Egg nog-pecan cookies

This year, I participated in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. It was really cool -- you sign up and pay a small fee (only a few bucks), and then the swap operators (swaperators?) match you with three people. You make a big batch of a cookie recipe you haven't blogged before, then mail a dozen cookies to each of your three people. Meanwhile, three people out there have your name, so you'll be getting three dozen cookies in the mail! Also, the swap has cool sponsors who will send you free stuff as a thank-you for participating -- for instance, OXO sent me a nice set of silicone spatulas. And the whole thing raises money for Cookies for Kids' Cancer, so it's not only a fun swap but helps out a good cause, too.

I've never actually bought egg nog before, 'cause while it smells delicious, the idea of drinking eggs always grosses me out. But baking with it sounded like a fun idea, so I decided to make these egg nog cookies for the swap. They came out delicious! They have a nice texture and taste sort of like a bear claw or a Danish, eggy and nutty and yummy. :)

In return, I received two delicious packages: one from Ellen at In My Red Kitchen of yummy, shortbread-like Dutch cookies, half of them dipped in chocolate (which my husband promptly made off with, once he got a taste), and one from Susan at A Less Processed Life of homemade Thin Mints. Then, a week past the deadline, I got a third box, with postage dated a week and a half ago. Thanks, USPS? Anyway, the Nutella/white chip cookies from Nicole at The Marvelous Misadventures of a Foodie were still tasty.

This was so much fun! The best part was that not only did I get to try new cookies and maybe pick up some new recipes to use in the future, but the actual baking and sending happens in November, meaning that it doesn't add to the pile of December cookie projects. I'll definitely be doing this again next year.



Egg Nog-Pecan Cookies
Adapted from ShopGirlMaria

12 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/4 c sugar
1/2 c egg nog
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 c flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c chopped pecans

1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar
3 tbsp egg nog

1. Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg nog, vanilla and eggs.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt, then dump this into the first bowl and beat until combined.
3. Stir in the pecans.
4. Scoop cookies and place them 2 inches apart on your cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until the edges and bottoms are lightly browned.
5. Cool on a cooling rack.
6. Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and egg nog, then drizzle over the cookies and let sit until hardened.