Description

Eggnog Snickerdoodle Thumbprint Cookies combine the warm, nostalgic flavors of classic snickerdoodles with a festive eggnog white chocolate ganache filling. These soft, cinnamon-sugar coated cookies feature a tender texture and a rich, creamy center enhanced with a hint of rum and freshly grated nutmeg, making them perfect for holiday celebrations.

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

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure it’s at the right temperature for baking the cookies evenly.
Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides once to incorporate everything evenly.
Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the medium egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and beat again until fully combined and creamy, scraping down the bowl once more.
Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and kosher salt if your ingredients are lumpy, then add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Mix until the dough comes together into a thick consistency.
Shape Dough Balls: Scoop the dough into 1 tablespoon-sized balls (about 15 grams each if precise). Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, then place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Make an indentation in the center of each ball using a ½ teaspoon or your thumb/finger. If the dough cracks, gently press it back together.
Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 7 minutes. If the centers puff up during baking and fill the indentations, gently press them down again while the cookies are still warm.
Prepare Ganache Filling: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chopped white chocolate, eggnog, and rum or rum extract if using. Heat at 15-second intervals, stirring between each until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add freshly grated nutmeg and stir.
Fill Cookies: Spoon about ½ teaspoon of the eggnog ganache into each cookie’s indentation. Top with additional freshly grated nutmeg if desired. Let the filling set at room temperature for a few hours, or refrigerate to set faster.

Notes

Use a medium egg as specified; using larger eggs will alter the cookie texture and moisture balance.
Use a standard American butter like store brand or Land O’ Lakes; European style butters with higher fat content can cause spreading.
Butter should be at room temperature but still slightly firm to the touch; overly soft butter can lead to flat cookies.
Chilling the dough is not necessary but can help the cookies hold their shape; you can refrigerate shaped dough balls covered before baking.
Omit the rum or rum extract if you prefer a non-alcoholic version; there is no need to substitute.
For best texture, weigh flour accurately; spoon and level flour if using measuring cups to avoid too much or too little flour which can cause spreading or hardness.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 110 kcal
Sugar: 8 g
Sodium: 55 mg
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 13 g
Fiber: 0.3 g
Protein: 1.2 g
Cholesterol: 22 mg