holiday treats

After some mishaps (including leaving a bag of baking items at the grocery store last week), Em, Nick, and I finally were able to bake some cookies and make other treats yesterday. Besides fudge, marble bark, and snowball cookies, we also made our traditional Painted Eggnog Cookies that we bake every year. The kids love to decorate them with the egg yolk "paint"!

Here is an old layout I made a few years ago, of the kids making the cookies in 2001. (Gosh, Em and Nick look YOUNG! I guess they were! LOL):

I've had some requests for the recipe, so thought I'd post it here:

"Painted" Eggnog Cookies

Cookies:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup eggnog
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 2 tsp baking powder

Egg Yolk Paint:

• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp water
• Assorted colors of liquid food coloring

In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, and eggs; beat until light and fluffy. Stir in eggnog and vanilla. In medium bowl, combine flour, nutmeg, and baking powder. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; blend well. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine egg yolks and water; blend well. Divide mixture into several small cups; tint with food color. If paint thickens, add a few drops of water.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll half of dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with assorted cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Using small paint brush, paint designs onto cookies with egg yolk paint. Bake at 350 for 7 to 10 minutes or until cookies are light golden brown. Yield: 8 dozen cookies

Yum! :)