Eggnog Snowballs Recipes

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Put the almonds and 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until very finely ground, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and process until smooth, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape the dough off the inside of the bowl if needed. Add the bourbon and rum and vanilla extracts and pulse until smooth. Add the flour and salt and pulse until the dough forms a ball.
• Roll mounded teaspoons of the dough into balls about 1 inch wide and place on the prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the cookies are firm when gently pressed, completely dry and just beginning to crack at the top, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes; they will firm as they cool.
• Meanwhile, put the nutmeg and remaining 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar in a pie plate or wide baking dish and mix well. Toss the warm cookies very gently in the sugar mixture until evenly coated; the cookies need to be warm for the first coating of sugar to stick. Cool the cookies on a wire rack completely, about 30 minutes, then toss again in the sugar mixture so they are very white. Sprinkle with additional grated nutmeg.
• Store the cookies in a little bit of extra confectioners' sugar in an airtight container for up to a week.

Steps:

• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread the walnuts on another baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then pulse the nuts in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a small bowl and add the rum and vanilla; let soak at least 30 minutes.
• Whisk the flour, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and the salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, egg yolk and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the walnut-rum mixture until fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until combined. Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and pat into a disk; wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls and arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared pans. Bake until light golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the pans.
• Put the remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg in a medium bowl. Gently roll the warm cookies in the confectioners' sugar mixture. Transfer to a rack to cool completely; the cookies will firm up as they cool. Once cool, reroll in the confectioners' sugar mixture.

Steps:

• 1. Mix together flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Beat in the eggnog. Add flour mixture gradually until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for an hour, or until the dough is firm.
• 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet 1-inch apart. Bake 12-14 minutes, than roll in powdered sugar. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Steps:

• Whisk the eggs, egg yolk and sugar in a bowl until combined. Heat the milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until steaming; do not boil. Remove from the heat. Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon and a thermometer registers 165 degrees F, about 5 minutes. (Do not boil or the eggs will curdle.)
• Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl and stir in the vanilla and nutmeg. Let cool at room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.
• Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave, stirring every 20 seconds, until just melted. Arrange four 8- to 10-ounce glasses (or lowball glasses) on a workspace. Using the tip of your pinky or a small paintbrush dipped in chocolate, paint 3 buttons and two arms on the inside of each glass.
• If desired, stir rum into the chilled eggnog mixture. Divide the eggnog evenly among the glasses. Whisk the remaining 1 1/2 cups heavy cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fit a pastry bag with a large star tip, and fill the bag with whipped cream. Pipe a generous swirl of whipped cream on each glass of eggnog to make the snowmen's heads. Directly above each row of snowman buttons, place an apricot wedge into each whipped cream head to form a nose. Place two mini chips above each nose to form eyes. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Spread the coconut on a plate. Put the dates, almonds, cinnamon and salt in a food processor and process until finely chopped.
• Form rounded 1/2 teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls with your fingers, then roll in the coconut, pressing to coat.