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Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies will be a hit with all of your eggnog loving family members and friends! My husband LOVES eggnog. So when I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it. It was a hit!
2 Recipes = 1 Great Cookie
Before I get into the details, please make note that there are two recipes at the bottom of this post. One is for the Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies, the other is for the Rum Filling. You will need both recipes in order to make these cookies.
Other than the chilling time, these cookies actually come together pretty quickly. One thing I love about this recipe, is that it can be made a couple of days ahead of time. You can do this several ways.
Here are some other posts you may enjoy.
- Boredom Busting Playsets For Christmas
- Gifts For The Guy With Everything
- Christmas Gifts for Fans of Jane Austen
- Gift Guide for Toddler Girls
- Christmas Gifts for Tea Lovers
- Wild Rice Soup
- Cranberry Salad
- Gingerbread Cookies
Make Ahead for Easy Prep
You can mix up the cookies, wrap the dough and keep it refrigerated before finishing the assembly. You can also finish the cookies themselves. Store them tightly covered, and fill an hour or two before you are ready to serve them. Keep in mind, the rum filling will have a much deeper flavor for the first several hours after mixing. If you want a milder rum flavor, just fill them the day before you will serve them. Store them in air-tight containers, being careful not to crush your piping.
Be sure not to mix your Rum Filling up until you are ready to pipe it onto the cookies. If you do, it will get too stiff and your cookies won’t fill properly.
Watch your first cookie sheet of cookies carefully in the oven, so you can pinpoint the exact cooking time. You want the edges to just start turning a golden brown. I baked mine for exactly 10 minutes. Your baking time may be 12-15 minutes, due to varying oven types and models.
These Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies are also really pretty on your Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert table. I always love to have cookies and candy in a variety of shapes and sizes, so these fit beautifully.
Quick Dessert Table Decorating Tips
A couple of tips you may enjoy, is to buy paper doilies in varying sizes. Use them on your cookie and candy platters to make a pretty presentation. It also looks really nice to have varying degrees of height on your dessert table. You can use glass cake stands for some of your desserts, while serving others on decorative platters. Add some festive greenery, ornaments and/or florals around the base of the cake stands, and your dessert table will shine!
Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 c. butter, softened
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 egg whites, slightly beaten
- 1 1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts
- Rum Filling – Recipe follows
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
- Add sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg.
- Beat until well mixed, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until combined.
- Beat in as much of the flour as possible with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a spoon.
- Cover and chill the dough for about 1 hour, or until it can be easily handled.
- Shape the dough into 1″ balls.
- Roll the balls in beaten egg whites and then the chopped walnuts to coat.
- Place the balls about 1″ apart on a greased cookie sheet.
- Make a thumbprint in the center of each ball.
- Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- Just before serving, pipe about 1/2 teaspoon of rum filling in the center of each cookie.
- Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Rum Filling
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. butter, softened
- 1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon rum extract
- 1-2 Tablespoons milk
- Ground nutmeg
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl beat the softened butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
- Beat in 1 cup of the sifted powdered sugar until fluffy.
- Beat in rum extract and enough milk to give you a good spreading consistency.
- Put the rum filling in a decorator bag fitted with a swirling tip.
- Pipe the filling into the center hollow of each cookie.
- Sprinkle ground nutmeg on the top of the filling for each cookie.
