Eggnog Cookies

For those of you that don't know me personally... I am not a morning person. Oh I wake up early and to the untrained eye, you might think you can talk to me. No. I need a good half hour before I am verbal. Today my husband decided he wanted to take me out of the house. I tend to be a homebody, very content to spend a day in my kitchen. So when at the butt crack of dawn he came in and said "get dressed we are leaving". I was not a happy camper. Yes I could have just thrown a major tantrum and got out of it. But I was trying to be a good wife. I did as he asked, but I complained for the next hour until I got coffee and woke up. We ended up going to a very nice restaurant along the beach for breakfast and then went on little errands. We decided to do a fly by at a mall near by. So bizarre. Christmas music everywhere. It is so hard to get in the mode of thinking when it is 85 degrees outside and I just spent the morning on our sunny beach. Then I came home to find Taylor had written "egg nog" on the grocery list. Sigh. Ok Ok Ok... It is Christmas season. Time for me to get started. Let me set off the season with Eggnog Cookies if anyone knows where on earth I got this recipe from, please tell me. As always I changed it to be gluten free, but I know I adapted it from somewhere because it has been stuck in my drafts forever and my bad I never wrote down where I got it. If someone knows please let me know asap so I can link back. Who knows, Maybe it was in a cookbook long ago? This recipe makes 30 cookies.
Here is how I made the gluten free Eggnog Cookies:

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups gluten free all purpose flour

1 tsp xanthan gum (only if your gf flour doesn't already contain it)

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup butter (room temp)

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup eggnog

1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients/Icing

1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

3 tbs butter (room temp)

3 tbs spiced rum

Line two baking sheets or baking stones with parchment paper. 

 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. 

Sift together the baking powder, nutmeg,cinnamon, flour and xanthan gum. Set aside

In another bowl, cream together the butter and both types of sugar. Once the consistency is light and fluffy, 

beat in the vanilla extract, egg yolks and eggnog. 

Add dry ingredients and mix until just blended. .

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out round balls of dough and place them on the liked baking sheet or baking stone 1 inch apart. 

 Place filled baking sheet in oven and bake cookies for about 20minutes. 

 Cookies will be done when edges are a golden color.

Remove pan from oven and let cookies cool on pan for 3 minutes. Then transfer to a rack to cool while you finish baking all the cookies. 

To create the icing, place butter and powdered sugar in a bowl and beat until smooth. Then add the rum and beat for 2 minutes more. Once cookies have cooled, use a pastry bag or ziplog bag to pipe out icing on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.  Icing should set up after 2 hours.

Follow Us!

Gingerbread Cookie Bathers

I saw these adorable cups a while back. I can't remember where, probably a magazine. There was no recipe, but it was just a picture of a cute gingerbread man bathing in a drink. So cute, I took a mental note and waited for the Holidays to arrive. I thought it was the perfect way to begin the Christmas holiday season. Ok, Ok, I am a few days late. Most people start the day after Thanksgiving. Cut me some slack. I am not perfect. The good thing is today the kids are home and I have the Christmas music blaring. I would have them decorating, but we are going to be making the trek home to Oregon for Christmas. I am not going to decorate when no one will be here. So I am settling for some great Holiday treats. I adapted this recipe from Food.com. Changing it to be gluten free of course. =) This is super cute and the kids love it. You can save them in the fridge for later use or just eat them as is. Enjoy!

• 2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour1 tsp xanthan gum if your flour does not already contain it.
• 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large eggs
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.
  
  In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.Add molasses, and vanilla, Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.Preheat oven to 375°.Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface.Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin.Roll dough to 1/4-inch thick. Use additional flour to avoid sticking... gluten free dough is so sticky. I use cling wrap to roll because otherwise it is next to impossible. Be patient. It is worth it.Cut out cookies with desired cutter-- the ginger bread man is our favorite of course.Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart.Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.After cookies are cool you may decorate them.Fill your cup with your favorite holiday gingerbread coffee, latte, tea, hot cocoa. Add whipped cream and your gingerbread cookie.Adorable!Follow Us!

Gingerbread Latte

• Who needs a trip to Starbucks? Oh yes, that yummy warm latte is calling you, but you don't want to get dressed and go. Well at least that is always how I feel. Time to make my own seasonal latte. If you do not have espresso, you can make this with strong coffee as well. So don't you worry. You can also change it to an adult gingerbread hot toddy by adding a shot of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. You Choose.
• 
  
• 2 fluid ounces espresso coffee
• 2 tablespoons gingerbread concentrate
• 1/2 cup milk, steamed
• 1/8 cup whipped cream
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 
  
• In a coffee mug, combine espresso coffee with concentrate. Pour in steamed milk. Top with whipped cream, and sprinkle with cinnamon.
• 
  
• For an added touch you can add gingerbread bathers. 
• 
  
• 
• Follow Us:
  
  

Gingerbread Concentrate for latte's, tea, coffee

During the holiday season I love to make concentrates of seasonal flavors. I have posted my Pumpkin Concentrate before. Now it is time for my Gingerbread concentrate. I use this in everything. Having it on hand makes making lattes and hot toddy's a breeze. Let's face it, no one wants to constantly get out all the spices and start from scratch. I also don't like buying store syrups because they are full of chemicals and fake flavorings. This is as pure and simple as it gets and it adds a little holiday to all your every day drinks and desserts. 

1 2" piece of peeled fresh ginger

1 Cinnamon stick

5 whole all spice
5 cloves

1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup Molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups water

 Combine everything in a pan and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium, and let cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Strain.

Store in the fridge until ready to use.

Use this for a base in a Gingerbread Latte, Gingerbread Martini, and in baking cookies, doughnuts and cakes.

Follow Us: