Tag Archives: Cookies

The Great Cookie Exchange

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Who doesn’t like Christmas cookies? (If you don’t, then you’re definitely not going to like this post.) One of my favourite things to do around this time of year is to give out baked goodies to everyone I know. Years and years ago I even used to do annual cookie exchanges with my friends.

You’ve done one of those before, right? Each party guest is assigned the task of bringing enough cookies for each party guest to take home (half to one dozen is a good amount) so everyone ends up with a variety of treats to serve at Christmas time. (That is, if they can last until then.)

Here’s some of what I learned from my past experiences:

  • Do try and circulate a list to get a sense of what everyone is bringing so you don’t get any repeats.
  • Don’t micromanage what every single person is going to make. The fun of it is having something unique from everyone, based on their background, their family traditions and their own personal preferences.
  • Do make sure you double-check for any dietary restrictions or allergies.
  • But if you do end up making a recipe someone can’t eat, don’t forget to bring them an alternative instead. (Like the gluten-free biscotti I made for my friend Andi here.)
  • Do pre-package your cookies for each guest to make life easier for you, your guests, and to protect against any contamination.
  • Don’t overdo it. No one likes a show-off at a cookie exchange (unless you’re showing off how many cookies you can eat).
  • Do make sure to bring along a copy of the recipe just in case any one wants to try it out for themselves. (The only exception is if it’s a super-top secret family recipe.)
  • Don’t take it personally if someone declines your cookies! It’s probably got more to do with their personal tastes than it does your baking.

As for baking inspiration? Well around this blog, we’ve got plenty. In my last post I talked about all the Christmas cookies that I usually make every year, but the recipes found here and here are also great to make as take-alongs. I even participated in an online cookie exchange once. I’ve also been amassing a list of recipes that I’d like to try here on Pinterest.

What are you making for Christmas this year? Are you and your friends holding a cookie exchange? Let us know all the details by commenting below or emailing me at keepingbusyb@gmail.com

And hey, I realize I am not the only baking blogger on the blog. If you’ve got some great recipes you’re sharing on your blog for Christmas (or any other holiday) leave a comment below with the name of your blog and the link to your favourite recipe.

Can’t wait to see what you guys have been baking!

Holiday celebrations can be fun, but only if you can ensure that things go smoothly. While there are never any guarantees when it comes to social gatherings, there are still plenty of ways to get your holiday game on. Click here to read more of them, or click here or here to read about some of the other best practices I’ve been trying to put into my place in my life.

Do you have any tips on how to survive the holidays? Save us by commenting below or email your suggestions to keepingbusyb@gmail.com

Baking with B: Chocolate Spice Cookies

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Do you ever get tired of making the same thing, over and over again? (I used to feel that way about birthday cakes.) I was searching for something to serve during a recent family visit and none of my old standards were really grabbing me. Trying something new didn’t really appeal to me either- I didn’t have the time or energy for experimenting.

I was beginning to feel discouraged until I thought- hey, why reinvent the wheel? You know a lot of great classic recipes, B. Why not spice one up so you can have the best of both worlds?

I took my own advice. Literally. I whipped together the ingredients for my favorite butter cookie recipe (also featured here) and turned things up a notch. I’m pretty pleased with the results, too- these Chocolate Spice Cookies melt in your mouth just like a butter cookie, but taste like a gingersnap, with an extra splash of chocolate to keep things sweet.

Chocolate Spice Cookies (makes 28)

3/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips, melted

Cream together butter and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, sift together spices and flour and mix with wet ingredients, adding one spoonful at a time until ingredients are fully combined. Divide the dough and shape into two flat discs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F. Remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap. Use your hands to shape dough into desired shape, before placing on a parchment-lined cookie sheet approximately one inch apart. Press down each cookie with a fork before baking 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cookie rack until fully cooled.

Melt chocolate in a double-broiler or microwave until smooth. Dip each cookie halfway into the chocolate before placing on waxed paper. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

B’s Tip: Just because I used chocolate chips doesn’t mean you can’t use your favorite baking chocolate or chocolate bar to make the melted chocolate! You may want to drizzle the chocolate over the cookies instead, or skip that step altogether and throw your chocolate chips into the dough before baking.

