Elizabeth Arway
Elizabeth Arway, 37, of Eureka topped the dessert category with her Bourbon Eggnog Cookies.
“I don’t really like a lot of eggnog,” she confessed. “But I found this recipe and tweaked it a little, and these are really delicious. I am gluten-free, so I make them that way, but you have both options.”
Arway, who owns a marketing company, knows a little bit about bourbon. She is the founder of the Missouri Whiskey Society.
“One of my clients was Gamlin Whiskey House in the Central West End (of St. Louis), and the owners and I were talking about the idea of helping women learn more about whiskey,” she said. “It kind of started from that.”
The Gamlin business has closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the organization is still going strong.
“We have more than 1,300 members,” Arway said.
She also is a founder of an offshoot group called Women in Whiskey, a social group that aims to help women become more comfortable with and knowledgeable about the beverage.
“It can be a little intimidating,” Arway said. “Most women are more used to drinking wine and liquors like vodka. We want to teach them about whiskey, how to buy it, how to serve it.”
Both groups offer tasting events and whiskey-related travel.
“Well, of course, not during COVID,” Arway said. “But before, we did trips, tastings. We did a pedicure and whiskey-tasting event that was a lot of fun. The whole industry is really trying to encourage women to try whiskey.”
Arway said the group holds virtual get-togethers that can help educate prospective whiskey sippers about the product.
“Within the category of whiskey, there’s a lot to explore,” she said. “Whiskey is booming right now. Once people learn about all these different brands, they go into a liquor store and they’re more confident. It expands people’s palates.”
Bourbon Eggnog Cookies
Elizabeth Arway, Eureka
Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or Cup 4 Cup gluten-free flour blend)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons Maker’s Mark Bourbon
1/2 cup eggnog (I recommend Oberweis or Prairie Farms)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a stand mixer, combine wet ingredients until well blended. Add in dry ingredients and mix well. Dough should be a little sticky. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls and drop onto cookie sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake 11-13 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Cool on racks.
Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons eggnog
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Maker’s Mark Bourbon
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Mix all ingredients together and beat until fluffy. Frost cooled cookies and garnish with nutmeg and sprinkles if desired.
