Want to get all of your Holiday baking completed in ONE afternoon? How you ask?
You join a COOKIE EXCHANGE!
One of my favourite events of the holiday season is our annual momstown Central Alberta Christmas Cookie Exchange!
Not only do I ONLY to make ONE Large batch of cookies, but I get another 9 DIFFERENT batches of cookies made for me!
Then the best part, besides eating them, is the evening of laughs and comparing of baking and Holiday stories that accompany the exchange.
We all make an extra batch to share on the evening of the exchange as well, so it is an indulgent evening to say the least!
Ours was held last night, and there were SO MANY COOKIES! (That should be a Munch Book!) The kids knew we were hosting the exchange, and they didn't want to go to bed, afraid they would miss out on some of the cookies. I had to promise them that we wouldn't eat them all last night.
Of course there had to be beverages with our Cookies!
Frangelico Hot Chocolate!
Add 1 ounce of Frangelico Liquor to your Hot Chocolate, top with whipped cream and Sprinkles!
YUM!
Here are a few of the Cookie Recipes from the exchange.
Smarties Cookies (Chocolate Chip)
1 Cup margarine
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Cream margarine and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until smooth
2 Cups Flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 Cups Smarties
1/4 Cup cornstarch
1 tsp Baking Soda
Mix Dry Ingredients & smarties together, add to cream mixture, Drop by tsp onto cookie Sheet, Bake at 350 until just turning light brown
Snickerdoodles
1 Cup Shortening
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
2 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Cream of tartar
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Heat oven to 400. Mix Shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and eggs thorough;y. Blend flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt; stir in. Shape dough in 1" balls. Roll in mixture of 2 tsp sugar and cinnamon. Place 2" apart on baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. These cookies puff up then flatten out.
Chocolaty Goodness
Soda Crackers
1 cup Butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
Place parchment paper on cookie sheet. Then line with Soda crackers.
Bring Butter and sugar to a boil for 2 minutes and pour over crackers. Spread evenly. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes
As soon as it comes out sprinkle chocolate chips over and spread around after melted. Place in fridge to cool.
Homemade Thin Mints
Makes 48
1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pure mint extract
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
2/3 cup unsweetened coca powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 ounces bittersweet of semisweet chocolate melted
candy cane pieces
Preheat oven to 350
Place Butter in stand mixer, filled with a paddle attachment ( or use hand mixer) and beat for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add Sugar & Cream together
Add Mint & Vanilla, mix & scrape down the sides of the bowl
In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt. With the mixed on low, begin adding the flour mixture. Add until all flour has been used and the mixture just comes together and forms cookie dough.
Wrap cookie dough into a disc and chill for at least 30 minutes
Very lightly flour a clean surface and roll your dough out until 1/8 inch thick
Cut out 1 1/2 " circles in the dough.
Place cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
Bake cookies for 18-20 minutes or until the cookies have baked through.
Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely.
To Assemble, carefully dip each cookie into the melted chocolate, shaking off any excess and lacing them onto a parchment lines baking sheet. If adding, sprinkle with broken Candy Canes before chocolate has set. Allow thin mints to sit until the chocolate has fully set, about an hour.
Happy Baking!
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