Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies – a scrumptious thumbprint cookie full of holiday flavour! Why just drink eggnog when you can eat in in cookie form too?!
So… it’s that season. Flu season that is. Yup, I got hit with the flu and have been feeling unwell these past 3 days. Normally when I am sick, I can still look at photos of food and dream about eating them when I’m better. This time, I could hardly go through my Instagram feed as it is of course food filled. Any thought of food made me feel sick, which is so unlike me. Finally, I seem to be on the mend.
So here I am finally feeling a little bit better, having eaten my first real food in days – a sandwich. Using the little bit of energy I have to write this blog post up because I really wanted to get at least one more Christmas cookie recipe out to you before the big holiday!
Can you believe Christmas is only a week away? This month has really flown by, as December tends to do. I am just happy that if I had to get sick at all, it was before Christmas as it would have been a bummer not to enjoy the delicious Christmas morning breakfast my mom always makes, as well as the turkey dinner she usually does as well.
Have you finished all your holiday baking? I thought I had… but now as I take stock of who I still have to give cookies to, and what I have left I am thinking I may need to make a few more batches once I have the stamina again. These Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies are part of the cookie boxes I have been giving away this year, and I think they have been a hit.
I find people either love or hate eggnog. I am definitely on the LOVE side of it. In fact, eggnog is one of my favourite holiday treats – with or without rum. Mention eggnog anything and I’ll want it. So, of course I had to make something eggnog in cookie form.
I think even if you are not usually a fan of eggnog, you’ll enjoy these. They have a nice spice to them, and with a cheesecake filling, let’s be honest, they are not hard to love. Each bite bursts with holiday flavour, and I think if you are looking for a great holiday cookie to share, this is the one!
I now can’t wait to make these each and every year going forward, as they have become a new holiday favourite for me!
My #1 Tip for making these Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
There is one thing you need to keep in mind for making these cookies – you absolutely need to let the dough chill in the fridge before baking!
Sorry, there is really no way around it. I know, I know, it means it takes more time. But trust me, these cookies will spread too much if you don’t take this step and you will end up with some pretty not-pretty cookies.
My tip to get the best shape possible is to roll the dough out into balls, place them on a cookie sheet and then – this is how thumbprint cookies get their name- you press your thumb into them to make a round indent to hold the cheesecake filling. Then, place the pan in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before adding the cheesecake filling and then baking. If you have the time, give it an hour to chill.
You do this, and you should end up with the perfect thumbprint cookie.
Well, that’s all for today! We will see if I can get one more recipe up before the 25th, but if not – I hope you all have a happy holiday. 🙂
If you make these Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies please let me know! You can leave a comment below, rate it, post on the Zest & Simmer Facebook page or share photos on Instagram using the hashtag #zestandsimmer. I’d love to see it and I am always thrilled to hear from you!
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Eggnog Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
For the cookie base:
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the cheesecake filling:
- 6 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp eggnog
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon + more for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nut meg and ginger. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer, in a large mixing bowl beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and the vanilla, scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl as needed. Add in the flour mixture and on low speed, mix until it is combined. Do not over mix!
- Prepare two baking pans with parchment paper. Roll dough into round balls and space about 1-inch apart. Using your thumb, gently press an indent into the cookies. The dough may crack slightly when you do this; if so, try to smooth it out with your fingers if possible - if you can't that's ok!
- Place baking trays in the fridge and chill dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour.
- While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Also while the dough is chilling, prepare the cheesecake filling. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar, continuing to beat, then the eggnog, egg yolk, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined.
- Once the cookie dough is finished chilling, dollop small spoonfuls of the cheesecake filling into the indents.
- Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cheesecake is just barely set. Dust with more cinnamon if desired. Allow to cool completely before serving. If not serving immediately, store cookies in fridge, removing 15 minutes prior to serving.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m going to make them today. Other recipes I’ve seen don’t add the eggnog filling until after the cookies are baked, but I’m thinking it makes more sense to use your method and bake the cookies with the filling in them so the filling will flatten out and dry out a little. What do you think?
Hi Louisa! Thank you for your comment! When I was first testing out this recipe, I tried adding a raw cheesecake filling after baking. While delicious, what I didn’t like about it was that it was a lot harder to store the cookies like that as you couldn’t stack them! The cheesecake filling would spread or come off.
So with baking them, as is done in this recipe, the filling is cooked and flatter, and you can stack the cookies up in a container. Less mess!
I hope you enjoy. ❤️
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