The Cookie Exchange Party was yesterday and I think everyone had a good time. If nothing else, everyone left my house on a mean sugar high. Since I always try to do too much as a hostess we ended the party with me taking no photos. Thankfully, I had a giant tray of cookies to snap a few shots of and Erin sent us her photos too. Hopefully Mandy got someone more good ones that I will post later. Also, I've still got a few recipes to type in but I'll have to update them tomorrow.
These are my iced sugar cookies. I love this recipe. It's the same one I used for the baby shower cookies. Really the only difference is that I decorated these with different sprinkles and colored sugars.
Here are a few shots of my cookie tray after the party. This tray is after making 2 other trays to take to the nurses at my doctors office and to send with Tim to work. I hate that I didn't take a picture before I gave some away just to remind me next year that 7 dozen cookies is way too much. =)
There were so many yummy cookies that I didn't get to get pictures of. Jamie's Candy Cane cookies won the "Most Unique Cookie" prize and Mary won yummiest cookie. I didn't manage to get a picture of hers but they were delicious. Chocolate Cookies with Mint Buttercream icing and Andes Mint Sprinkles on top... YUM!
Here are a few of the recipes that made for appetizers for the party. I believe the recipe for the Spinach Balls is already up on my blog so I will only post the Peppermint Eggnog Punch & the Hot Mexican Spinach Dip.
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PEPPERMINT EGGNOG PUNCH
1 quart peppermint ice cream
1 quart eggnog (I used Fat-Free)
4 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles ginger ale, chilled
1 cup rum (optional)
24 small peppermint candy canes for garnish
Stir ice cream until softened. Gradually stir in eggnog and rum. Transfer to a punch bowl, and stir in ginger ale. Hang candy canes around the edge of the punchbowl. Serve immediately.
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HOT MEXICAN SPINACH DIP
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa (hot)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 small block Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 small block Pepper-Jack cheese, shredded
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, diced and softened
1 can evaporated milk
1 (2.25 ounce) can chopped black olives, drained
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a medium baking dish, mix together salsa, chopped spinach, Monterey Jack cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, cream cheese, evaporated milk, black olives, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Bake mixture in the preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes, or until bubbly. Serve with Wheat Thins, Triscuits, Fritos or any kind of chips.
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This is Heather. She's my other pregnant friend... due January 14th. She's who the baby shower was for last week. She's having a little boy too. =) She & Marc made biscotti that was absolutely fabulous and really pretty too. You can see it in the picture above. Here is the recipe for both varieties that they made.
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CINNAMON HAZELNUT BISCOTTI
1 Cup White Sugar
¾ Cup of Butter
2 Large Eggs
¾ Tsp. Vanilla
¾ Tsp. Hazelnut Liqueur (Frangelico)
2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
1 ½ Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1 Cup of Chopped Hazelnuts (we used Almonds)
Pinch of Salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; mix into the egg mixture. Stir in the hazelnuts.
Shape dough into two equal logs approximately 12 inches long. Place logs on baking sheet, and flatten out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
Bake for about 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden and the center is firm. Remove from oven to cool on the pans. When loaves are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to slice the loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet.
Bake for an additional 15 minutes, turning over once. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature. Makes about 20 Biscotti.
Chocolate Dipping:
Melt your favorite chocolate in a double boiler (we used dark chocolate Hershey Kisses) Dip each Biscotti into the chocolate and place on parchment paper, chocolate side up. Decorate with white chocolate drizzles or your favorite decorations.
CHERRY VANILLA BISCOTTI
1 Cup White Sugar
¾ Cup of Butter
2 Large Eggs
1 Tbsp. Grated Lemon Peel
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Cup Chopped Dried Cherries
1 ½ Tsp. Vanilla
2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour
1 ½ Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Cup of Chopped Almonds
Pinch of Salt
Follow baking instructions above. Add Cherries and Lemon Peel with Nuts.
