Eggnog Icebox Cookies

These cookies are in the spirit of eggnog; they don't actually contain any. They're not too fussy to make, although you do need to refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours. I think using freshly grated nutmeg makes a big difference, but I'm sure they would be good with store bought ground nutmeg as well. This recipe comes from cchristie Food Journal.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg yolk

Rum Icing
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons light rum
1 whole nutmeg, for grating on top of cookies

For the cookies:
Whisk together the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add the granulated and confectioners' sugar and beat until thoroughly blended and velvety. Beat in the egg yolk. With the beaters on low speed, mix in the flour mixture just until thoroughly combined and the dough starts to come together. Gather the dough into a ball, then divide it in half.

Working with one half of the dough at a time, place it on a lightly floured surface. Use your hands to shape it into a log and then roll it back and forth to form a smooth cylinder about 6 to 7 inches long and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and secure with a layer of foil. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until very firm. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.)

Preheat over to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Working with one log at a time, use a sharp knife to cut the dough into slices between 1/4 and 1/3 inch thick. Place the rounds on the prepared cookie sheet, arranging them about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 13 minutes or until the cookies are pale and golden, a little browner around the edges. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

For the Rum Icing:
Whisk the confectioner's sugar and 2 1/2 tablespoons rum in a small bowl until smooth. Add a little more rum as needed to get a spreadable, slightly thin consistency. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of icing onto the center of each cookie and spread it with the back of a spoon to form a 1 1/4 inch circle. Place the cookies on a rack, and while the icing is still wet, grate a little nutmeg over the top of the cookies. Let stand until the icing set completely.

Notes:

I didn't have rum, so I just used about 1 tsp of rum extract for the icing, and then used milk to get the desired consistency.