Easy Holiday Nutmeg Cookies
It’s Holiday Cookie Week and we’re going to make easy holiday nutmeg cookies that just may have you a bit more jolly than usual… read on to find out why!
We are kicking off the holiday season here at My Wee Abode with Cookie Week, hosted by Maryann from Domestically Speaking. Maryann is a new friend, and a sweet one at that, and I’m thrilled and excited that she let me be a part of this wonderful blog hop this week! Thanks, Maryann!
Join me and EIGHTEEN of my blogging friends as we share some of our favorite seasonal cookies with you! (Make sure to visit all the links at the bottom of this post.)
If you are visiting from My Family Thyme, welcome! I’m sure you enjoyed seeing Lynne’s recipes for White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies! LOVE cranberries in baked items!
EASY HOLIDAY NUTMEG COOKIES
We’re startin’ off by keeping it real here. These easy holiday nutmeg cookies were not a favorite of mine or my family’s… until this week!!! (Hah… gotcha!)
You wanna know why?
Because we had never had them before this week!
But, one of our all-time favorite holiday treats is a cake my sister makes. It’s called… wait for it. Nutmeg Cake!
When I found out I was going to be part of Cookie Week, I decided I wanted to fashion my holiday cookie recipe after my sister’s amazing cake. So I asked her to remind me what was in the cake.
What You’ll Need
The complete recipe with measurements and ingredients are posted in the recipe card below, but I just thought I would give you a visual.
Do you see that tall bottle with the amber liquid in it? Yep… I TOLD you that you might be a little more jolly after eating these cookies!
Teasing aside, the sherry wine bakes out of the cookies (in case you were worried) and it is one of the two major ingredients that make these cookies (and my sister’s cake) taste so amazing!
Of course, the other ingredient that you CAN’T do without is… NUTMEG! I know… shocking, right?
The nutmeg and the sherry wine are the two “secret” elements that make my sister’s nutmeg cake a long-time family tradition at the holidays. And now these cookies will join the ranks!
Tips for Making Easy Holiday Nutmeg Cookies
Here are some quick tips on how to make these yummy nutmeg cookies with sherry wine:
- Mix all the main ingredients (but not the flour… yet) into a bowl (use a glass bowl… my aluminum one doesn’t work as well as glass)… 1a. The mixture will be pretty wet and sticky.
- Add about 3/4 cup flour, one spoonful at a time, mixing in each spoonful with a wooden spoon or spatula (the amount of flour will vary depending on the weather and where you live) 2a. The dough will still be a bit wet, but much thicker and ‘stiffer’. Place in the fridge for 15-20 minutes.
- Mix your sugar coating.
- Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator and roll dough into golf ball size rounds. Coat in sugar and place balls on a parchment covered cookie sheet.
- Bake for 7 minutes, then take a plastic cup with a 2-3 inch bottom and smoosh the cookies to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Bake for 7 more minutes. Remove from oven, cool, and ice.
See, super easy to make!
Eat and Enjoy
When I made these cookies for the first time last week, I was at my daughter’s home. (Living in a wee abode, I needed a larger kitchen to accomplish this cookie post! ;-)) I let her be my guinea pig…
She took one bite and said, “Mmm” and then she said, “MMMMM!”
And you know what, I kid you not, every single family member (and a couple of friends, too) has had the EXACT same reaction. These cookies taste delicious, and the flavor just gets better with every bite (and chew)!
If you like eggnog, you’ll LOVE these easy holiday cookies. If you DON’T like eggnog, you’ll LOVE these easy holiday cookies. They give a nod to the eggnog flavor, but my “eggnog-is-yucky” daughter loves these cookies!
Yep… definitely a new family favorite!
And, these holiday cookies are great for Christmas, as well as Thanksgiving!
My sister even says they are a great breakfast food!
I’m thinkin’ you probably shouldn’t have these cookies before noon… after all, they DO have wine in them!
Ready to make these yummy cookies for your holiday?
Easy Holiday Nutmeg Cookies
These holiday cookies have the warm taste of nutmeg that makes them a seasonal family favorite.
Ingredients
COOKIE DOUGH
- (1) Yellow Cake Mix (I use Betty Crocker Super Moist)
- 1/2 cup sherry wine (not cooking sherry)
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- flour (approximately 3/4 cup, depending on climate and elevation)
- Parchment paper
COATING MIXTURE
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
FROSTING
- 1 cup confectioner sugar
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Blend together cake mix, butter, egg, sherry wine, and nutmeg until smooth. The batter will be wet and sticky.
