Ah…the Eggnog Tea Cookie. It looks so little, plain….unsuspecting really. But one small bite – heck, just one small sniff – and you will realize that these pack quite the punch. Its heavy-handed dose of nutmeg and rum flavoring make it extra *eggnoggy* and often produce a surprised look on the eater’s face. Its never a look of disgust, but rather, one of tasting something truly different from the chocolate covered biscuits and peanut butter balls they’ve been eating off the cookie tray all night.
I ADORE eggnog……I always purchase a little soy eggnog carton to appease my cravings. (Too much dairy gives me a sour stomach, hence, the soy.) And I love these cookies. They are the kind you nibble on slowly to fully appreciate the flavor. And anything that gets me to slow my intake of cookies during this season is a good thing. 
Eggnog Tea Cookies
From Cuisine at Home’s Holiday Cookies magazine
Makes three dozen (2 inch) cookies
Total time: about 1.5 hours + chilling
For the Cookies -
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. grated or ground nutmeg (I used ground)
- .5 tsp. salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
- .75 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Icing -
- 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- .25 tsp rum flavoring or light rum
Directions -
1. Stir flour, nutmeg, and salt together for the cookies in a bowl; set aside.
2. Cream 2 sticks butter and 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.
3. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
4. Rolls dough into scant 1.5 inch balls. Arrange on prepared baking sheets spacing 2 inches apart.
5. Bake 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch and light brown on the edges. Transfer to a rack to cool.
6. Blend powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp butter, milk, and rum flavoring together, using a hand mixer. Frost cooled cookies.
