Spiced Eggnog Sugarmen #ChristmasSweetsWeek #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sweets & Treats, LorAnn, and Dixie Crystals, 
#ChristmasSweetsWeek sponsors. I received complimentary product for the purpose of review and recipe development, 
but all opinions are honest and they are my own. This page may contain affiliate links.

Well, we're almost at the end of #ChristmasSweetsWeek! Much gratitude to Terri of Love and Confections and Christie of A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures for coordinating this amazing event. Not only did they keep all of us bloggers organized, but they lined up some great sponsors. Please visit my kick-off post for information about the prizes and to enter the giveaway. You may also enter at the bottom of this post. Good luck!

One of the event sponsors - Sweets & Treats - offered us some festive sprinkles and I immediately picked their Reindeer Food collection which includes gingerbread man quins, red sugar pearls, brown jimmies, white nonpareils, and other classic sprinkles. It's so fun and was the perfect bling for my Spiced Eggnog Sugarmen.

Another sponsor - LorAnn Oils - offered us super-strength oils and I picked my favorite holiday flavor: eggnog! These super strength oils are 4 times as potent as extracts, so adjust accordingly.

But, first, here are today's Christmas Sweets...

Beverages

• Bourbon Salted Caramel Coffee with Whipped Cream from With Two Spoons
• Chocolate Eggnog Pudding Shots from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Cookie Butter Eggnog Cocktail from My Suburban Kitchen
• Hazelnut Hot Chocolate Drops from Family Around the Table
• Mulled Red Wine Sangria from Platter Talk
• Red Velvet Hot Chocolate from Live Love Texas
• Salted Caramel Affogato from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Salted Caramel Apple Cider Martini from Sweet Beginnings
• Salted Caramel Chocolate Martini from The Crumby Kitchen
• Salted Caramel Mocha Smoothie from An Affair from the Heart
• Sugar Cookie Martini from Strawberry Blondie Kitchen

Breakfast

• Baked Cranberry Eggnog French Toast from The Spiffy Cookie
• Maple Bourbon Old Fashion Bread Pudding from Cheese Curd in Paradise

Candies

• Pecan Butter Rum Toffee from Take Two Tapas
• Christmas Grinch Bark from Blogghetti
• White Christmas Sugar Cookie Dough Fudge from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks

Desserts

• Black Forest Cheesecake from Kate's Recipe Box
• Butter Rum Cheesecake from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt
• Christmas Cornflake Wreaths from The Mandatory Mooch
• Chocolate Pumpkin Pie Cookie Cups from Love and Confections
• Cookie Butter Shortbread Bars from Eat Move Make
• Fluffernutter Truffles from Mildly Meandering
• Frozen Mint Meltaway Pie from Cooking with Carlee
• Vegan Gingerbread Cupcakes with Eggnog Frosting from The Baking Fairy
• Spiced Eggnog Sugarmen from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Peppermint Mocha Cupcakes from The Beard and The Baker
• Red Velvet Cupcakes with Eggnog Butter Frosting from Lady Behind the Curtain
• Slice 'N' Bake Grinch Cookies from Big Bear's Wife
• Snowmen Macarons from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures

I call these 'sugarmen' because they're shaped like gingerbread men, but it's a sugar cookie base. You get it, right? These have just a quick squeeze of royal icing in the shape of a scarf...and that's where I put the sprinkles. 

Ingredients

Eggnog Sugar Cookies

• 2-3/4 C flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 3/4 C butter, softened
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 t eggnog flavoring (prefer LorAnn)
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t ground cardamom
• zest from 1 organic lemon

Royal Icing

• 3 egg whites, or more to thin icing
• 6 C organic powdered sugar, or more to thicken icing (prefer Dixie Crystals)
• juice from 1 to 2 organic lemons (I used a Meyer lemon)
• 1/4 t eggnog extract (prefer LorAnn)
• sprinkles to finish

Procedure

Sugar Cookies
Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Set aside in a bowl.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla extract, eggnog flavoring, and zest. Mix. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing completely.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill dough for at least 2 hours. Roll out between two pieces of parchment paper.

Shape them with your cutters, using flour to keep them from sticking. Place on a silicone mat-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 9-11 minutes, depending on size of cookies. Cool completely on wire racks. Make the royal icing while the cookies cool.

Royal Icing

Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar, eggnog extract, and lemon juice. Beat for another minute. If the icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it's too thin, add more sugar. This icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To Finish

Pipe the royal icing over cooled cookies. As I mentioned, I made little scarves on my sugarmen and sprinkled them with the sprinkle mix. Let icing set before storing or serving. You'll see these spiced sugarmen on top of my cake that I'll share tomorrow for the last day of #ChristmasSweetsWeek.

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

#ChristmasSweetsWeek products 

included in this recipe...

You may find Dixie Crystals on the web, 

on Twitter, on Pinterest, on Instagram, and on Facebook.

You may find Sweets & Treats on the web, 

on Twitter, on Pinterest, on Instagram, and on Facebook.

You may find LorAnn Oils on the web, 

on Twitter, on Pinterest, on Instagram, and on Facebook.

*DISCLAIMER: Thank you ChristmasSweetsWeek Sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Cabot Cheese, Lorann Oils & Flavors, Torani, Joyjolt, and Sweets & Treats Boutique for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own. The ChristmasSweetsWeek giveaway is open to U.S. residents, age 18 & up. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Six (6) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The ChristmasSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the ChristmasSweetsWeek posts or entry.