Every winter when I was a child, my mom and I baked cookies together. As the years passed, the holidays became busier and more complicated, so we created a new tradition: we bake cookies in February or March, when the holiday rush is over and we can really enjoy our time together. This is one of our traditional recipes.

The classic sugar cookie shines with the addition of nutmeg, replacing the cloying sweetness of years past with hints of traditional winter flavors. Be sure to use fresh nutmeg in this and every dish that calls for it; pre-ground nutmeg has a very short shelf life, but whole nutmegs will keep for years. There are adorable miniature box-graters available for nutmeg grating, but a microplane, hand-held cheese grater, or the small holes on a box grater will work just as well.

Nutmeg Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2/3 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter, vanilla, and sugar, beating until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, waiting until one is completely incorporated before adding the next. Add flour mixture in three stages, scaping down sides of bowl between each stage. Cover mixture by pressing wax paper to the surface of the dough, and chill for at least 90 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Divide dough in half and return non-working half to refrigerator. Roll dough to 1/8″ thickness on a floured board. Cut into desired shapes. Repeat for remaining dough.

For soft cookies:
Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheet and set on top of the oven to soften for 3-5 minutes. Move baking sheets to oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack.

For crisp cookies:
Transfer cookies to parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for 30-45 minutes. Move sheets directly from refrigerator to freezer, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges are golden. Transfer to cooling rack as soon as cookies are cool enough to be moved without losing their shape.