I’m copying my December 10, 2005, post here as WordPress is blocking it from views for some reason and someone recently asked for my eggnog butter cookie recipe. Things have changed for our family since 2005, but I still make these pretty cutout cookies with their mild nutmeg flavor. I discovered that the dough will freeze okay for future use, and the baked cookies will freeze okay, too, even with the sprinkles.

Making Christmas Memories
Most families have their own special traditions relating to the winter holidays. I always make the eggnog butter cookies my mother used to bake, and now my own children decorate them. My dad gets a new puzzle every year for Christmas so there’s a table set up for anyone to stop by and fit a piece in. My sister and I find it a required treat to watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” each year in our own homes to help us keep the real meaning of Christmas in mind as we rush towards the big day. These traditions give extra meaning to the holiday by making it our own personal celebration.

Is there a certain prayer that is said around the dinner table, a candlelight service to attend, a particular home where relatives gather? Is there an aging angel that tops the Christmas tree, a holiday light show to drive through, a giving of food or gifts to those less fortunate? Whatever your traditions, they are rituals that make the holidays more memorable and enjoyable. They create a bond within family members that goes on to future generations. Memories, after all, are what make the holidays truly special.

Eggnog Butter Cookies

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup eggnog
½ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
5 cups flour

Cream softened butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients in order listed. The dough will be rather stiff (I end up kneading by hand). Chill an hour or more. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick and use cookie cutters to cut shapes. Set on cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. Brush lightly with egg white and sprinkle with colored sugars. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, depending on size of cookie shapes.

(This recipe was printed in the Chicago Tribune a long, long time ago)