One of my favorite Christmas cookies that my mom made when I was growing up are Nutmeg Logs. They are almost a shortbread cookie base, with a layer of stiff icing on top and the slightest hint of nutmeg. They’re buttery and light, and the perfect cookie to have with coffee or milk!
When holidays roll around we always find excuses to overindulge. But as I learned on one of my grocery tours with a registered dietitian this summer, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor when you’re making small changes, such as switching to a lighter cream cheese.
The theme from nutrition experts seems to be moderation. If you have a favorite Christmas cookie, make it as you like – butter and all – but limit your serving size. When you’re baking your own cookies, you have ultimate control over how large or small you make your cookies. Similar to the theory of a smaller plate for smaller serving size, trick yourself by making your cookies slightly smaller – just don’t use that as your excuse to have three or four more!
I had such good luck using Kroger Cream Cheese & Greek Yogurt in my Skinny Pumpkin Dip recipe that I’m incorporating it into my mom’s icing recipe for these cookies.
Nutmeg Logs
Ingredients for cookies (makes about 36):
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
Ingredients for frosting:
- 3 oz. Greek yogurt cream cheese, softened (I found at Kroger, or use 1/3 fat Neufchatel as an alternative)
- 2 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp rum or rum flavoring (could use almond instead)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbs half & half or milk
- Nutmeg for sprinkling
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In a mixer, cream butter with vanilla and almond flavorings. Gradually beat in sugar, then blend in egg. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, nutmeg and salt. Add to butter mixture and blend well. Dough will look crumbly.
Grease or lay parchment paper onto a cookie sheet. Divide and shape dough into long rolls around 1″ thick. Cut into 2″ to 2 1/2″ sections and separate by an inch or so (they don’t spread much at all).
Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes. While the cookies are baking, it may be a good time to wash your mixer beaters unless you have an extra set, to use for the frosting. Cool on wire rack before frosting.
To make frosting, cream together the Greek yogurt cream cheese with butter until well blended. Add in flavorings; mix well. Slowly add in powdered sugar, stopping to scrape sides a few times. Mix in half & half until well combined.
Spread a light layer onto cookies and before the icing hardens, sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.
I hope you enjoy these light, buttery Nutmeg Log cookies as much as I do!
If you’re on Pinterest, be sure to pin this recipe to your desserts or Christmas boards!
This post was originally published November 25, 2015.
You may also enjoy:
Nutmeg Logs Christmas Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
-
1
cup
unsalted butter
softened -
1 1/2
tsp
vanilla extract -
1/2
tsp
almond extract -
3/4
cup
sugar -
1
egg -
3
cups
flour -
1 1/2
tsp
nutmeg -
1/4
tsp
salt -
3
oz.
Greek yogurt cream cheese
softened (I found at Kroger, or use 1/3 fat Neufchatel as an alternative) -
2
Tbs
unsalted butter
softened -
1
tsp
rum or rum flavoring
could use almond instead -
1/2
tsp
vanilla extract -
3
cups
powdered sugar -
1
Tbs
half & half or milk - Nutmeg for sprinkling
Instructions
Nutmeg Logs
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a mixer, cream butter with vanilla and almond flavorings. Gradually beat in sugar, then blend in egg.
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, nutmeg and salt. Add to butter mixture and blend well.
Grease or lay parchment paper onto a cookie sheet. Divide and shape dough into long rolls around 1″ thick.
Cut into 2″ to 2 1/2″ sections and separate by an inch or so (they don’t spread much at all). Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes. Cool on wire rack before frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream together the Greek yogurt cream cheese with butter until well blended. Add in flavorings; mix well.
Slowly add in powdered sugar, stopping to scrape sides a few times. Mix in half & half until well combined.
Spread a light layer onto cookies and before the icing hardens, sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.
This post was sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers, but all words are 100% my own. See my disclosure policy for more info.
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