Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Updated Dec. 2, 2022

Eggnog Snickerdoodles
Yossy Arefi for The New York Times (Photography and Styling)
Total Time
About 45 minutes
Rating
5(3,608)
Comments
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These pillowy, festive cookies are great to have in your back pocket when you’re in the mood for a quick holiday treat. Rum extract, widely available during the holidays, is the secret to replicating that classic eggnog flavor. An extra egg yolk in the dough and a dusting of nutmeg-sugar yield a cookie that’s custard-like on the inside and crisp on the outside. These are even better the second day, and keep very well in an airtight container at room temperature. This season, forgo the eggnog altogether and enjoy these cookies with a bourbon neat. (Watch Vaughn Vreeland make his Eggnog Snickerdoodles.)

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Ingredients

Yield:24 cookies
  • cups/445 grams all-purpose flour
  • teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1teaspoon baking soda
  • 1cup/225 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
  • cup/350 grams granulated sugar, plus ¼ cup/50 grams for rolling
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1large egg plus 2 yolks, at room temperature
  • 1tablespoon rum extract
  • 2teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

205 calories; 8 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 31 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 17 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 111 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda, and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, 1¾ cups sugar and the salt on medium-high until very smooth and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Scrape down the sides of the bowl, return the mixer to medium speed and add the egg and egg yolks, incorporating each before adding the next. Add the rum extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to beat for another minute or two.

  3. Step 3

    Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. (You may want to start by “pulsing” the flour, so that it doesn’t go everywhere.) Set the dough aside to hydrate for about 10 minutes while you prepare to bake.

  4. Step 4

    Heat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Make the nutmeg-sugar mixture by combining the remaining ¼ cup/50 grams sugar with the nutmeg in a small bowl.

  5. Step 5

    Roll the dough into balls, each one the size of a golf ball or about 45 grams, then roll each dough ball in the nutmeg-sugar. Transfer the balls to the baking sheets, about 2 inches apart, and bake 10 to 13 minutes, rotating pans and switching racks halfway through, until slightly puffed and just set.

  6. Step 6

    Let the cookies cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies are even better the day after they're made, and will keep for 4 days sealed in an airtight container.

Ratings

5 out of 5
3,608 user ratings
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Comments

I used 2 tbsp of gold rum instead of rum extract, and added another 1 tbsp flour to compensate. I baked them for 14 minutes. Tastes pretty good! Now, to pour the bourbon...

Rum extract is disgusting, and rum isn't sufficiently concentrated for one tbsp to add much flavor. The best solution I've found thus far is to lightly brown the butter and then use 3 tbsp dark (strongly flavored) rum in place of the extract. Evaporating the water in the butter helps make room for a little extra liquid without unduly increasing spread.

Lovely flavor and texture. I made them exactly as the recipe called, but decided 45 gram sized cookies were a tad too big (for sharing with multiple other holiday cookies), so I made the majority of mine 23 grams and cooked them for the same amount of time. Perfect.

Amazing cookies! Big hit with a real sophisticated flavor. I am gluten-free so I used 1-1 gluten-free baking flour. Works great (warning, maybe because of this, the cookies do not appear entirely set as I take them out of the oven - waiting for them to be set means they are actually overcooked). Thank you for all the commenters who suggested freezing the dough and making more of this pure deliciousness at a later date. So… I did that and forgot to roll the cookies in the sugar/nutmeg mixture. I recovered by sprinkling the cookies right out of the oven with powered sugar mixed with nutmeg. The sugar sinks into the cookies and the cookies are even more fragrant with the nutmeg. Maybe better than rolling in sugar/nutmeg before hand!

After reading the comments of other reviewers concerning the rum extract, I decided to use a rum emulsion from LorAnn Oils. Wonderful results, judging by the number that are missing from the cooling rack!

They have a wonderful texture, and they taste good, but I don't get much of an eggnog flavor (used rum instead of rum extract). The cream of tartar gives the "bite" of a traditional Snickerdoodle, but without cinnamon, I don't get the traditional Snickerdoodle flavor profile. I will keep the recipe and play around with the flavorings. (I weighed the flour and sugar and am very pleased with the texture).

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