Christmas Cookie Swap

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I recently had the chance to attend my first Christmas cookie exchange. And it was a lot of fun. It was full of delicious treats and lots of laughs. 

Every Christmas I have the good intentions to host an exchange myself, but the season always seems to sneak up on me and I never get to actually planning a cookie swap. Thankfully, this year the planning was done for me and I only had to come up with a recipe, bake a few dozen cookies and write out my recipe on a few cards. I chose to make Pumpkin Snickerdoodles, as I’ve been obsessed with them lately. They are so easy to make and are perfect for the holiday season. Plus, the recipe makes 3 to 4 dozen which is a great quantity to make when prepping for an exchange.

I’ve always been interested in what sort of baking people do at Christmas. I love hearing about people’s holiday traditions; especially in regards to holiday food traditions. Cookie exchanges are the perfect way to learn about timeless classics and discover new favourites; favourites that could one day become traditional treats and brought into one’s annual holiday baking repertoire. I definitely discovered some great new cookies at the recent Christmas cookie exchange.

Since the Christmas season is now upon us and many of you will begin Christmas baking soon, I thought I would share a few of the recipes from the Christmas cookie exchange I attended. Hopefully these recipes will provide some holiday baking inspiration! 

Note: I’ll be providing the recipes for the other cookies I received during the exchange in the coming week. Stay tuned!

Recipe # 1: Chocolate Skor Cookies

Ingredients
  • 1 cup of unsalted butter; at room temperature
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 2/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup of Skor bits (chopped up toffee pieces)
  • 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350’F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder. Make sure all ingredients are combined well.

3. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter/sugar mixture and mix until the dough is completely combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and the Skor bits.

4. Roll the cookie dough into 1 to 2 inch balls and place on an unprepared cookie sheet. Use a fork dipped in white sugar to flatten the cookie slightly.

5. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes.


Recipe # 2: Cranberry Oatmeal White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients
  • 2/3 cup of unsalted butter; at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup of light brown sugar; packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of rolled oats (quick oats)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of dried sweetened cranberries’
  • 2/3 cup of white chocolate chips or chunks

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375’F.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture in several additions; mixing well after each addition. Stir in the dried cranberries and white chocolate.

5. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies.


Recipe # 3: Spicy Raisin Crinkles

Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup of unsalted butter; at room temperature
  • 1 cup of white sugar
  • 1/3 cup of fancy molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup of raisins
  • granulated sugar or coarse sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350’F. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

2. Add molasses and egg. Beat until well blended.

3. Combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix well.

4. Plump the raisins in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain. Stir raisins into the cookie dough mixture.

5. Cover the dough and chill for an hour.

6. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar to coat well.

7. Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly with a fork or the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in water and then dipped in sugar.

8. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until set.

Comments

  1. Tara says

    :D

    I’m so pumped, Courtney! Thanks for doing a feature on my gathering!!! I am honoured!

    On a sidenote for my recipe, I highly recommend coating the cookies in coarse sugar – I’m big on texture and they are yummier that way. I had trouble finding coarse sugar. My grandma says she got hers at Bulk Barn but they didn’t have any when I went. :( I also looked at Superstore and Safeway, and had no luck at either of those places.

    Do you know where I can find coarse sugar?

    Reply

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