The Avid Appetite - The Avid Appetite

I am so beyond excited this morning because...

...drumroll, please...

It's Virtual Cookie Swap Party Day! Yippee!!!

A few weeks back, I started working with some other A-mazing bloggers to bring you one gargantuan list of holiday cookies. Sure, I do a whole lotta baking myself, but how much more fun is it to find lots of recipes from other world-class bloggers?! I was over the moon when so many wonderful ladies wanted to participate. In fact, as I type this, I'm taking mini-breaks to do a little happy dance, complete with jazz hands and a little air grinding to boot (I'm pretty sure the entertainment of these dorky dance moves are the single-handed reason why Shaun married me).

How does the swap work, you ask? Each blogger created her very own cookie recipe for the virtual party and will be sharing the recipe on her blog today. I've rounded up the entire list of cookies, complete with some food porn-esque photos below, along with a link to each blog. I hope that you'll check them all out today and leave some comment love!

My cookie for the virtual swap is Soft Frosted Eggnog Sugar Cookies.

I wanted to go a little outside my comfort zone (making cookies look pretty) while still bringing in the flavors of the season (can I hear it for some eggnog?). For quite some time now, I've been eyeing the soft lofthouse cookies. I always, always covet these while food shopping...you know the ones...giant, soft sugar cookies coated in a thick layer of frosting and sprinkles (can't forget the sprinkles). Because if these store-made versions are so good...the real deal must be amaze balls, right?

Right!

I used a beautiful recipe from Annie's Eats for the base, and adapted it slightly to make it 'nogarific for the swap. The cookie is super soft, while the frosting is buttercreamy deliciousness. It's all around 'nogtacular, if you ask me!

Soft Frosted Eggnog Sugar Cookies
*Adapted from Annie's Eats
For the cookies:
4½ C all-purpose flour
4½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1½ C (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1½ C sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract -or- 1/2 tsp rum extract & 1/2 tsp brandy extract to make them eggnog-flavored (I just used vanilla in the cookie part)

For the frosting:
5 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp rum extract
1/2 tsp brandy extract
7-8 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg, if desired
food coloring, if desired
sprinkles, if desired

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Blend in the extract of your choice (rum & brandy for eggnog flavor, vanilla for vanilla flavor). Slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until combined. Cover the dough a chill for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and scoop 1/4 C of the dough, roll into a ball and flatten slightly on the baking sheet. Leave at least 3 inches between cookies as these really expand! Bake 10-12 minutes or until the cookie bottoms are just slightly browned...these are supposed to be soft so don't overbake them.

Once cooled, make the frosting. Beat the butter on medium-high speed, adding the sugar one cup at a time, adding milk as needed to thin out the frosting. Add the extracts and nutmeg. Once completely combined and fluffy, separate into 3 batches for 3 different colors. Add red food coloring to one, green to another, and leave one as is. Frost cookies generously and garnish with sprinkles!

Though I love the lofthouse look of the red and green buttercream, I do love the simple white version where you can see all the pretty flecks of nutmeg. Yum!

And here's the full, gorgeous & yum-inducing roundup of the rest of the virtual swap! I hope you'll all check out these amazing ladies who I am happy to call my friends, and their wonderfully delicious blogs...I cannot wait to add these cookies to my holiday baking list!

Apple Butter Chewy Cinnamon M&M Cookies by Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie