Sparkling Eggnog Sugar Cookies

I saw a pre-made mix for Eggnog Sugar Cookies, and thought, how good does that sound?!!! But I'm not a "prepared mix" kind of gal, so I went on an Internet cookie search and found this recipe via the test kitchen at Canadian Living. I made the recipe last night and they were delicious; reminiscent of a good glass of eggnog.

I made a minor adjustment from the original ingredients (opting for white sugar instead of brown sugar), but didn't change the nutmeg measurement as I thought I would. I had thought it might be a bit strong when I saw the two teaspoons (!), but when the freshly grated nutmeg was incorporated in the mix, there was just a faint hint of nutmeg in each cookie. I had considered a little cinnamon as one recipe suggested, but after looking up a typical eggnog drink recipe, I couldn't find one that had cinnamon in it so I opted to leave it out and keep it a traditional eggnog flavor.

Since I'm am a non-drinker and not used to the taste, I also left the rum extract out, and to me, it didn't seem to make any difference. But if that is your traditional taste, then don't forget to add the rum extract in place of the vanilla. If you just want a subtle taste, then play with a combination of 1/2 teaspoon of each rum and vanilla extract ... I also only had cake flour on hand, and used it (1 cup and 2 tablespoons cake flour per 1 cup of all-purpose flour) and the cookies still didn't fail ... I also used a large snowflake cookie cutter, so my quantity of cookies was less than if you used something smaller (28 cookies as opposed to the 36 cookies the recipe gives as a quantity).

Sparkling Eggnog Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup (175 mL) softened butter
• 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) rum extract or vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups (625 mL) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) baking powder
• 1 pinch of salt

Sparkling Glaze:

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) large white sugar crystals

Directions:

• oven temperature: 375 degrees (190 degrees C)
• baking time: approximately 10 minutes
• makes: 36 cookies

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or grease; set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy; beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and extract.





In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Fresh nutmeg is always the best option, but if its already been grated by our dear manufacturer spice elves, that's okay too. Just make sure the spice isn't too old or  you won't get the same intense flavor.

Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture, one-third at a time, to make a smooth dough.

Divide in half; shape into discs. wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. You can make the recipe to this point and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Between waxed paper or on a floured surface, roll out dough to a scant 1/4 inch (5 mm) thickness. With 3-inch (8 cm) cookie cutter, cut out shapes, re-rolling scraps. With a spatula, place cookies 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, on prepared pans.

Sparkling Glaze: Whisk egg white with 1 teaspoon (5 mL) water, brush over shapes. Sprinkle with sugar; press sugar gently onto the cookies.   

Bake in top and bottom thirds of the oven, rotating and switching pans halfway through, until bottoms are golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes on pans on racks. Transfer to racks to let cool completely.

You can make these cookies ahead of time, and after cooled, layer between waxed paper in an airtight container storing at room temperature for up to 5 days, or, freeze for up to 2 weeks.