Eggnog Tea Cookies

Last night was our firm's holiday party.  One of the partners hosted it at her home, complete with full bar, appetizers and a lovely dinner for everyone.  Knowing how much I love to bake, she asked if I would bring a plate of cookies for dessert....true to my personality (and how could anyone really decide on just one flavor of cookie)...I made 7 different dessert platters!

I knew she was going to be serving eggnog, 2 versions with and without alcohol.  I have never tasted eggnog, due to my intermittent lactose issues.  However, I stumbled on these eggnog cookies in my 2010 Cuisine At Home Holiday Baking issue.  I knew there was a reason I hang on to these back issues!

Since we are not rum drinkers, I had to sprint to our local liquor store for the cutest little bottle of rum.  Captain Jack Sparrow would be so proud of me!

I made "my" famous Starbuck's Cranberry Bliss Bars.  I also made Chocolate Caramel Toffee Bites (post coming soon), Shortbread Lemon Bars, Strawberry Tiramisu Bites (post also coming soon).

As we have a few gluten free staff, I stepped out of my comfort zone box and transformed a couple of my go to holiday dishes to gluten free.  For my Holiday Cake Cookies, I substituted the white/vanilla cake mix with Pillsbury's Gluten Free Yellow cake mix.  I then also substuted the M&M candies with mint chocolate chips...these were awesome!!!

The other dish was my Holiday Bark.  I subsituted the Oreos with gluten free chocolate cream wafers and also went to gluten free pretzel sticks.  Since I was channeling my inner Burl Ives, we had a "silver and gold" theme...which by the way I cannot get that song out of my head now!  Anyway I digress, I did silver and gold M&M candies and sprinkles for the bark.

After two days of baking and taste testing everything, and an unsettled stomach, I'm not going to lie....I can do without desserts for a long time.

Since I don't know what eggnog tastes like, everyone said they loved these cookies!

Eggnog Tea Cookies with Butter Rum Icing

Adapted from Cuisine At Home

For The Cookies

2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tsp. grated or ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. table slat

2 stick unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)

3/4 granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

For The Icing

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 Tbl unsalted butter, melted

2 Tbl milk

1/4 tsp rum flavoring or light rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Stir flour, nutmeg and salt together for the cookies in a bowl; set aside.  

Cream 2 sticks butter and granulated sugar together in another bowl with a mixer until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla; beat until incorporated, then mix in the flour mixture just until blended.  cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Roll dough into 1-1/2 " balls.  Arrange in prepared baking sheets spacing 2 inches apart.  Bake 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch and light brown on the edges.  Transfer to a rack to cool.

Blend powdered sugar, 2 Tbl butter, milk, and rum together for icing, using a hand mixer.  Frost cooled cookies, then sprinkle with gold sugar.

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