The best thing about making over a classic recipe like this is that the variations don’t have to stop there- you can change up the chocolate, switch out the spices, or add nuts or your favorite dried fruit for even more flavor. Your cookies don’t even have to be the same shape- I tried molding mine into logs before squashing with a giant serving fork, instead of the usual circular cookies I make. See? Spicing up your old routine can be addictive. I highly suggest you try it too. You never know what you might come up with!

Happy baking!

B

Baking with B appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Butterscotch Confetti

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This recipe is probably one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made on my blog, and definitely one of the prettiest. I’m not always a fan of butterscotch chips- sometimes I find them just way too sweet- but when you throw in salty peanut butter and fluffy marshmallows the result ends up sleek and smooth, and melts in your mouth. The only challenging part of this recipe is going to be preventing yourself from eating all of these babies before the holidays arrive.

Butterscotch Confetti (makes 36)

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 c. butterscotch chips

8 oz. small colored marshmallows

Melt butter and peanut butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in chips until melted. Cool until you can hold your hand on bottom of pot. To speed process, stir while holding pan in cold water until cool enough. Add marshmallows and stir until all are coated. If you like, add 1/2 c. chopped walnuts and/or 1/2 c. medium coconut to mix things up and add a little bit of bite. Pack down in a 9×9-inch pan that has been lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for up to two weeks in an airtight container.

B’s Tip: The original recipe calls for a 9×9-pan but you may want to experiment with different sizes and shapes of pans to create a shape that works best for you. Honestly? I would have preferred a thicker square and may try using an 8×8-inch pan next time.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. This is the last post in this year’s series, but for more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Pineapple Log

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Sometimes you don’t know how a recipe turns out and you just have to go for it. Vanilla, pineapple and cream cheese don’t necessarily sound like the most appealing flavors individually, but when they come together in this chewy little number the result tastes like piña colada-flavored fudge. It’s more sweet than fruity, and you can’t taste the cream cheese at all.

Just because a recipe turns out surprisingly good doesn’t mean it’s also surprisingly easy. Sometimes these no-bake recipes require following instructions to the letter, so here’s a few words from the wise:

  • Do make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before even attempting to beat. You may want to try breaking it up in cubes first to make your life easier, or even better, use a beater with a paddle attachment to make the cream cheese light and fluffy.
  • Don’t buy vanilla wafers thinking you can make your own vanilla wafer crumbs as easily as you can with graham crackers. They’re tough to crumble on their own without a food processor, and the recipe requires the crumbs be superfine for the best blending.
  • Do drain the pineapple within an inch of its life. The recipe does not require the extra moisture and adding too much icing sugar to compensate can turn these cookies very sweet, very quickly.
  • Don’t cut your marshmallows without a glass of cold water by your side for rinsing off your scissors. The marshmallows will get sticky and end up gumming up the blades of your scissors when you cut them. (Maybe some brave soul will attempt this recipe with marshmallow fluff and let me know what they think?)

Try this recipe if you dare- and if you want a little taste of the tropical this holiday season, I definitely think it’s worth the risk!

Pineapple Log (makes approximately 48 slices)

4 oz. cream cheese

2 1/2 c. icing sugar

1 c. vanilla wafer crumbs

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c. crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 c. tiny colored marshmallows, cut into quarters (use scissors)

shredded coconut

Beat cheese until smooth. Add sugar, crumbs, salt and pineapple. After mixing together well, if this seems very soft, work more crumbs or icing sugar into the batter keeping in mind that it won’t get much firmer when chilled. The amount extra that you will need depends on how well you drained the pineapple. Now mix in the marshmallows. Shape into log and roll in shredded coconut. Chill. Slice to serve.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Date Pecan Bars

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One of the worst things you can ask a baker to do is to make a recipe and then leave it alone, but trust me when I say that leaving these bars for a couple of days and giving them some space just might be the best thing you can do for them. The flavor soaks into everything, the topping solidifies and the result is a rich, nutty bar that I literally could not stop eating. (That is, of course, once I gave myself the chance.)

Date Pecan Bars (makes 36)

1 c. dates, chopped

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. butter or margarine

3/4 c. boiling water

1/4 c. dark rum (or 2 tsp., 10 mL rum flavoring plus 1/4 c. water)

1 egg

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Place dates in large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with baking soda and stir a bit to distribute. Add butter and boiling water. Continue to stir until butter has melted. Add rum, stir and set aside.