- Add flour, one spoonful at a time, and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula. Continue to add flour until the dough is slightly sticky but stiff. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
- Mix sugar and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.
- Mix confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla, and milk in a bowl until creamy. If the frosting is too wet/runny, add more confectioners sugar until you have a stiff frosting.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and roll into balls the size of golf balls (approximate 1.5-inches across). Roll balls in sugar mixture and place 2-inches apart onto parchment covered cookie sheets.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Remove from oven and using a plastic cup with a 2-inch round bottom, 'smoosh' the cookies flat (about 1/2 high). Replace in oven and bake for 7 more minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- Scoop frosting into the corner of a plastic sandwich bag, twist the top closed, and swing the bag around in a circular motion. This will tightly push the frosting to the corner of the bag., With scissors, cut off a small piece of the tip of the bag. Squeeze frosting onto cookies (however little or however much you want!)
- Enjoy!
Monday’s Cookies
Christmas M&M Peanut Butter Cookie Bars
Santa’s Whiskers Christmas Cookies
Tuesday’s Cookies
4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie
Wednesday’s Cookies
Easy No Bake Peppermint Gingersnap Cookies
Easy Spritz Cookies (not pictured)
Thursday’s Cookies
Christmas Surprise Cookie Recipe
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Friday’s Cookies
I love both the smell of nutmeg and the taste that it adds to food. Adding sherry to a cookie is new to me and I am looking forward to trying this recipe to experience the taste it adds to your yummy sounding and looking recipe.
Yes, I’ve never added wine to a cookie. But, having tasted it in my sister’s cake, I was sold! Hope you are having a blast on your trip!
This could be big trouble! The printer is running as I type! Thanks so much for this one. It looks fabulous. I see I’m going to have some issues with all these cookie recipes this week. Oh, dear!
Make sure you come tell me what you think. I wanna know if you think the same as my fam! Thanks, Jeanie!
These look amazing and I am so intrigued by the flavor of the sherry! I have to make these this season, thank you so much for sharing with us!
Thanks, Kristin… Really appreciate all you’ve done to make this hop successful! Hugs!
Nutmeg is such a warm spice with a beautiful depth of flavor.
These look delicious, Julie. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks, Meegan… that’s exactly it. They have such a warm and cozy flavor!
These sound so delicious and they look so pretty on your cake stand against the greenery!
Thanks, Jenn… It was so nice hopping with you!
These sound delicious! And I love how you displayed them on the white cake plate with holly sprigs. So very pretty!
Thanks, Carrie… this was definitely and fun and unexpected photo shoot! Hugs, sweet friend!
Hi Julie, I know the alcohol is supposed to cook out, but I live with a recovering alcoholic and don’t use alcohol in stuff (‘cepting vanilla!), What could I substitute for the sherry? I use apple juice or cider instead of beer in my ham’s raisin sauce! It’s funny that this is cooky week; just made 4 batches of cake mix/brownie mixes worth of cookies, a triple batch of another, and yesterdau I did no bakes for our church bazaar Sat. BAKE is currently a 4 letter word! Thanx for this post; I want to try some of these!
Oh, Kathy… I totally get it! Let’ see… I did a bit of research, and it seems you can use 2.5 Tablespoons of vanilla as a replacement for the flavor. So, what I would do is add the vanilla to the batter and then add just enough water to get the stiff dough. I think you could skip the flour part, unless you end up using too much water.;-) Let me know if this works for you! Thanks for asking! (Since you may be pooped from baking, try some of the no-bake options at the bottom of my post!)
Pinning as I sit here drooling. This recipe sounds so good and the cookies turned out so pretty Julie. Well done!
Thank you, Michelle! I was a wee bit excited about this post. Hehe!
Almost too pretty to eat… almost! They look simply amazing and I love that they only have a handful of ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
xo Trish
Thanks, Trish… Yep, they are pretty… pretty enough to eat! LOL! Hugs and hearts!
I bet they taste divine & they are so pretty too!
Thanks, Maryann… they were fun to photograph!
Julie,
Cookies are great any time of the day. I pinned these to make. They look so yummy.
Have a lovely weekend.
Hugs,
Bev
Thank you so much, Bev… they really are quite tasty! Have a wonderful weekend, as well!
