Eggnog Cookies

‘Tis the season…for eggnog! I know I’m not the only one that loves this sweet, spicy, thick and creamy seasonal treat. I can’t drink it plain—it’s just too rich! I do love low-fat eggnog mixed with diet ginger ale though—one part eggnog, three parts bubbly ginger ale. It’s a slightly less guilt-inducing way to indulge in it, and in my opinion, it tastes even better than plain eggnog.

Yesterday at the store, I realized it was officially December…which means it’s no longer too early to start looking forward to Christmas! So I immediately picked up a half-gallon of low-fat eggnog and some ginger ale.

When I got home I realized I probably wouldn’t be able to drink the whole bottle by myself, so I started looking for other ways to use eggnog. I came across a recipe for eggnog cookies on AllRecipes.com and was inspired to make my own version.

These cookies are light and fluffy with an almost cake-like texture. The eggnog flavor is not overwhelming at all once baked, so even if you don’t like eggnog too much or are afraid to try it, this is a good way to use it. Pranas isn’t a huge fan of eggnog and even he liked these cookies. And I’m a huge fan of eggnog and thought these were great. So give them a try!

Eggnog Cookies
Prep Time: Approx. 20 minutes
Yield: Approx. 3 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup eggnog (use low-fat or lite if possible)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine and white sugar until smooth.

Stir in the egg and 1 cup eggnog. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture so it is well blended.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets (I used my new cookie scoop—so much easier and neater).

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. They’ll start to get a little brown on top, but they are very light, fluffy cookies so don’t wait for them to get super brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Glaze

3 tablespoons eggnog
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons ginger ale (I use Diet)

These are all approximations, so just work with it until it gets to your desired consistency and taste. I wanted mine to be a runny glaze, but you can get yours to be thicker, more like icing by upping the proportion of confectioners’ sugar.

Mix all ingredients together with a wisk, then drizzle over cookies with a spoon. Just lightly drizzle it, don’t put a lot on each cookie or they will be soggy. Also, this process is MESSY! It will be pretty thin and will therefore run all over the place. Put paper towels down underneath your cooling racks or find another way of keeping the glaze from getting everywhere.

Then, for a finishing touch, sprinkle each cookie with nutmeg. Enjoy!

I also found a recipe for some amazing-looking eggnog cupcakes that I may try later this month if I’m not too burnt out on eggnog.