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Eggnog Tres Leches Cookies

Deborah B.

Holiday-themed in both appearance and flavor, Deborah B. made them so pretty you almost don’t want to eat them…almost. The perfect holiday party treat and 3rd Place winner for the 2024 Holiday Cookie Recipe Contest!
40 min Prep Time
11 min Cook Time
  • Prep Time: 40 min
  • Cook Time: 11 min
  • Servings: 30-35 cookies

Servings: 30-35 cookies

Ingredients

  • Frosting base:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup full-fat eggnog

  • Cookies:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup full fat sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 Tablespoons sparkling white sanding sugar

  • Eggnog Velvet Frosting:

  • Frosting base
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

  • Garnish:

  • 16 red candied cherries, halved

Instructions

Step 1

For the frosting base, whisk together sugar, flour and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in eggnog until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 8 minutes or until mixture is very thick and paste-like, and pulls away from the sides when pushed with whisk. Place in a wide bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from fridge and bring to room temperature (approximately 80 degrees on a kitchen thermometer).

Step 2

Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

Step 3

Beat butter, granulated sugar, condensed milk, powdered sugar, cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking powder in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in flour on low speed until dough is formed, scraping to bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure even mixing. Keep dough covered in plastic wrap between batches.

Step 4

Place sanding sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1 Tablespoon balls and roll in sanding sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto prepared sheets. Dip bottom of a glass in sanding sugar and press each cookie ball into 2-inch rounds. Bake on center rack for 10 1/2 minutes (bottoms will be light golden brown but edges will show almost no color). Cool on cookie sheets 1 minute; transfer to racks to cool completely.

Step 5

Transfer frosting base to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with paddle attachment for 30 seconds on medium speed until smooth. With mixer on medium speed, add butter a tablespoon at a time. Scrape to bottom of mixer bowl with a spatula. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy.

Step 6

Prepare a large piping bag with an open star (size 1M) tip. Pipe a rosette of frosting onto the top of each cookie. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set frosting if desired. Press a cherry half, rounded side up, into the center of each rosette. Store in the refrigerator.