Christmas Cookies: Spiked Eggnog Chews

These are on my list of cookies to make between now and Christmas.  I just found the recipe in Redbook magazine.  I hope that you'll try them out.

Photo by: Andrew Purcell

Spiked Eggnog Chews Redbook

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Chilling time: 1 hour

Cooking time: 22 minutes

1      stick unsalted butter, melted

1-1/2      cups sugar, plus more for rolling

1      Tbsp canola oil

1      large egg

2      Tbsp milk

1      Tbsp dark rum (or 1 tsp rum flavoring)

1      Tbsp vanilla extract

2      cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2      tsp baking powder

1/4   tsp baking soda

1/2   tsp nutmeg

1/4   cup decorating sugar

1.  Heat oven to 350ºF.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

2.  In a large bowl, stir butter, sugar, oil, and a pinch of salt until combined.  Stir in egg, milk, rum, and vanilla extract until combined.  Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg; stir until just combined.  Tightly cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

3.  Form 3-Tbsp dough balls; place onto pans.  Place sugar for rolling in the same bowl.  Roll each dough ball in sugar and place back on pan, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.  Flatten each dough ball to about 1 inch tick and sprinkle with decorating sugar.  Bake one pan at a time, until cookies' centers have risen and are beginning to crack, 11 to 13 minutes.

4.  Remove pan from oven and tap on counter to help cookies deflate.  Let the cookies cool on pan, 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.  Repeat with second pan.

Makes 15 large cookies.

**  I made a few batches of these and they turned out really well.  They were a big hit at my cookie exchange, too.  I used dough balls about 1 Tbsp in size and the cookies were big.  So, I suggest that you cut the 3 Tbsp down.**