Thursday, November 25, 2010

Eggnog Cookies... Tis the Season!

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm up to my elbows in mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and stuffing. Oh lord. But I had to share this recipe so when you're in between basting your bird or layering your casseroles you can take a look.
For those of you who know me personally/read The Messie Kitchen, you know I start thinking about Christmas after my birthday in September. I know... way too early for you. But I can't help it. The inner child in me comes out and I am able to soak in everything around me from the traditional food to the amazing music. Ahh...the holidays are bliss.
Time to be spent with friends and family. No deadlines. No work. You can't beat that. Although, if you are apart from someone you care about, the holidays present one tiny little problem. They seem to exacerbate the pit in your stomach that goes alongside missing someone.
I'm spending Thanksgiving home in Virginia this year. It's just me and the roomies, Susie and Dick. I'm getting to see a lot of friends coming into town and I'm helping Mother dearest make one hell of a dinner. I have coffee dates lined up with some of my best friends, girls nights full of wine on the horizon and a plan to relax on my big blue coach. Perfection. Well, almost.
There's a part of me that is stuck in Pennsylvania. I've spent Thanksgiving in good old State College 3 out of the past 5 years of my life, and somewhere in there, it became my home. Oh, and I guess my boyfriend is up there too. My initial plans to visit him were called off by a change of heart and a desire for me to spend time with my family, though I love his dearly.
And so, to Alex, I send a new recipe. Alex delights in eggnog. Which is awful because he has high cholesterol for a twenty-something healthy male. But, because I am the BEST girlfriend, I not only approve of this seasonal treat, but I'm sending it his way, in cookie form!

If you're not an eggnog person, come back next week, but if you are, HOLY COW try these! I like (but don't love) eggnog, and these were awesome. So if you're looking for a cookie to add to your annual batch, try these (adapted from Mrs. Fields (lady knows her cookies).

What ya need: 1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup eggnog (I used LIGHT).
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

What ya do:1. Preheat oven to 300°F
2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. With a mixer, cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks; beat at medium speed until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined, don't overmix these!
4. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart (I used tablespoon to "measure") and sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg and bake 20 to 23 minutes until bottoms turn light brown.
5. After cookies are cooled, drizzle with eggnog icing, recipe follows.

Eggnog Icing
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup softened butter or margarine
1/3-3/4 cup LIGHT eggnog (I think I used about 1/2)

1. In small mixer bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

3 comments:

Megan @ Foodalution said...

Hi Jessie! These look wonderful and thank god I am an eggnog person... I love it. These cookies rock! Is that nutmeg you sprinkled on top? Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy! Megan

Monet said...

When I saw eggnog at the grocery store yesterday, I became so excited. While I like drinking the stuff, I really want to bake with it! These cookies look wonderful, Jessie. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Thank you for sharing. I hope you have a great holiday weekend!

Debbie B. said...

The cookies look great!! I've never thought about making egg nog cookies!