Cookie Swap Recipes from 2010

This was a post from last year.  I'm going to this same swap on December 3rd of this year. Does anyone have the perfect cookie swap recipe for me? I want to blow my friends away with my mad cookie making skills! 

I thought some of you may need some great holiday cookie ideas.  Here's what I've got to share! 

Cookie swaps are so much fun. I went to one last week.  There were 11 of us. We each brought 4 dozen cookies.  There were some for sampling, and then each person took home four of every cookie. What a great way to get a variety of great cookies!  I wanted to share some of these great cookie swap recipes with you, as well as some of my favorite holiday cookie recipes.  You can add these to Jill's and bake away!

The recipe I brought was for Heath Cookies.  These sound plain, are easy to make, and taste incredible!

Heath Brickle Cookies

1 pack Heath brickle (this can be found in a brown bag, near the chocolate chips)
1 1/2 tbsp oil
6 tbsp flour
(mix in bowl and set aside)
1/2 cup butter
6 tbsp. sugar
6 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. soda
1 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour
Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add egg. Blend until smooth. Add everything else, flour last. Fold in Heath crumbles. Bake 375 degrees 10-12 minutes.

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This was a recipe shared by my friend, Linda Hunt.  It's an unusual cookie recipe but mighty tasty.  If you like cheesecake, you'll like these.

Cheese Fingers
2 - 8 oz. pkgs. cream cheese at room temp.
2 pkgs. crescent rolls
1 egg (separated)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar

Grease 9 X 13 pan.  Lay 1 package of crescent rolls in bottom of pan.  Seal perforations with fingers.  Add egg yolk, lemon juice, vanilla & sugar to cream cheese.  Mix for 5 minutes.  Spread over crescent rolls.  Unroll second pacakage of crescent rolls and put on top of cream cheese mixture.  Seal perforations with fingers.  Beat egg white and spread on top of rolls.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Let cool overnight.  Dust with powdered sugar or colorful sugar for the season.

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Justine Tobin, the host of the cookie swap, made these yummy peanut butter balls.  If you're like us and have a house member allergic to peanuts, try substituting almond butter or sunflower butter.

Peanut Butter Krispy Balls

1-18 ounce jar of peanut butter
2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

In a double boiler, over low heat, melt chocolate and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, combine all other ingredients.
Blend well until the mixture forms a dough.
Roll into 1 inch balls.
Using a toothpick or fork, dip the balls into the chocolate until well coated.
Place onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

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Jeanie Collin brought delicious Mexican Wedding Cookies.  She said that it was her favorite as a child.  They are easy and adaptable.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

1 cup of margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 3/4 cup plain sifted flour
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup ground pecans

Cream margarine with sugar. Blend in vanilla, flour, and pecans. Chill. Roll dough into balls. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
When slightly cooled, roll in powdered sugar.

*My daughter's school had an International night this week.  We were supposed to bring an international food item. I made these.  I did make a few adjustments. Instead of margarine, I used butter.  (I think butter is ALWAYS better) I also omitted the pecans.  I was worried that someone may have a nut allergy so I wanted to make sure it was safe for everyone.  To add a little more flavor, I added 1/2 tsp. almond extract.  Yum!  They turned out delicious. They flattened a little so they weren't perfect balls, but they were pretty and I added sifted powdered sugar on top.

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Jamie Newman made Peanut Butter Blossoms. They were absolutely delicious. You could substitute almond butter or sunflower for the peanut butter too.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

48 Hershey Kisses
3/4 cup Reese's Peanut Butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy.  Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually beat in peanut butter mixture.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Roll in granulated sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie. Cookie will crack around the edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Krissy Lyell made Paula Dean's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Paula Dean's Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar for dusting
1-18 ounce box moist chocolate cake mix
1-8 ounce brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
1 stick of butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Beat in the egg.  Then beat in the vanilla extract.  Beat in the cake mix.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls.  Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake12 minutes.  The cookies will remain soft and gooey.  Coll completely and sprinkle with more powdered sugar.

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These were my favorite cookies at the swap.  They are called Seven-Layer Cookie Bars. Kathy Gosman brought them.  They are rich and DELICIOUS.  So many yummy flavors all in one cookie.

Seven-Layer Cookie Bars

3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1-12 ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1-12 ounce package milk chocolate chips
1-12 ounce package butterscotch chips
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
2-14 ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt butter.  Spray sides of 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.  Pour butter into pan. Sprinkle crumbs evenly on butter, then pat them down to even out.  Sprinkle semisweet, milk chocolate, and butterscotch chips evenly over crumbs.  Sprinkle with coconut, then nuts.  Pour milk over layers. Bake25 to 35 minutes or until mixture bubbles and browns on top.  Let cool on a rack; cut into squares.

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Here's another great peanut butter and chocolate cookie from our friend and follower, Elizabeth Garbin.

Recipe: Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
From the kitchen of: Elizabeth Garbin

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup mini real semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons sugar
35 milk chocolate candy kisses

-Heat oven to 350.  Line 13x9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, extending foil over pan edges.  Set aside.
Combine brown sugar, margarine, and peanut butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed.  Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  Beat until well mixed.  Stir in chocolate chips.
Pat dough into prepared pan. Sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown.  Immediately press evenly spaced chocolate candies into warm bars. Cool completely.
Remove bars from pan using edges of foil.  Cut into bars, cutting between candies.
Yield 35 bars

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 These cookies were so different and so good.

Recipe: Rolo Cookies
From the Kitchen of: Marianne Martin

2 ½ cups All Purpose flour                                              

2 eggs
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa                                                

1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon baking soda                                                    

48 Rolos, unwrapped (9 oz pkg)
1 cup sugar                                                                        

1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
Heat oven to 375°.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.  In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking; blend well.
In large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, brown sugar and butter until light an fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs; beat well.  Add flour mixture; blend well.  Stir in ½ cup of the pecans.  For each cookie, with floured hand, shape about 1 tablespoon dough around 1 Rolo, covering completely.
In small bowl, combine remaining ½ cup pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar.  Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture.  Place, nut side up, 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 375°F. for 7-10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked.  Cook 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets.  Cool completely on wire rack.
Makes 4 dozen cookies.

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Recipe: Italian Christmas Cookies
From the Kitchen of: Candace White

Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 carton (15oz) ricotta cheese
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, soft
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons milk
colored sprinkles

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in ricotta and vanilla.  Combine flour, salt, and baking soda.  Gradually add to creamed mixture.  Drop by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  In a large bowl cream butter, sugar, and vanilla.  Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency.  Frost cooled cookies and immediately decorate with sprinkles. Store in fridge.

*Oops... I didn't store these in the fridge.  They actually got better the longer I had them (a week).