Creamy Eggnog Cookie Bars - Everyday Annie

Alright, we made it through Thanksgiving and I am more than ready to transition into holiday fun! Around this time of year, it seems that everyone can place themselves in one of two categories: eggnog lovers and eggnog haters. I, for one, am an eggnog lover. I probably only end up drinking one straight glass of the stuff to get my fill each year, but the past few years I have come to realize that as good as it is straight, it is absolutely wonderful in baked goods.

At this time of year when we’re all looking for some special sweet treat to share in goodie bags or on holiday tables, I give you these creamy eggnog crumb bars. They combine two of the best things about the season into one awesome dessert. I had a lot of taste testers for this particular recipe and they were a huge hit all around. If you haven’t tried before, grate whole nutmeg for these rather than using the pre-grated stuff. It definitely enhances the flavor. Happy baking!

Yield about 16 bars

Ingredients

For the dough:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. coarse salt
½ tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
12 tbsp. (6 oz.) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
6 tbsp. eggnog

For the filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
1 large egg
½ cup eggnog
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

01
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper. To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and stir to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add in the eggnog and stir with a fork or knead very briefly just until a crumbly dough comes together.
02
Transfer about two thirds of the dough mixture to the prepared baking pan and press down into an even layer. To make the filling, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, light and fluffy. Blend in the egg, then the eggnog and vanilla until smooth. Pour the mixture over the layer of dough in the baking pan. Crumble the reserved dough and dot over the eggnog mixture.
03
Bake, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until just set, about 25 minutes total. Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then chill well before slicing and serving.