Holiday Break - Cookie Exchange!

Friday December 12th from 4pm to 6ish. Plan on having dinner at home after the exchange. Check your email for directions to my house.

Results are in and the consensus is that we each bring TWO DOZEN cookies to exchange. Haul out the holly and get baking! Let's sign up for what type of cookie we are bringing so we don't have 300 gingerbread men. First-come-first-serve for picking the type, just add your name and cookie to the list here:

Rachel: Big Soft Ginger (BSG) Cookies (recipe here)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup demerara or other raw sugar

Sift the dry ingredients together. Cream the butter and white sugar in a second bowl. Add the egg, water, and molasses. Stir in the dry bowl slowly. Roll into walnut sized balls and toss them in the raw sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8 minutes, until they are puffed and cracked.

Sarah: Chocolate Mint brownies

OK, big confession. The brownies were Betty Crocker and so was the Frosting. Chocolate Fudge to be exact. But the mint frosting was from scratch. Supposedly it's from the kitchen of the infamous "BYU mint brownies". Here it goes. This is for one pan of brownies.

5 T margarine ( I used butter)
Dash of salt
3T Milk

1T light corn syrup

2 1/3 C pwdr sugar

1/ t mint extract

1-2 drops green food coloring

Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, pwdr sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint and food coloring. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting. Spread mint icing over cooled brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a short time to stiffen the icing. Remove from the freezer and carefully cover with a layer of chocolate icing. Enjoy!

Miranda: Brown Butter Sugar Cookies

14 T Unsalted butter (that's right 14...not 1/4)

1/4 C Granulated sugar

2 C Packed dark brown sugar

2 C Unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 T.

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t baking powder

1/2 t table salt

1 lg. egg

1 lg. egg yolk

1 T vanilla extract.

1. Heat 10 T butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 min. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 min. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 T butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 min.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets w/ parchment paper. In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 C packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add remaining 1 3/4 C brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl w/ rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 min. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pocket remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 T., rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet.

5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone) 12-14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

via: America's Test Kitchen

Christy: Chocolate Cookies with white chocolate chips

2 1/4 c all purpose flour
2/3 c baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c butter or margarine (I used 1/2 c margarine and 1/2 c vegetable shortening)
3/4 c granulated sugar
2/3 c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 c white chocolate chips (I used about a 1 c)

preheat oven to 350
combine flour, cocoa, soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips, drop by well rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9-11 minutes or until centers are set, cool on baking sheet for two minutes and then cool completely on wire racks. (I made them bigger than a rounded teaspoon, and I flattened all the cookies slightly so they were all the same thickness. I cooked them for closer to 8-9 minutes, until they looked nearly but not quiet done and had cracks in them. I then let them cool for about 4 minutes on the baking sheet before removing, this allows them to finish baking but not over bake)

Amanda: M&M/Pecan/Chocolate Chip cookies

1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Semisweet chocolate chips
M&Ms
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Sugar and kosher salt for sprinkling

1. In a bowl stir together flour, baking soda, and salt to combine thoroughly; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325. Mix butter and sugars; beat until fluffy and well balanced. Beat in egg. Add vanilla and mix well.
3. Gradually add flour mixture with flour sifter until just blended. Stir in goodies.
4. If possible, let sit in refrigerator for a while.
5. Drop onto cookie sheets and bake until done (about 14 minutes).
6. As soon as they're out of the oven, sprinkle them with a mixture of sugar and kosher salt.
7. Enjoy!

Nicki: Peppermint white chocolate cookies

Diana: Chocolate Swirls

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (3-ounce) package of cream cheese
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C).
In large mixing bowl, combine sugars, butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms. Fold melted chips into dough until lightly marbled. (Do not over mix.)
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2-inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely before storing.

Serin: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

April:

Tracy:

Neve:

Nutella Puppy Chow

1 c nutella

1 c peanut butter chips

1/2 stick butter

1 pound powdered sugar

8 c chex cereal (rice or corn)

1 large paper bag

In sauce pot melt nutella, peanut butter chips and butter until smooth. Mixture should be honey thick. Add more butter 1 tbsp at a time if needed. Put cereal in large mixing bowl and pour nutella mixture over cereal. Mix with rubber spatula until evenly distributed.

Put mixture into paper bag and add 1/4 pound of powdered sugar. Fold bag tightly and SHAKE. Add powdered sugar until all of the mixture is coated.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: This is a made up recipe so the amounts may vary (as well as results)