Eggnog Cookies

When I lived in Wisconsin, a popular holiday drink was a "Tom and Jerry" made with a dozen eggs, separated, with the yolks whipped with 1 pound of powdered sugar, then blended with the whipped whites. That was the batter. Put a dollop of that in a mug with a shot of brandy and rum, top with boiling water and add a sprinkle of nutmeg. I haven't made that since I no longer serve anything with raw eggs, but I still love eggnog! When I discovered this recipe on the YUM blog, I decided this is a must-do for me:

Frosted Eggnog Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup SALTED butter, room temp
1/2 cup eggnog (I used reduced fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla (or rum)
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 300F.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well with a whisk and set aside. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes.
Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg or skip this step and sprinkle on the nutmeg after you ice the cookies. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.
Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.
Eggnog Icing
3 C. confectioners sugar
1/4 C. softened butter or margarine
1/3 C. eggnog (use as much as you need)
In small mixer bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg after icing.