Tis' The Season - Eggnog Shortbread Cookies

Tis’ the Season of over indulgences, rich food, good wine, and baked goods galore!  This year, I promised myself not to indulge toooo much.  Not to stay up till’ the wee hours of the morning baking, (let alone enjoying some of the finer spirits of the season).  I was going to be a good girl!  Stay focused.  Attend Zumba class 2 nights a week… YUP… I was going to sail through the Christmas Season.  Then…there I was… walking through an aisle in the grocery store… and it sat there… calling my name… and on SALE no doubt.   Eggnog.  **sigh** Eggnog.  Some drink it warm on its own… or with coffee…or with RUM… or… like me, all of the above...AND...bake with it!

In between preparing for our trek “up country” for the Christmas Season to be family… I decided what better way to distress then play a little.  After all, indulging in moderation…can’t be all THAT bad now can it?!   OH.. and throw in an impromptu photo session with Duke Dog… hey, may as well keep busy well the dough is chillin’ in the fridge right?! I’ve included some of those pictures below…as, well, you know… just living up to the “dog snob name”….





Eggnog Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter (softened NOT melted)

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup icing sugar

¼ cup eggnog

 ½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp vanilla

*optional – Eggnog Glaze

(in small bowl, add 1 ½ cup icing sugar, and slowly mix in eggnog to desired consistency)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

- In a large mixing bowl (stand mixers work best as they do the work for you) , Combine butter, flour, icing sugar, eggnog, nutmeg and vanilla.  Start mixer on “STIR” setting to combine ingredients slowly at first (or you’ll be covered in a poof of powder!)

- Gradually increase speed , stopping to scrape down sides of bowl several times.  Trick is to mix, mix, mix!  I had my mixer on for at least a good 5-8 minutes at a moderate speed.

- Place dough in fridge for 15 -30 minutes.

- Spoon a small amount of dough into your hand, and roll into balls. Place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart from each other.

place cookie balls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet

- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned.  Remove from oven, and let sit on sheet for 5 minutes.

- Place cookies on cooling rack.  (I put a paper towel underneath the rack, so I could drizzle the eggnog glaze right on the cookies cooling for easy clean up)

- (optional ) Drizzle EGGNOG GLAZE* with a fork over cooling cookies.



using a fork makes it easy to mix and drizzle over cookies



- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container.

....and now for some Santa Duke Dog pictures....

Duke Dog & "friend" by our tree

Smile!

So, I guess this is the final countdown to the day when the big fat man, in a red suit comes a callin’ ... If you’re traveling like us.. please travel safe.  For those (also like me) scrambling to get those last minute things checked off your to-do list.. GOOD LUCK! I’ll probably see you racing’ round’ the mall!



Santa Duke - Christmas 2011