It is cookie swap time!
This is the cookie recipe that I whipped up for this year’s Food Blogger Cookie Swap. I hope all my secret cookie matches enjoyed eating them as much as I enjoyed making them.
I have just begun to realize that cookies are a big thing this time of year. I mean, I always knew growing up that the holidays meant getting in the kitchen with my three siblings and producing cookies at the same volume as the Keebler Elves. We might have even put those elves to shame.
Making cookies generates such wonderful memories and it always brings me back to my childhood. Each of us were known for our unique cookie contribution. My older brother ate the cookie dough just to make sure it was just right despite our frequent warnings of salmonella, my sister was the artist so she made sure each cookie was beautiful and delicious, my younger brother was only present when there was chocolate involved. As a team we were marvelous. One year we decided to take the bits and pieces of remaining dough and make a monster hybrid cookie. I can’t say that was the best idea we ever had but it certainly entertained us.
Even as we got older and went off to college and life we always discussed our cookie baking agenda before coming home for the holidays. There have been years where there would be a look of disappointment on my face if I came home and discovered that my mom had already baked a batch or two without us. Just to make sure it felt like Christmas I would still make a batch.
We even leave a plate for Santa even though we are all adults and clearly know the truth about Santa (that he is trying to cut back on his sweet intake, duh!). There is something about cookies that brings out all that is good and innocent about this time of year.
I guess when you think about it, it is no wonder that everyone else wants to talk about cookies too. I imagine there are so many stories just like mine out there. So many family memories that feature the same cast of characters.
When selecting a cookie recipe for this year’s swap I knew I had to go with a family recipe. I had to challenge myself a little and make a recipe that I had never made before. The original recipe comes from Grandma’s Hollymead collection and I had to make some tweaks. The first tweak was coming up with a name since the original recipe has them called “Aunt Fanny’s Cookies” and as far as anyone knows there wasn’t an Aunt Fanny in our family…also it’s not a very descriptive name for cookies. The other tweak was adding the Cranberries to the mix. I wanted to give the cookies a little bit of Christmas flair and knew that a touch of red would do the trick. I also have a thing for cranberries and oats in a cookie, I was like this close to adding white chocolate chips but had to exercise some restraint.
I want to say a big Thank You to the bloggers that sent me delicious cookies. I ate most of them before remembering to take pictures so you’ll just have to visit their blog to see what yummy things they came up with.
Chocolate Orange Shortbread Cookies – Have Fork Will Eat
Lemon Sugar Cookies – Maria of the Best
Walnut Bars – Blonde Ambition
Cranberry, Coconut, Oatmeal Crunch Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Margarine or Butter
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Tsp. Almond Extract
- 1/2 Tsp. Salt
- 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
- 2 Cups Flour
- 2 Cups Oats
- 2 Cups Rice Crispies
- 1 Cup Toasted Coconut
- 1 Cup Dried Cranberries
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350. Cream margarine/butter, both sugars and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add all other remaining ingredients and mix well but be careful not to overwork the batter. Drop be teaspoonful on a greased or non-stick cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until the cookies start to turn golden.
Instructions for Toasting Coconut
- To toast your coconut preheat your oven to 375. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper and sprinkle the shredded coconut in an even layer. Allow the coconut to bake in the oven until it starts to turn brown. Remove and cool before adding to the cookie mixture.
Sounds yummy! I bet this would taste even better with some dark chocolate chips!
Pingback: The 2013 Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap Round Up Part 2 | the little kitchen