In small bowl beat egg, sugar and vanilla together well. Pour into date mixture. Measure in flour and baking powder. Stir well. Spread in greased 9×9-inch pan. Bake in 350F oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and spread with topping. Return to oven.

Topping:

1 c. brown sugar, packed

3 tbsp. butter or margarine

3 tbsp cream

1 c. chopped pecans

Crumble all ingredients together in bowl. As soon as you take squares out of the oven, spread over the top and return to oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool. Cover with tight plastic or foil and put on an out of the way shelf in your cupboard so it can mellow out for a day or two.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Chocolate Roll

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Take it from me- there is no way that you can mess this recipe up. It feels like taking everything that tastes sweet and good in your pantry and throwing it all into one fudgey slice of a cookie. The sheer amount of stuff in it makes it tricky to roll-putting it together just feels like throwing lumps of dough onto a pan- but once you’ve molded it into a nice shape, it looks pretty no matter what. I bet this would be a blast to make with kids.

Chocolate Roll (makes approximately 24 slices)

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg, beaten

1 c. icing sugar

1 1/2 c. small colored marshmallows

1/2 c. maraschino cherries, well-drained and quartered

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

coconut for topping

Melt chips and butter in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Add beaten egg, icing sugar, marshmallows, cherries and walnuts. Stir to mix. Cool if very warm. Form mixture into a roll. Sprinkle some coconut over countertop, in space big enough to move around to coat with coconut. Wrap in either wax paper or plastic wrap. Chill well before attempting to slice. Slice thinly with clean, sharp knife.

B’s Tip: I ended up using glaçe cherries instead of maraschino cherries and they ended up working just as well because of their ooey-gooey sweetness.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Midnight Mints

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Someone just told me that Nanaimo Bars are a Canadian thing (supposedly they were originally named for the place where they were invented- Nanaimo, B.C.). Am I a bad baker for not knowing this? Or a bad Canadian? Is this actually true? (Someone on the Internets please confirm. I’m dying to know.)

I’ve also read that Nanaimo Bars may also be called Millionaire Bars in the U.K. Is this also true? Are they the same thing?

No matter. I’ve always loved nanaimo bars and I love this minty version even more, especially because it was the one my mom used to make for the holidays when I was younger. Chocolate and mint is definitely a winning combination, which is why these bars win the award for baked goods that flew out of my house the fastest. (Thank goodness for hungry neighbors! They were gone in less than an hour.)

It sparked an interesting conversation among a few of us in the building on which families grew up eating the minty kind, and which families veered towards the more traditional recipe. I think both taste great, but you be the judge. Obviously, in this case, I’m very biased.

Midnight Mints (makes 36)

Bottom Layer

1/2 c. butter or margarine

1/4 c. granulated sugar

5 tbsp cocoa

1 egg, beaten

1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

3/4 c. fine coconut

 

Middle Layer

1/3 c. butter or margarine

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp peppermint flavoring

2 c icing sugar

green food coloring

 

Top Layer

2/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

 

To make the bottom layer, combine butter, sugar and cocoa in saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil. Stir in egg to thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Pack very firmly into greased 9×9-inch pan.

To make the middle layer, combine butter, milk, flavoring and icing sugar in bowl. Beat together well. Tint a pretty green. Spread over first layer.

To make the top layer, melt chocolate chips and butter in saucepan over low heat or hot water. Spread over second layer. Chill and store covered in refrigerator. This will keep well and will also freeze well. Cut into squares.

B’s Tip: These bars keep up to a week in the fridge but are probably best eaten within 2-3 days (if there’s any leftover!)

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

C is for Cookie

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Cookies don’t last long at my place, and I hear it’s a problem in other households as well. It’s easy to see why they’re so popular- cookies are so small and inoffensive that it’s easy to fool yourself into thinking that you’re just going to have one. The next thing you know, you’ve eaten half a dozen (and that’s just for breakfast!).

Tell me I’m not the only one that’s done that. Please.