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These are the Jamies - Jami Rudinger (left) who made Eggnog Spritz & Jamie Daughdrill (right) who made Candy Cane Cookies. Jamie D took the prize for Most Unique Cookie and for snagging the most bells in our "NO cookies Game".
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EGGNOG SPRITZ
2/3 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp water
1/4 tsp rum extract
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine first 6 ingredients. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed until well mixed. If dough is too soft, chill until firm enough to form cookies. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. For glaze, in a small bowl stir together glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle or pipe over warm cookies. Makes 5 dozen.
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CANDY CANE COOKIES
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring OR 3/4 teaspoon peppermint flavoring
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
1/2 cup white sugar
Mix butter sugar, egg, and flavorings thoroughly. Add flour and salt, Mix well. Shape dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap; chill for at least 2 hours or until easy to handle. Roll into 4 inch strips; place on baking sheet. Curve top down to form handle or cane. Bake 9 minutes @ 375 degrees. I sprinkled each cookie with sugar & candy before baking. After they cool you can also paint them; mix some sugar & candy with a little water until dissolved then brush over cooled cookies. While still warm, remove from pan and sprinkle with candy and sugar mixture.
Dough may be divided in half and colored with 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring if desired. Roll each color into strips, place side by side, press together lightly and twist like a rope.
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This is Leslie Dye & Erin Custer. Leslie, Mary & me scrapbook together on occasion. Leslie made Snickerdoodles (one of my favorites) and Erin made Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Cookies & Peanut Butter Cookies. Ladies, they were all wonderful!
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SNICKERDOODLES
2 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. fine salt
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 Cup Sugar, plus 3 Tbsp
2 large Eggs
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350.
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
With a hand held or stand mixer, beat together the shortening and butter. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.
Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough by hand into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Flatten into 1/2 inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on unlined cookie sheets. Bake until light brown, but still moist in center, about 12 minutes. Cool on rack.
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CRANBERRY ORANGE OATMEAL
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons orange zest
1 tablespoon orange extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
Preheat oven to 350. Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, then add zests, extracts and milk. In separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in oats and add butter mixture. Mix well. Fold in cranberries. Drop by tablespoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets & bake 10-12 minutes.
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PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
1/2 cups dried cranberries
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter and peanut butter with mixer on high for 30 seconds. Add sugars, baking soda and baking powder. Beat until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour. If necessary, cover and chill until easy to handle. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten by making criss cross marks with a fork. Bake for 7-9 minutes.
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This is our group photo. It turned out great Erin! I'm glad you know how to do this b/c i would have had no idea with my camera.
Mandy made some wonderful Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies. Cathy made Hazelnut Rum Chocolate Chip Cookies, Jessica made Super S'Mores Crisps & Butterscotch Marble Blondie Drops and Myrna made Coconut Macaroons. Hopefully Mandy will have some pictures of all these gals. =)
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PEANUT BUTTER KISS COOKIES
½ cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
Unwrapped kisses, unwrapped and chilled
Preheat oven to 350.
With Electric mixer, beat peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add brown sugar; beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in dry ingredients in two batches.
Using 1 level tablespoon dough per cookie, roll into balls. Place granulated sugar on a plate; roll each ball in sugar, coating completely. Place on prepared baking sheets.
Bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Press 1 kiss in center of each cookie. Return to oven; continue baking about 3 to 6 minutes more. Let cool before transferring.
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HAZELNUT RUM CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, chopped
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1. Grease cookie sheets, and preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in rum, egg, and yolk.
3. Combine flour with baking soda and salt and stir into butter mixture.
4. Stir in hazelnuts and chocolate chips.
5. Drop batter from teaspoon into prepared pans.
6. Bake about 12-15 minutes, until risen and set.
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SUPER S'MORE CRISPS
¾ cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup unbleached flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ cups (about 8 1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1½ cups miniature marshmallows
Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
MAKE THE COOKIES.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until smoothly blended, about one minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until blended, about one minute. On low speed, mix in the graham cracker crumbs, flour and salt until soft dough forms that comes away from the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips and marshmallows.
Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup with a quarter cup capacity, scoop portions of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, placing them four inches apart. Flatten each cookie slightly, to about ¾ inch thick.
Bake one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and the marshmallows near the edges of the cookies have melted and become clear and caramelized, about 15 minutes. (Some of the marshmallows in the center will remain white.) Cool the cookies for five minutes on the baking sheet, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
Use a small spoon and drizzle the chocolate coating over the cooled cookies. Leave the cookies at room temperature until chocolate is firm, about one hour. Or refrigerate the cookies for about 15 minutes.
CHOCOLATE COATING:
6 ounces (generous 1 cup) milk chocolate chips or milk chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp canola or corn oil
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE COATING.
Heat the milk chocolate and oil in a heatproof container or the top of a double boiler and place it over but not touching a saucepan with barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and let cool and thicken slightly for 10-20 minutes.
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BUTTERSCOTCH MARBLE BLONDIE DROPS
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Position the rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Put the chocolate in a heatproof container or the top of a double boiler and place it over but not touching a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Remove from the water and set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, heat the butter, brown sugar and vanilla until smoothly blended, about one minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. Add the egg and mix until blended, about one minute. On low speed, add the flour mixture, mixing just until it is incorporated.
Drop heaping tablespoons (about 3 level tablespoons each) of dough three inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle about ½ teaspoon of the melted chocolate over the top of each cookie. Using a small, sharp knife, gently swirl the chocolate once or twice through the cookie to marbleize it.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time, until the tops feel soft but set and the edges are lightly browned, about 11 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then use a wide metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely
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COCONUT MACAROONS
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This is Dana Pearson & Mary Dunford. Dana and her husband Bryan were one of the first couples that Tim and I met when we came to First Methodist. We went to our first social at their house and we've never looked back. They live in the Woodlands now but we all were so happy to get to see Dana =)! Mary of course is my other crafty friend that is always trying to pretend she's not crafty. I'm dying to see your new scrapbook supplies Mary!!!
Dana made Scotchies and Mary made Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies and Spritz Cookies.
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SCOTCHIES (recipe to come later)
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MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened (or shortening)
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pkg mint chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat well.
Stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda. gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 9 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Creme de Menthe
1/2 cup butter
Cream together. Ice cookies and sprinkle with chopped Andes Mints.
Refrigerate if iced with the buttercream icing.
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SPRITZ COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened (or shortening)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp lemon or almond extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Cream butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add egg and extract. Mix Flour, salt & baking powder. Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Add food coloring then press in cookie press. Bake on 400 for 6-7 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet.
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Also, Angela wasn't able to make the party but here is her favorite cookie recipe:
OLD FASHIONED TEA CAKES
(Berveiler, a recipe handed down from my Great Aunt Jean)
1 ½ cup sugar
3 sticks butter at room temperature
3 eggs (room temperature)
2 Tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
Pinch of salt
Put 3 ½ to 4 cups of flour in a bowl and make a hole in the flour and put everything in the bowl and mix. (lightly knead dough and add flour, as needed so dough won’t be too sticky to roll out).
Roll out onto floured surface and cut with festive cookie cutters, or use cookie press.
Bake at 375o Check after 6 to 8 minutes, they’re best slightly under done.
**Recommend icing cookies with a thin layer of buttercream icing. You can color the icing any color to match the holiday. You may want to add sprinkles to the cookies, as well, sprinkles are good with (or without) icing!
**This is a FUN recipe to make with kids! My sister and I used to look forward to watching Christmas specials on TV and making these with my Mom each year. It’s one of my favorite Christmas tastes and smells! Enjoy!
Feta, Sundried Tomato & Pesto Dip
I've got lots of craftiness going on too. I made all of my christmas presents. Here is a little pair of jeans that I did for my niece. I'm glad they are too small for me b/c I think I would want to keep them. Aren't they super cool! I used some Michael Miller Quilt Block fabric to make them. I think they rock.
