Description
Eggnog Snickerdoodle Thumbprint Cookies are a festive twist on the classic snickerdoodle cookie, featuring a soft cinnamon-sugar coated dough with a creamy eggnog white chocolate ganache filling. These cookies combine traditional holiday flavors with a delightful thumbprint center filled with a smooth, rich ganache accented by nutmeg and optional dark rum for warmth.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar, gently packed
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 medium egg (about 50 grams), room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 245 grams all purpose flour (about 2 cups if measured by volume)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
For Rolling Dough Balls
- ⅓ cup sugar mixed with 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Eggnog Ganache Filling
- 4 ounces white chocolate, chopped or broken into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons eggnog
- 1 tablespoon dark rum or ¼ teaspoon rum extract (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to get ready for baking the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and white granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides once to ensure even mixing.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the medium egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture, then mix again until the batter is creamy and well combined, scraping down the bowl once more.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and kosher salt if needed to remove lumps; then add them to the wet mixture. Mix until a thick dough forms.
- Shape Dough Balls: Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls (about 15 grams each). Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture, place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, and press down the centers gently with a ½ teaspoon or your thumb to create indentations. If cracks appear, press the dough back together.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. If the indentation fills in during baking, gently press it again while the cookies are still warm.
- Prepare Ganache Filling: Combine chopped white chocolate, eggnog, and dark rum or rum extract (if using) in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in 15-second intervals, stirring in between until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in freshly grated nutmeg. Alternatively, use a double boiler to melt evenly.
- Fill Cookies: Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the eggnog ganache into the indentation of each cookie. Top with a little freshly grated nutmeg for garnish. Let the filling set at room temperature for a few hours or place in the refrigerator to set more quickly.
Notes
- Use a medium egg to maintain the proper cookie texture; larger eggs may alter the result.
- Choose regular store-brand or Land O’ Lakes butter with standard butterfat content rather than European-style butter to avoid excess spreading.
- Room temperature butter should be soft but still firm enough to resist pressing easily; overly soft butter may cause the cookies to spread too much.
- The dough doesn’t require chilling, but you can shape and refrigerate it before baking to help cookies keep their shape if desired.
- Omit the rum or rum extract in the ganache if preferred; no substitution is necessary.
- Weighing flour is recommended for accuracy since both too much and too little flour can negatively affect texture and shape.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
