Description
Enjoy these festive Eggnog Snickerdoodle Thumbprint Cookies that combine the classic cinnamon sugar coating with a creamy eggnog white chocolate ganache filling. Perfectly soft cookies with a hint of holiday spice, topped with freshly grated nutmeg for a delightful seasonal treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar, gently packed
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 medium egg (about 50 grams), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 245 grams all purpose flour (about 2 cups if measured by volume)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
For Rolling Dough Balls
- ⅓ cup sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Eggnog Ganache Filling
- 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped or broken into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons eggnog
- 1 tablespoon dark rum or ¼ teaspoon rum extract (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter with light brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides once for even mixing.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Incorporate the medium egg and vanilla extract into the creamed mixture, mixing until creamy and combined. Scrape down the bowl again to ensure uniform consistency.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift together the all purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and kosher salt if needed. Add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until a thick dough forms.
- Shape Dough Balls: Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls (approximately 15 grams each). Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture thoroughly.
- Make Indentations: Place dough balls on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and press down the centers gently with a ½ teaspoon or your thumb to create indentations. Repair any cracks by pressing them back together.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. If the indentations fill in during baking, press them gently again while the cookies are still warm.
- Prepare Filling: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine white chocolate, eggnog, and rum or rum extract if using. Microwave at 15-second intervals, stirring between each until smooth and melted. Alternatively, melt ingredients in a double boiler. Stir in freshly grated nutmeg before filling.
- Fill Cookies: Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the ganache filling into each cookie indentation. Sprinkle with additional freshly grated nutmeg on top.
- Set Filling: Allow cookies to cool at room temperature for several hours so the filling can set. For faster setting, place the cookies in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Use a medium egg as specified; larger eggs may affect cookie texture and spread.
- Regular butter (e.g., store brand or Land O’ Lakes) is recommended. High-fat European style butter may cause spreading.
- Butter should be at room temperature but still slightly firm to avoid overly spread cookies.
- Chilling the dough is optional; it helps maintain cookie shape but is not necessary as the cookies keep shape well without chilling.
- Omit rum or rum extract if preferred; no substitutions are necessary.
- Accurate flour measurement is critical for texture; weighing the flour is highly recommended. Too much flour results in hard cookies; too little causes spreading and loss of indentations.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
