleached based on preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
