Eggnog snickerdoodles

This is a sponsored post by Challenge Butter, but the text and opinions are all mine. Thank you for supporting brands that make Kylee's Kitchen possible! 

Eggnog can be divisive. Bad eggnog tastes like thick sludge, kind of like Pepto-Bismol. I find that is most often the case with store-bought varieties. Good eggnog, on the other hand, is like a frothy drinkable custard. The ingredients are basically the same ingredients in ice cream: eggs, milk/cream, sugar, warm spices (plus booze). 

One thing that isn't divisive--eggnog-flavored snickerdoodles. These cookies have the same characteristics everyone loves about snickerdoodles (cracked surface, soft and chewy center, a little tangy, and cinnamony) with the addition of fresh nutmeg and booze. And I'm not talking about rum extract. I use the real thing in this recipe.

Let's discuss some ingredients in this recipe:

Brown butter: When we brown butter, the water in the butter evaporates. Two sticks of butter weigh 226 grams. When I weighed the butter after I browned it, it weighed 181 grams. That’s 45 grams of water evaporation. That’s important because we’re going to replace the butter's water content with booze. Additionally, if you're taking the time to brown butter, it's imperative you use a good quality butter. I always use Challenge unsalted butter. Challenge butter is made with 100% real pasteurized sweet cream. That’s it. Nothing artificial or synthetic. 

Bourbon: Eggnog is a boozy drink, and I wanted actual booze, not rum extract, in the dough. But if you add too much liquid to cookie dough, it can cause the cookies to spread too much. But because we evaporated the water from the butter, we now have room for liquid in the form of bourbon. Make sense? You can use either bourbon or rum. I used bourbon because it's what I had.

Freshly grated nutmeg: Ground nutmeg has a pretty short shelf life before it loses potency, whereas whole nutmeg can last several years. And who knows how long the ground nutmeg has been in the jar before you pick it up from the store. That said, freshly grated nutmeg is important for achieving the best flavor!

Cream of tartar: This is what differentiates a snickerdoodle from a sugar cookie and gives them a distinctive, slightly tart (hence "tartar") taste. Also, it prevents the sugar from crystallizing in the cookies, resulting in a soft, chewy texture.

Eggnog snickerdoodles

Yield: Makes about 24 cookies

Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) Challenge unsalted butter
• 450 grams (3 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons nutmeg, freshly grated
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 350 grams (1 3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg and 2 egg yolks, room temperature
• 6 Tablespoons bourbon or rum
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the coating

• 50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1. Heat butter in stainless steel pot with high sides over medium-high heat. Stir frequently. Butter will sizzle and foam. Once milk solids look golden brown, remove pot from heat and pour butter into mixing bowl. Place in refrigerator and allow to cool and solidify.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two baking sheets with nonstick spray, silicone mats or parchment paper.
3. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, nutmeg, ground cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. Remove mixing bowl with butter from refrigerator. Add sugar and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
5. Add egg and egg yolks one at a time with mixer on low speed. Add bourbon and vanilla bean paste and beat for another minute. Scrape down sides of bowl.
6. Add flour mixture to bowl. Mix on low speed until flour is just combined. Set dough aside.
7. Make coating by combining sugar with nutmeg in small bowl.
8. Measure out 35 grams of dough, about the size of a golf ball, and roll into ball. Roll dough ball in coating. Use spoon to coat dough balls a second time, ensuring they're completely covered.
9. Bake cookies for about 12-14 minutes or until cookies are just set. Rotate pans halfway through bake time.
10. Remove baking sheet from oven and cool for several minutes before moving to wire rack to cool completely.
11. Store cookies in airtight container for up to 5 days.