I don’t know about you, but I love receiving homemade gifts for Christmas, especially baked goods. I find it just means a bit more when someone spends the day in the kitchen whipping up something yummy to give away. I personally love doing it myself and every year, I look forward to baking and gifting to friends, family, hair stylists, mailmen, UPS deliverers, fitness instructors, or anyone who contributed to making my life more meaningful.
GIFTS FROM THE KITCHEN
When someone spends their time in the kitchen, they are using time that would’ve been spent doing something else to make something special for you. It’s easy to log onto Amazon, and with a few clicks, purchase something and not think about it. But when someone is spending their time and energy into making something for you, they are putting way more care and attention, which to me, is more meaningful.
One of the best gifts I ever received was from my niece one year. She used an old Bath and Body Works candle and wrote 100 things she loves about me on a tiny piece of paper, folded each one up, and placed it in the candle. I can imagine the time and energy she spent writing and folding those little notes, and it just made my heart so full.
Homemade gifts, especially if they are edible are truly the best kinds of gifts. Just remember to ask your recipient if they have any food allergies and be mindful if they are restricting a certain type of food from their diet.
THE RECIPE
These delicious Eggnog Molasses Sandwich Cookies are the perfect Christmas gift to make. Even if you are not an eggnog fan, people will still go crazy over these. The molasses pairs perfectly with the spices in the eggnog buttercream and is bursting with holiday flavors.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Sandwich Cookie
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Eggnog Buttercream - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 5 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
- 1/3 cup cold prepared eggnog
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl. Add egg, beating until well combined. Add molasses, beating until well combined.
Step 3:
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 4:
In a shallow bowl, place granulated sugar. Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop the dough, and roll it into smooth balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared pans.
Step 5:
Bake until bottoms are golden, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
Step 6:
Place Eggnog Buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/3-inch open star piping tip. Pipe butercream onto flat side of half of the cookies. Place remaining cookies, flat side down, on top of buttercream. Refrigerate until buttercream is set, about 10 minutes.
Eggnog Buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until creamy. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners’ sugar alternately with the cold eggnog, beating until smooth after each addition. Add nutmeg, beating until well combined.
Recipe taken from Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine
Eggnog Cookies
Ingredients
The Cookies
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Eggnog Buttercream
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/3 cup cold prepared eggnog
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
The Cookie
Preheat the oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitter with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3-4 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides of bowl. Add egg, beating until well combined. Add molasses, beating until well combined.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
In a shallow bowl, place granulated sugar.
Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, scoop dough, and roll into smooth balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared pans.
Bake until bottoms are golden, 8-10 minutes. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
Place Eggnog Buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with 1/3-inch open star piping tip. Pipe buttercream onto flat side of half of cookies. Place remaining cookies, flat side down, on top of buttercream. Refregerat until buttercream is set, about 15 minutes.
Eggnog Buttercream
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until creamy. With mixer on low speed, gradually add confectioners” sugar alternately with cold eggnog, beating until smooth after each addition. Add nutmeg, beating until well combined.
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Nutrition Facts
Calories
504.41
Fat
20.9 g
Sat. Fat
13.06 g
Carbs
78.95 g
Fiber
0.58 g
Net carbs
78.37 g
Sugar
64.39 g
Protein
2.7 g
Sodium
199 mg
Cholesterol
68.12 mg