Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookie Series

It's the third day of Christmas already. Crap. I know this because I've begun to frantically calculate how much time I have before mailing packages to be received by the holidays will become an impossibility. It's this strange equation I end up doing every year. How long the line will be at the post office divided by how long I can wait and still squeeze in under the deadline?

And how reluctant I am to change out of my pajamas on any given day. Anyhoo.

I procrastinated a bit more by churning out another incredible cookie recipe for you. Eggnog Sugar Stars. These are a typical sugar cookie without the fuss of refrigerate, roll, cut, repeat. Which I am thankful for because really, ain't nobody got time for that. And because they are crowded all at once and baked in a pan, the cookie itself becomes this soft, buttery base that delivers a big punch of eggnog flavor.

Look at all that mile high frosting, heaped up in piles of wonder.

It's eggnog flavored as well, laced with warm spices and rum. A little extra dusting of nutmeg on top and you have a star of a cookie that tastes exactly like a cup of rich, fragrant nog.

A few notes on this recipe:

1. If you prefer, you can use actual rum instead of rum flavoring, but you'll need to use more of it to carry a strong enough flavor. Counteract with additional sugar or flour where applicable if your dough (or frosting) ends up being too sticky.

2. Using real nutmeg makes a world of difference. You just need a fresh hull and a grater. Trust me, it'll be worth it. And you can save the rest of it for accompanying eggnog at your next holiday party or in your morning latte.

3. I cut my stars out after they emerged from the oven, still warm. It gives you those tall, sharp edges. Plus, you get to eat the cast offs. Win, win.

This recipe comes to you from Inside BruCrew Life. I have no idea what the title of this blog implies but it really doesn't matter since it keeps me satisfied with highly enticing sweets and amazing, drool worthy food photos.

These are a traditional sugar cookie, but I like to give them an extra wallop of nutmeg and rum. The spicier the better, right?

That dough is going to be velvety soft. Try not to eat it all. It'll be difficult.

Press into a pan and bake. While that's happening, you can whip up the eggnog frosting. Yes, there's more eggnog. Always room for more.

This is going to be a pretty thick frosting. let the bars cool completely before you apply it, but don't be conservative. Slather it. Everywhere. Party of the charm of these bars is the mile high frosting.

Cut out the stars, sit back and marvel at this stellar recipe that turns ordinary cookies into extraordinary galaxies of goodness.

Thanks for stopping by. Come back tomorrow for the 4h day of Christmas cookies.

Because YUM.

Eggnog Sugar Stars

Ingredients (adapted from Inside BruCew Life)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup eggnog

1 1/2 teaspoon rum extract

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

For the Eggnog Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon rum extract

1/4 cup eggnog

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups powdered sugar

nutmeg

Directions:

Beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the egg, eggnog, and rum extract and beat again.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Slowly add it to the butter mixture until everything is mixed in.

Press it into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 16-18 minutes. Let cool.

For the frosting: Beat the butter until creamy. Add the rum extract, eggnog, and salt and beat again. Slowly add the powdered sugar until everything is creamy. Spread over the cooled bars. Top with nutmeg. Cut into stars.