Eggnog Shortbread Cookies

Thick & Buttery Nutmeg-Spiced Shortbread Cookies//Eggnog Buttercream

Jump to foreword   • Jump to recipe

These Eggnog Shortbread Cookies are everything you want in a Christmas treat — rich, buttery, cozy, and just a little bit magical. The shortbread itself is thick, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth, lightly scented with freshly grated nutmeg for that unmistakable holiday warmth. On top sits a luxurious eggnog buttercream, piped generously and finished with a final dusting of nutmeg for a cookie that tastes like the coziest parts of the season wrapped into one perfect bite.

The base is one you already know and love: the same ultra-buttery shortbread from my Ted Lasso Biscuits recipe. That recipe was inspired by the show’s iconic biscuits — simple, comforting, and deeply satisfying — and this version takes that beloved foundation and dresses it up for the holidays. The nutmeg in the dough adds depth without overpowering, while the eggnog buttercream brings a creamy, festive richness that truly takes these cookies over the top.

These are showstoppers in every sense of the word. They’re the kind of cookie you bring to a Christmas party and immediately get asked for the recipe. Perfect for cookie boxes, festive gatherings, or a quiet moment with a hot drink, these Eggnog Shortbread Cookies feel special without being fussy — classic, nostalgic, and genuinely some of the best cookies you’ll make this season.

Recipe:

Makes 1 (8x8x2 inch) tray

Notes

• Shortbread is slight bit better on day 2 (the butter seeps into the flour even more so - cakes are like this too), so I’d make them the day before or several hours before an important event if you want absolute perfection, but they’re still wonderful straight away.

• It’s vital to this recipe (if you want them to be perfect, anyway), that you use both the usual pink salt that has small granules, as well as a nice flaky salt. The smaller granules lend flavour to the baseline dough, and then the bigger flakes provide the most delicious bursts of flavour in little pockets here and there. Be precise with the measurements, and make sure you follow the instructions of having 2 salts of differently sized granules. If you don’t have pink salt, that’s fine, just use another salt with smaller granules - the size is the important part.

• Make sure you use the 8x8x2 inch tray called for. This makes them nice and tall, allowing for an exterior with a nice bite to it, and a supremely soft and moist interior. The baking time is also specific to achieving this result for this exact pan size.

• Follow the bake time and temperature exactly the first time you make these. This is how I like mine - a light crunch on the outside and a super soft interior. If you decide you like a crunchier exterior, and want to experiment, increase the oven temperature to 350, and decrease the bake time by 10 minutes for starters. But I wouldn’t just leave the oven temperature at 325 and increase the bake time, as this will yield a less moist centre.

• As a general baking note - all ovens are different. So the times and temperatures that I write are for what I feel a normal, well-functioning oven, would call for. When I'm working with a weaker oven, I like to try to figure out how many degrees I need to increase the temperature by to reach the "normal" power level I'm used to. Obviously that takes trial and error, but I recommend figuring that out instead of increasing the baking time all the time. You'll get better results that way.

• You can double the recipe to make a 9 x 13 inch tray for a bigger gathering - but wierdly, despite the thickness being similar, I'd bake them for 5 minutes less (35 minutes). I experimented with this and found them a little less moist than usual when baked for the usual 40 minutes.

• Here's a link to the piping tip I used:

  • https://www.amazon.ca/JEM-NZ3J-Decorating-Curved-Standard/dp/B00ANOXU82

Nutmeg-Spiced Shortbread

Ingredients

• 315 g butter, room-temperature

• 150 g powdered sugar

• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1/2 + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)

• ~1/4 of a nutmeg seed, freshly grated

• 3/4 tsp flaky sea salt

• 345 g all-purpose flour

  
  

Instructions

1. Butter an 8x8x2 inch baking tray, and line it with a parchment sling.

2. Place butter in a large bowl. Sift in the powdered sugar. Add in the vanilla extract and pink salt (or the finer of the 2 salts you’re using). Grate in the nutmeg.

3. First combine on low speed with an electric mixer, and then increase speed and beat on high for 2 minutes.

4. Add in the flaky sea salt. Combine on low speed.

5. Sift in the flour. Combine on low speed. Do not over-mix.

6. Scoop the batter into the prepared baking tray. Roughly spread it out with a spatula or slightly wet hands.

7. Cut a large piece of plastic wrap, and lay it over the dough. Use the back of a wooden spoon (or anything smooth that won’t stick to the plastic; I find metal spoons do), and run it over the dough until it’s totally smooth and evenly dispersed.

8. Discard the plastic wrap, and place the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes. When you’re 20 minutes into this waiting time, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and ensure that the oven rack is positioned in the middle.

9. Remove the tray from the fridge, and prick the dough all over with a fork - about 15-20 pricks. I like to do this in lines, to help me to later see where I want to cut my cookies, but it doesn’t really matter.

10. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is a lovely golden colour.

11. Remove from oven, and let sit for 5 minutes. Place a cutting board right next to the baking tray. Then, lift up the parchment sling in a swift motion, and place it on the cutting board.

12. Let the shortbread cool completely. Then, slice into pieces. (Proceed to making the buttercream while the shortbread cools.)

Eggnog Buttercream

Ingredients

• 150 g butter, room temperature

• 200 g powdered sugar

• ~1/4 of a nutmeg seed, freshly grated

• 1/4 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)

• 100 g eggnog, preferably room-temperature

Instructions

1. Place the butter in a large bowl. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.

2. Sift in the powdered sugar, and beat on high for 2 more minutes.

3. Add in the nutmeg and salt, and beat on high for 1 more minute.

4. Add in the eggnog. Beat on medium until incorporated.

5. Depending on the temperature of your ingredients and kitchen, the buttercream may be loose enough to pipe. If it still feels a little stiff (if your kitchen or ingredients were a little cold), and you want perfect swirls, use the following trick: separate about a 1/2 cup of buttercream into a bowl, and put it in the microwave for 10 seconds. It'll partially melt. Then whip it back into the rest of the buttercream. Repeat if necessary. It'll just loosen the whole thing up a bit to make super smooth swirls. Not necessary, but a great pro tip I want to share - that affects aesthetics only! To be honest, I almost always do this, even when frosting cakes (particularly for the final/outer coating), for the smoothest and easiest application.

6. Frost your shortbread! (I used a JEM NZ3J Decorating Tip - I'll pop a link in the notes section.)

7. Enjoy! And feel free to make yourself a nice latte or tea latte to go with them.

   
   

   Storage note: Because thes shortbread is topped with buttercream, it's best food safety practice to store them in an airtight container in the fridge if you're not eating them within 24 hours. In that case, be sure to take them out of the fridge for a bit to let them soften back up before enjoying. Truthfully, I'll leave mine out for 2 days at room-temperature before moving any leftovers to the fridge, but I don't want to suggest that for others just in case!

---

To leave a comment, you will need to Sign Up or Login, as prompted by the pop-up which will appear when you hit Publish.