Sanding Sugars

These crumbly and buttery shortbread Christmas cookies are topped with sliced almonds and then drizzled with a heavenly eggnog-infused almond glaze.

How do you take an ordinary run-of-the-mill cookie and turn it into something heavenly, without a whole lot of inconvenience or added effort? You simply drizzle a glaze on top. Yes, it’s really that simple. So simple in fact, that I almost feel guilty using it as my third #ChristmasCookiesWeek tip on how to up your holiday cookie-baking game. Not only will a glaze make a cookie look prettier but it will also help sprinkles, sanding sugar, or nuts stay in place on a cookie.

For these Heavenly Almond Cookies, I made a simple glaze using a bit of eggnog, after all, it’s that time of year when I seem to almost always have some on hand. Glug, glug. However, if eggnog’s not your thing, you could just as easily use milk, heavy whipping cream, half and half, chocolate milk, water, orange juice, or lemon juice to do the exact same thing. The advantage of using eggnog is that it actually has a lovely flavor already, so it’s like you’re getting all of that extra flavor for free.

So, the next time you’re trying to impress everyone with your cookie swap, cookie exchange, or cookie tray skills, don’t be afraid to try using a glaze. A cup of powdered sugar and a little liquid can do wonders for an otherwise boring cookie. Also, when it comes to decorating, don’t forget that you can always experiment with food coloring, sanding sugars, sea salt, nuts, or sprinkles. I mean, really y’all, who could say no to a cookie decoratively topped with almonds and sea salt? I know I couldn’t.

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Almonds & Glaze

1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
6 Teaspoons Eggnog
2 Teaspoons Almond Extract
Fleur de Sel or Finely Crushed Sea Salt

Directions:

Cookies:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes on medium speed.
Add the extracts; mix for 1 minute.
In a small bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time until just incorporated.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Use the bottom of a glass to slightly flatten each cookie.
Bake for 7 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool for at least half an hour on a baking rack.

Almonds & Glaze:

Top each cookie with a small pile of sliced almonds.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, eggnog, and almond extract, until completely smooth.
Use a fork to drizzle the glaze onto each cookie.
Sprinkle the top of each cookie lightly with a dusting of Fleur de Sel or finely crushed sea salt.
Allow the glaze to set before storing the cookies between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container.

Suggestions:

This recipe will yield approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
Be careful not to overbake these cookies.
Don’t go too crazy with the sea salt on these cookies; a little goes a long way.
If the bottom of the glass you are using to flatten the cookies with keeps sticking to the cookies, try greasing it with a tiny bit of butter.

Improvements:

If you don’t have eggnog on hand, you can replace it with milk, heavy cream, or half and half.
Replace the almond extract in this recipe with lemon, orange, or coconut extract.
Instead of using Fleur de Sel or sea salt, use sprinkles to decorate these cookies.
Roll each cookie dough ball in granulated sugar before placing it onto the cookie sheet and flattening it with the bottom of a glass.
CLICK HERE to check out all of our past cookie recipes. Don’t forget to check out our Christmas cookies section.

Yum

Heavenly Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies:

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Almonds & Glaze

1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
6 Teaspoons Eggnog
2 Teaspoons Almond Extract
Fleur de Sel or Finely Crushed Sea Salt

Directions:

Cookies:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for 3 minutes on medium speed.
Add the extracts; mix for 1 minute.
In a small bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time until just incorporated.
Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them on a Silpat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Use the bottom of a glass to slightly flatten each cookie.
Bake for 7 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool for at least half an hour on a baking rack.

Almonds & Glaze:

Top each cookie with a small pile of sliced almonds.
In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, eggnog, and almond extract, until completely smooth.
Use a fork to drizzle the glaze onto each cookie.
Sprinkle the top of each cookie lightly with a dusting of Fleur de Sel or finely crushed sea salt.
Allow the glaze to set before storing the cookies between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container.

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Christmas is a time for family, friends, and delicious holiday cookies. From classic butter cookies to iced gingerbread cookies, this list of ultimate Christmas cookie recipes has something for everyone. Whether you’re looking for festive colors, unique seasonal ingredients, or just a cookie that’s super easy to make, these Christmas cookie recipes will help you find the perfect cookie for the season. CLICK HERE for the recipes.

Click on the links below to check out other festive Christmas Cookies Week recipes.

Cardamom Shortbread by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Chocolate Coconut Almond Dipped Shortbread by Making the Most of Naptime
Big and Chewy Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies by Cooking with Carlee
Chocolate Oreo Peppermint Cake Mix Cookies by Soulfully Made
Chocolate Sugar Cookie Recipe by Making Miracles
Christmas Sprinkle Cookies by Books n Cooks
Chunky Cranberry Double Chip Cookies by Family Around the Table
Coconut Cherry Snowballs by Red Cottage Chronicles
Coffee Shortbread Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Double Chocolate Nutella Sandwich Cookies by House of Nash Eats
Eggnog Cookies by Caroline’s Cooking
Frosted Eggnog Cookies by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Grandma’s Gingersnap Cookies by Tip Garden
Grinch Cookies by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Heavenly Almond Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies by The Freshman Cook
Thin Mint Crinkle Cookies by Bear & Bug Eats
Norwegian Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Opa’s Chocolate Chip Cookies by Kate’s Recipe Box
Rudolph Reindeer Cookies by Everyday Eileen
Snow Kisses by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Snowflake Cookies by The Redhead Baker
Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies by The Bitter Side of Sweet