Description
Delight in these festive Christmas Eggnog Cookies featuring a spiced, tender cookie base topped with creamy eggnog frosting and a touch of nutmeg. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these cookies marry classic seasonal flavors in every bite.
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
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whisk to combine thoroughly, ensuring even distribution of spices and leavening agents.
- Beat Butter: Using either a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the softened butter for 30-45 seconds until smooth and creamy.
- Add Sugars: Add the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar to the butter. Continue beating for 1 to 1½ minutes until the mixture is well combined and fluffy.
- Incorporate Eggs: Lower the mixer speed to medium-low. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated, and no yellow streaks remain in the batter.
- Add Extracts: Add the vanilla and rum extracts to the mixture and mix just until combined, blending the flavors evenly.
- Combine Flour and Eggnog: Add the flour mixture to the batter 1 cup at a time, alternating with the eggnog. Mix gently until the dough is smooth and all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Chill Dough: Cover the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to aerate and develop flavors.
- Preheat Oven: Just before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop and Bake Cookies: Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a 1½-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare Frosting Butter: In a stand mixer or medium bowl, beat the softened butter on medium speed for 45 seconds to 1 minute until creamy.
- Mix Frosting: Reduce mixer speed to medium-low. Gradually add the powdered sugar and eggnog alternately, mixing continuously until the frosting is smooth and well incorporated.
- Pipe Frosting: Spoon the frosting into a disposable piping bag fitted with a star-shaped tip or into a quart-size ziplock bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe the frosting evenly over each cooled cookie.
- Garnish: Lightly sprinkle ground nutmeg over the frosted cookies as an optional seasonal garnish.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Use store-bought eggnog available during the holiday season or substitute with homemade eggnog if preferred.
- Dough can be prepared in advance and chilled overnight; longer chilling intensifies eggnog flavor.
- Unbleached all-purpose flour can be substituted for bleached flour based on preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 95 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
