When the weather outside is… mid-seventies and sunny, it makes the wintery carols playing all over town feel pretty out of place. Although I’ve experienced Christmas in the southern hemisphere before, it’s taken a bit of extra effort getting in the spirit of the season this year. Sure, I’ve strung twinkle lights in my room and even decorated a tree with my flatmates, but seeing as it doesn’t get dark until after 9pm, there isn’t much use in plugging them in. I thought a wander through the holiday market would put me in the mood, but I wore a sundress and sandals, then treated myself to gelato as I watched a water polo team dive into the harbour.
It’ll be my first Christmas without my family and all the banter, music, decorations, games, and treats that comes with it. While there’s nothing that can quite fill that void, I can’t help but be thankful for the warmth, joy, comfort, and generosity that are very much present here in NZ.
If there’s one thing that makes me feel at home no matter where in the world I am, it’s being wrist deep in dough, baking in the kitchen! So when my mum mentioned that she was making a favourite family recipe, I promptly asked her to send it over and took my list to the supermarket.
Now the thing about baking in a country halfway around the world is that ingredients are just plain different. Staples like flour and sugar have a foreign feel between my fingers, and most noticeably in this case, the butter is a bright, lemony yellow unlike the pale cream colour I’m used to. And it shows in the bake! A specialty item like rum flavouring could not be readily found in the chain grocery store and required some serious sleuthing. But a stroke of genius directed me to the home brew store that had a wide selection of just what I was looking for.
What would possibly be worth the effort? Nut. meg. logs. These delicate finger-like cookies have been a hallmark in my family for generations, making their special appearance but once a year—always the star of the show. If I was going to bake only one kind of Christmas cookie forever after, it would be nutmeg logs without debate. Shortbready, buttercreamy, and festive spice all rolled into one divine little bite!
I will be honest, the coveted product requires a bit of labour between the mixing and the rolling and the three-step decorating. But don’t let that deter you! Turn up the tunes, recruit a friend, and you’ll have them sliced and iced in no time. Trust me, your loved ones will thank you when they’re reaching for just one more nutmeg log off a rapidly diminishing plate. Nutmeg logs are perfectly paired with a cup of tea and I can testify that they are equally delicious by the fireside or barbecue!
- Emily
NUTMEG LOGS RECIPE
Ingredients:
Dough:
1 cup soft butter
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp rum flavouring
1 tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
3 cups flour
Icing:
¼ cup soft butter
1 ½ cups icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp rum flavouring
1 tbsp milk
Additional nutmeg
Method:
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla, and rum flavouring. Combine the nutmeg, salt, and flour, and gradually mix into wet ingredients until dough forms into a ball. Flatten dough into a disc, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.
Prepare a lightly floured surface and break off slightly smaller than fist sized chunks of the dough. Roll out the dough gently using your palms until it’s about 1 cm in diameter. Cut into 4 cm long pieces and line them up on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 12-16 minutes until logs are lightly browned on the bottom. Let them cool completely on a rack. One batch makes about 6 dozen cookies.
For icing, combine butter, icing sugar, vanilla, rum flavouring, and milk. Beat until smooth. You may need to add more icing sugar or milk depending on the consistency. It should be more stiff than runny so that it will harden when spread on the cookies.
To decorate the cookies, use a butter knife to spread a generous dollop on each cookie. Use the tines of a fork to create streaky bark-like lines through the icing, then lightly sprinkle nutmeg on top for the full log effect. Let the icing dry and enjoy! Store in an air-tight container stacked between layers of parchment paper.
