When it comes to nog, homemade is the way to go. Still someone might stick you with some of the store bought junk this year and you’ll need a way to get rid of it. Luckily old JFL is here to try his hand at baking again. These cookies are easy, even fun to make with the kids. Don’t worry about the rum, a tablespoon isn’t enough to hurt anyone and it does play an essential role in the flavor. Plus if you burn the cookies you can just drink the rum, win win. It helps if you have a cooling rack to transfer the cookies to while they rest from there oven odyssey.  We’re hoping to get one from Santa, but ours turned out fine regardless.

Eggnog Dark Chocolate Cookies

3 cups cake flour

½ cup baking soda

2 eggs

¾ cup unsalted butter, diced

¾ cup store brand eggnog

1 ½  cup sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp dark Jamaican rum

1 tsp orange peel

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 small pinch salt

1 12 oz package dark chocolate chips

½ cup dice walnuts (optional)

Gently stir together flour, soda, orange peel, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Then in a separate mixing bowl cream together sugar and butter before adding vanilla, rum, and eggnog. Then slowly add a little bit of the dry mix at a time until the dough forms and is nicely combined, Scrape down the edges with a rubber spatula and mix again this time slowly adding the chocolate chips and walnuts if desired. On greased cookie sheets drop teaspoon size portions of the batter 2 inches apart and bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 12-16 minutes. You’ll know there done when you can pierce them with a toothpick and they come out clean. Let them rest until they cool before removing and serving.

These cookies are more flavorful when cool, the rich eggnog is tempered by the spice and dark chocolate, And the rum and orange peel keep things lively and peppy. I love to add walnuts to keep the texture interesting, but some people don’t like them as much. Luckily they are easily skipped. So let the jolly fat man know you have the best cookies on the block. Maybe you’ll finally get that food processor and gelato machine you wanted. That’s what everyone wishes for right?