Sugar Spice Cookie Recipe

I've been playing around with this recipe for a couple weeks and am quite pleased with the final outcome. Easy drop cookies–they have a subtle eggnog flavor with a yummy chewy texture. On the nutmeg: fresh grated nutmeg makes a tremendous flavor difference, but if you only have it in a jar that works fine, too. (You might just want to add a little extra.) Also, these cookies keep well in a tin and can be frozen.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 2/3 cups white sugar (I use raw organic cane sugar)

2 eggs

1 Tbs. vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Big pinch of sea salt (or regular if that's what you have)

¼ tsp. cloves

A generous grating of fresh nutmeg (about a ½ tsp.)

Preheat oven to 375º. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Mix in the sugar, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a separate bowl then add them to the butter mixture. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the mixture onto the sheet and bake for 13 minutes or until they're barely turning a golden brown. The idea is to bake them just long enough so they are still delightfully chewy. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes before removing to a plate or wire rack. Enjoy!

Note: For an even spicier variation, you can add 1 rounded tsp. allspice to the cloves and nutmeg.