These sound delicious Julie, and look almost too pretty to eat. The sherry and nutmeg combo sounds very interesting. I’ll definitely be putting these on my list to try. Pinned!
I agree, Kristi… ALMOST too pretty to eat. Not! Hugs!
These cookies are so beautiful, Julie! I bet they taste beautiful too!! Will be sharing on my Facebook page later today. I have cookie back up going on over there! So many cookies lol!
Thanks, Julie… and I saw the FB share. Thank you for that, too! I haven’t forgotten your offer, either. Just been a bit busy, and now getting ready for a procedure tomorrow. 😉 Talk soon!
These are definitely happening at my house during the holidays! Snowy winter morning spent indoors with a hot cup of coffee and one of these – yes, please. Julie, your yummy cookies will be my recipe feature at next week’s Talk Of The Town party! Pinned
Woot! I was just wondering when I might get featured on Talk of the Town! *dances around in circles* #bloggergoals Thank you so much, Marie… I’ll be by tonight (hopefully… prepping for a procedure tomorrow… may not be able to be at the puter). 😉 TMI!
These not only sound delicious but they look absolutely beautiful and I am a huge soft cookie fan! Thanks so much for sharing.
Thanks, Mary Beth… I definitely had fun photographing these… I think it was first timer’s luck! 😉
I’ve never made cookies with alcohol, Julie. I’m so intrigued with this recipe! I used to make rum balls for the holidays, which are so good. I’ll definitely be giving this a try. It’s been fun hopping with you, my friend!
Between you and me… this is the first time I have ever bought alcohol! And they didn’t even card me! (I think I need to add this little story to my post!) Hehe!
Thank you for sharing at #ThursdayFavoriteThings. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too!
Always love joining in at TFT! Thanks, Marilyn!
These look amazing Julie and I love nutmeg so I am definitely going to add these to my holiday. Among. So glad I was on the cookie hop with you.
Let me know what your family thinks, Sonya! Love ya!
Wow, Julie! These cookies would make me feel jolly! I have to tell you I do think these are some of your best photos ever, too! I love that you adapted your recipe from a cake. Bravo! I can’t wait to try these…when you send them with a velvet pumpkin. (Wink)
Thanks, Crissy! I so want to make some more of these, cookies that is. I need to make a couple more pumpkins, too! 😉
You are so smart! And these look delicious. Nutmeg is one of our favorite spices this time of year. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! It was super fun doing this hop with y’all! Hugs!
Wow! Julie, these cookies are beautiful and look so delicious too! I can’t wait to give them a try! Pinned!
Thanks for the love, Lynne! I had lots of comments about yours, too!
Oh my goodness, Julie!!! Your cookies look incredibly delicious! I will be hosting a Christmas party here just before Christmas and these will be perfect to share… Happily pinned for now! 🙂
Will definitely check out the other cookie recipes,
Hugs,
Barb 🙂
Oh, let me know if you make them, and what people say… I wanna know if it’s just my family that had the reaction they did! LOL!
My husband LOVES eggnog so I’ll definitely be making these for him. Anything with nutmeg sounds good to me too! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
So glad you popped in, Angie! I really need to take some time and make some more for the fam… they really are so easy!
Your cookies look both delicious and pretty, Julie! It’s great that you could use your sister’s cake recipe as a base for your cookies.
Thanks, Bev! It was fun to get them to ‘work’.
Girl, you had me at nutmeg! I love me some of that stuff. Will have to get the sherry wine though. Hadn’t heard of that. Looking forward to baking these! I’ll be the chat of the street! Pinned!
LOL! Can you believe, it’s the first time I ever bought alcohol… and they didn’t even card me! The nerve!
I think I’ve gained weight just looking at these beautiful cookies! Thanks for all the fabulous ideas! Love you doll!
Love you back! I have not taken any of these cookies home… I leave them at the fam’s! (Let them try to resist the temptation) LOL!
Yummmm! These sound like the PERFECT cookie for the season! Nutmeg and sherry – what could be better?! And your photo’s look SO pretty, Julie! I’m definitely in favor of these for breakfast..I mean they contain eggs and milk, right?? LOL
Absolutely a breakfast food! Thank you so much for the kinds words… My first food photography was a bit of a fun surprise!
I am really curious about these cookies, because my family’s favorite cookies have a lot of nutmeg in them. Ours is a totally different recipe, but these sound really good! I may be adding these to my holiday cookie trays this year!
