Christmas Cookie Swaps: I've got questions....

 
My neighbor does this every year. It is quite fun. She says that it prompts her to clean her

house and put up the decorations : )

She usually has it the first or second Thurs in Dec. We are all to bring a few dozen cookies (I believe four, but I could be mistaken).

It is usually around 7:00pm. We all arrive, very casual, she takes the cookies, and puts them on her larger plastic silver platters (from Michaels) She arranges all of the cookies and gives back the container for them to use for cookie collection.

Everyone then just enjoys wine, cheese, veggie platter, etc. Funt time for everyone to catch up. After about 1/2 hour, everyone is usually there.

Then everyone goes around her dining room table which is plated with all the cookies. You select the number of what you brought. In other words, If the hostess said please bring 3 dozen, then you walk around and pick 3 dozen different cookies.

It is a fun time to try different cookies that you may not have thought of baking. I know the hostess makes extra in the event that someone miscounted. It is fun, casual and great way to get into the holiday spirit.

A few years ago, Gay pointed out a recipe site from Godiva. I have used it for the cookie exchange.

Have fun!

 
As a veteran of 15+ cookie exchanges, here is my two cents worth.

We used to have at least 10 or 11 people participating every year. We would bake 10 dozen cookies, with a dozen for each person and one for yourself.

It is not a good idea to actually put the cookies out to eat, because there will be hard feelings.

It was just as easy to bake 10 dozen ad it was 5. Everyone told me what cookie they were going to bring so we didn't have any duplicates. We ended up making "our" cookies every year because people would look forward to them We all had our favorites.
Make sure everyone knows that you want the cookies to be homemade, not purchased. We kicked out people who made mixes or bought cookies. I know it sounds terrible but when you bake 10 dozen cookies, you don't want cookies that were made at Walmart. At least, we didn't.
We packaged them in containers that would protect the cookies; tins, gift bags, Chinese take out boxes, etc.
Our group tended to be partyers, so we learned the hard way that we should do the actual exchange at the beginning of the party.

Here is a list of cookies we made each year:
Melting Moments
Gingersnaps
Scotch Shortbread
Macadamia Nut Cookies (aka Potato Chip Cookies)
Neapolitans
Rum Balls
World's Best Sugar Cookies
Snickerdoodles

Let me know if you would like any of these recipes. I think we are going to start one this year, here in MO.

 
Good point Dawn, ours did not have anyone "taste" each of the cookies either. We sent

our recipe to the hostess, not that she would suggest that there were duplicates, but to send out an email with all the recipes in the event someone wanted to replicate it.

Agree that tasting could cause hard feelings.

 
Oh yeah, another winner! Plus they freeze beautifully... I was afraid they would

Get soft but I tried one frozen cookie each week for a month and they were just like fresh made smileys/smile.gif
Dontcha just love that kind of cookie?!

 
Jam Thumbprints (rolled in coconut) - Ina Garten

*Note: When I first made these, the cookies stuck to the pans like glue. Now I use parchment paper. Also, the coconut burns quickly on top, so the last time I made these, I baked them at 325 F.
(I baked first two sheets at the same time on the two middle oven racks), and baked about 22 - 25 minutes, switching racks halfway through. The last sheet I baked alone on the lower middle oven rack, about 18 minutes).

JAM THUMBPRINTS

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar (I used 2/3 cup)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (I used regular salt)
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
Raspberry and/or apricot jam (I used all fruit-sweetened jam)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (My note: line cookie sheets with parchment paper).
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until just combined, and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. (I divided the dough in half and placed each half onto a piece of plastic wrap, flattened into disks, and covered with extra plastic wrap). Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale, they should each weigh 1-ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet (about 1 1/2 - 2 " apart), and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.

Yield: 32 cookies

Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jam-thumbprint-cookies-recipe/index.html

 
Hazelnut Crisps

These cookies had a great texture - light and crispy. I found them a little bland as written, so I added some orange zest to the last batch, and they were really good. I dropped them by rounded teaspoons, and baked some of them 9-10 minutes and others about 12 minutes.

HAZELNUT CRISPS

From the poster "...I like to use them as accompaniments to custards and ice creams, or as a part of a cookie tray."

INGREDIENTS:

13 ounces granulated sugar
9 ounces unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 ounces flour, all-purpose
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 ounces hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped fine

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your baking sheets with parchment.
Cream sugar & butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix until incorporated.
Sift flour, soda and baking powder. Fold into egg mixture. Fold in nuts.
Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet, leaving space for spreading.
Bake about 8 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

NOTES: Dough freezes well; chill it down, form into logs, wrap and freeze up to 3 months.
Slice and bake.

36 cookies

From Recipezaar

 
Cinnamon Cookies

CINNAMON COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine (I used unsalted butter)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (I used 1 tsp Penzey's Korintje and 1/2 tsp Penzey's China Cassia)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
cinnamon sugar (I mixed 1/4 cup sugar with 4 tsp Penzey's Korintje cinnamon)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a mixer bowl, cream together sugar and butter.
2. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
4. Add to butter mixture. Blend well.
5. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or till firm enough to roll into balls.
6. Shape dough into small balls about 3/4 inch in diameter. (For most batches, I did heaping teaspoons)
7. Roll in cinnamon sugar to coat.
8. Set cookies 1 inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. (I lined cookie sheets with parchment paper, and set cookies about 2 inches apart).
9. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes or till the edges are lightly browned. (I baked about 15-16 minutes, using heaping teaspoon-size cookies). (note: rounded teaspoon-size cookies take about 12-13 minutes).
10. Cool slightly on pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.

48 servings

posted by PetesNina - Recipezaar

http://www.recipezaar.com/48241

 
Have you tried the brownies from "Baked" yet? They're my favorites so far - I've

made them countless times.

 
Sure, here you go:; REC: World's Best Sugar Cookies

This recipe is from my mom, so I would watch them for the baking time. My mom was never very good at recipes. A lot of her recipes say something like "cook until done", so I watch the cooking times pretty carefully. This is a really good sugar cookie.

* Exported from MasterCook *

World's Best Sugar Cookies

Recipe By :Mom/Christy
Serving Size : 100 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Christmas Cookies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

Cream together:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup oil
2 eggs -- beaten slightly
Add:
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Roll into small balls about the size of a walnut. Press onto a cookie sheet with a glass that has been dipped in sugar. You can use colored sugar for the holidays. Bake 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

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