Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

If you love the warm spices of the classic Tom and Jerry holiday drink, these tender log cookies belong on your seasonal baking counter. Inspired by the traditional cocktail, they capture warm, fragrant notes in a neat hand-held treat.

The cookie dough starts with a straightforward butter-and-sugar base spiced with fragrant nutmeg and vanilla. After a quick chill, the dough is shaped into small logs, baked until lightly golden on the bottoms, and finished with a sweet rum extract glaze.

Shaping and Baking the Dough

Chilling the dough for fifteen minutes provides just enough firmness to roll it smoothly into neat half-inch cylinders. Slicing the ropes into one-and-a-half-inch pieces creates uniform segments that bake evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake the logs at 350 degrees F for ten to twelve minutes. Keep an eye on the bottoms so they emerge pale on top with gently golden bases, preserving their tender bite.

Key Spices and Glaze Notes

Nutmeg provides the signature warmth throughout both the dough and the topping. Mixing it directly with the flour distributes the spice evenly through the buttery crumb, while an extra dust on top adds a festive look.

Rum extract and vanilla flavor the powdered sugar icing, echoing the cocktail profile that inspired the recipe. Whisked with milk until smooth, the glaze drizzles easily across the cookies and sets into a delicate sweet crust.

Baker's Notes for Success

Watch for the bottoms to turn lightly golden as the primary doneness cue. Removing the baking sheet as soon as the undersides color prevents the tender logs from drying out.

Always let the cookies cool thoroughly on the baking sheet before whisking together and drizzling the icing. Warm cookies will cause the powdered sugar glaze to run off rather than clinging to each piece.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should these cookies be stored? Keep the finished cookies in an airtight container once the icing has set.

What gives the icing its distinct holiday flavor? The powdered sugar glaze is whisked with rum extract, vanilla, milk, and ground nutmeg, mimicking the notes of a Tom and Jerry cocktail.

Tom & Jerry Logs

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon rum extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

1. Add butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix until smooth and airy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until well combined. In a small bowl, sift together flour, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Chill dough for 15 minutes.
2. After dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Roll the chilled dough into logs about ½-inch thick, then use a sharp knife to slice into segments about 1 ½ inches long. Place on the prepared baking sheet with 2 inches between each cookie.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just turning golden on the bottom.
5. Allow cookies to cool while you prepare the icing.
6. Icing: Mix all icing ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cookies and dust with additional nutmeg if desired.
7. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe notes

• Yield: Makes 24 cookies | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes