This recipe is one I’ve been kicking around since I visited Mount Vernon in September. Given my love of George Washington and chocolate, this wasn’t a stretch to come up with.  Knowing GW liked chocolate too?  Even better (even if chocolate wasn’t really truly enjoyed in baking until after he was gone…) but I did learn about his tendency to have a camel, named Aladdin, at Mount Vernon over the holidays to entertain guests.  Which is why we have these amazing cookies cut out like camels!! It’s all about G dubs, friends!

Chocolate, sugar cookies, egg nog…what’s not to love in this cookie recipe?  Crisp on the outside with a soft center and plenty of chocolate-y goodness topped with the delicious holiday flavor of eggnog.  You will definitely want to add this recipe to your baking for the holidays. The key to keeping your sugar cookies from spreading is to keep your dough very cold, work in small batches, and  do not remove from refrigerator until you are ready to cut out your shapes and pop in oven.

 Chocolate Sugar Cookies with Egg Nog Icing

Ingredients:

½ cup American Heritage Chocolate 

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 ½ sticks butter,  slightly softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4  cup melted chocolate

1 egg

½ tsp. baking soda

⅛ tsp. salt

Camel Cookie Cutter 

Icing: 

2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp. egg nog

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Directions:

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and chocolate until well combined, set aside.

Combine granulated sugar and butter  on high  in a stand or hand mixer until light and fluffy- about 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in egg and vanilla, mix another minute.

Melt chocolate in microwave for 30 second increments, stirring each time until fully melted.

Add melted chocolate into wet ingredients and beat until just combined,

Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture ½ a cup at a time, using a spatula to clean off the sides and incorporate all ingredients.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350

Remove, let soften slightly then roll dough to ¼” thickness. Ok here is where I am about to change your life, for the better. Well at least your baking life..When rolling out dough like sugar cookies, gingerbread, etc… Place it between two large sheets of waxed or parchment paper then roll. Nothing sticky all over your rolling pin, no flour all over counter and floor.

Cut out into desired shapes. Lift with a spatula to transfer to baking sheet to avoid distorting your cookie shapes.

Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

Bake for 10-13 minutes or until edges start to crisp up.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before icing.

Place cookies on waxed paper to ice.

Whisk eggnog, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until smooth.

Spread icing gently across top of cookies to ice, sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.

Store in a an airtight container.