Oh, I wanna know what your fam thinks if you make them! I’m hoping to get around to making more for Thanksgiving!
Julie, your heating up the link parties with this recipe! They look so delicious and the sherry had me remembering a Spanish cookie that uses this ingredient that I’d make for my dad. That was many, many years ago.
I’m going to give this a try, and maybe make them with a GF yellow cake mix.
Have a wonderful week.
hugs
rr
I know… it’s crazy! I think my beginner’s ‘luck’ with food photography was a fun encouragement this week! I never even thought of suggesting the GF cake mix! I’ll be sure to add it to my post, and mention you!
These sound so delicious. I definitely want to try them.
They truly are yummy! Thanks for dropping in, Michelle!
Julie, these look BEYOND delicious! Thanks for sharing this one, pinning!!
Thanks, Roxanne! First food photography! It was super fun… and the end product was super tasty!
Oohh goodness! I wish I had some of these to go with my coffee right now!
Me, too! LOL! Your comment went to my spam, and I just found it! Ugh!
Those look so tasty, Julie, and I love how you photographed them! Such a pretty presentation. I’m featuring them today at TFT. Thanks for sharing them!
Thank you so much for the feature, Pam! The photos were a pleasant surprise. I’m thinking my sister’s kitchen may be a new photography location! 😉
Julie,
Apologies for the late visit. One of my pups is sick and I’m still nursing her back to health.
These cookies sound amazing. I love nutmeg and I put all my cookie doughs in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking . Makes for a much better cookie.
I think I’m going to try these and use my cookie molds/presses to make them really stand out.
Thanks for sharing
Cindy
I would LOVE to hear how the cookies come out with your press! Don’t you ever worry about being ‘late’ for visits, Cindy! Hope your pup is feeling better!
These sound like my kind of cookies Julie…. especially with the special ingredient!!
Thank you for sharing your Christmas cookie recipe at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring this recipe at tonight’s party and pinning too.
Hugs,
Kerryanne
Hehe… that sherry wine is super funny! But they do add to the taste of the cookie! Thanks for the feature, friend!
These Easy Holiday Nutmeg Cookies look and sound delicious And your pictures are gorgeous. Found you at Thursday Favorite Things..
Oh, so happy to have you stop in via TFT, Amy! And thank you for the kinds words about the photography! It’s such a learning curve, and these were a happy ‘fluke’, perhaps? 😉
Oh my goodness, Julie! These look and sound soooooo good. What a beautiful photograph of the cookies, too! I love that they are made with a cake mix! I’ll have to try these out!
Wendy =)
Wendy!!! Hey girl! Thanks for coming by, and for the kind words, too! The cookies are really some of the yummiest I’ve had! Hugs, sweet friend!
Oh my, they do sound yummy!
They truly are, Carol! 😉
Hi Julie! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m featuring your cookies this week at Celebrate Your Story. I’m also pinning to my CYS board 🙂
Thank you so much for the feature, sweet friend! Hope you are doing well!
Thank you for sharing at #ThursdayFavoriteThings. Pinned and shared. Have a lovely week. I hope to see you at next week’s party too!
HI Julie, Judging from the long list of comments you have a classic cookie. Okay so I did not know there was a difference between sherry wine and cooking sherry? Do I just grab it at liquor store and ask for sherry wine?
laura
Hey, Laura… Yes, if you simply ask for sherry wine, they will direct you where it is stocked… I actually bought the one in the photo at my local grocery store (I had to ask where it was… very small area where it was located in the liquor aisle). It was only $5. 🙂
These sound delicious and not very difficult. I’ll definitely be trying them soon.
They are super yummy… kind of an eggnog taste!
I remember these! I have a GF cake mix in my pantry and am absolutely making these this holiday!
RR
Let me know how they come out!
Julie,
Congratulations, you are being featured on Thursday Favorite Things. I hope you stop by. https://www.eclecticredbarn.com/2021/11/thursday-favorite-things-party_0609599155.html
Hugs,
Bev
mmm mmm this is my kind of cookie! I just might have to make these next week for Christmas. Thank you for linking up with us at the Home Imagined Link Party. Have a Wonderful Christmas.
Oh my gosh Julie. These cookies look amazing and its wonderful that they are easy to make. Thank you for sharing this recipe in our Home Imagined Link Party. Merry Christmas.
You are so welcome, Anna! Happy New Year!