So you understand now why it was pure torture for me participating in this week’s bake-off hosted by Sweet Spell. (Wanna see what we did last week? Click here for some outta-this-world cakes.) It was hard enough picking a recipe from my archive and the other contributions are all so delicious that the thought of them all in one place is enough to turn me into a blue, fuzzy monster. (We all know which one I’m talking about.)

Call me old-fashioned, but these Classic Oatmeal Cookies are still one of my go-to comfort foods, which is why I contributed it to our collection. Here’s what some of the other cookie monsters have been up to: (clockwise from top left)

These Shortbread Flower Cookies from I Want to Be a Cook are almost too pretty to eat, but you guys know that I love anything involving flowers.

Chiara’s Cream Cookie recipe over at Chiara’s Baking sounds so light and simple that I’m actually thinking about baking them this afternoon.

If you’re all about that chocolate, Natalie’s recipe for Triple Chocolate Cookies on her blog, Natalie Autumn, will satisfy your need. The peanut butter chips just make the whole thing!

I’m all sorts of jealous about Sweet Spell’s wicked baking skills especially when it comes to these Chocolate Shell Butter Cookies. My attempts at piped cookies have been nowhere near as good.

Pumpkin Pie and Me contributed a recipe for Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies that sounds ooey-gooey-good. Plus it’s just in time for Halloween!

If you’re in the mood for something completely different, Foodie on Board’s Olive, Rosemary and Parmesan Sablés sound like the perfect savory cookie to show off at your next gathering. I bet they’d also make great gifts.

Oh hey! There’s my Oatmeal Cookies again…how did those get in there?

Last but not least, The Recipe Hunter shared her tried, tested and true recipe for Chocolate Cookies. Yes, those are chocolates melted on top of the cookies. Yes, I’m already thinking of ways to use up leftover Halloween candy. (Who am I kidding? There’s never any leftover Halloween candy.)

 

Many thanks to Sweet Spell for once again rounding up a great collection of recipes (and great bloggers!) It’s a great way to make new blogging friends, so if you’d like to participate in a future link-up party give me a shout at keepingbusyb@gmail.com. I always love to hear from and/or drool over your baking pictures!

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Original baking party post found here. For our cake round-up, click here. My column Baking with B usually appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. I hope you’ll join me for the next one!

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

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There used to be this coffee shop down the street from my apartment that used to have not only amazing gelato and lattés, it also had one of my favourite treats ever. For a not-quite-vegan like myself, I was shocked to learn that these babies have no dairy in them whatsoever.

Chocolate crinkle cookies: great around Christmas time, great around any time. They look crunchy because of the way the broken cookie crust outer layer, but the inside is moist and dense and chewy and oh-so-good. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off of my screen.

Buying all these cookies was becoming kind of a problem for me, so I did some searching until I found this recipe from clockworklemon.com. They’re the closest I’ve come to finding a recipe that matched the ones they make in the café so now I can make them at home just to make things a little easier on my wallet.

Vegan-Friendly Chocolate Crinkle Cookies (makes approximately 24 cookies)

3/4 c. sugar

1/3 c. vegetable oil

2 tbsp corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 c. soy milk

1 tbsp ground flax seeds

powdered sugar and granulated sugar

4 oz (about 1/2 a cup) semisweet chocolate chips, melted

1 1/4 c. + 2 tbsp all purpose flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl, mix together sugar, oil, corn syrup, vanilla, soy milk, flax seeds, and melted chocolate until smooth. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Mix until thick dough forms. Chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes. In the meantime, pour granulated sugar onto a plate and powdered sugar on another. When dough is ready, roll into balls approximately the size of a tablespoon and roll them in the granulate sugar, then the powdered sugar. Place cookies on a parchment-lined cookie sheet approximately 2 inches apart and bake at 325F for about 14 minutes. Let cookies cool on tray about five minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

B’s Tip: Soy milk not your thing? I substituted for almond milk and it tasted just fine. You could also could try rice milk- let me know what works for you!

If you’re doing something for Santa, why not make these to serve with a glass of milk? Or maybe he’d like them after a light lunch, with his favorite espresso-based drink? Soy lattés are my poison of my choice. I mean his poison of choice. I mean…whatever.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

I’m counting down Christmas by sharing some of my favourite holiday cookie recipes with you! This is the last day I’m posting my cookie recipes, but for more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Cookies: Vanilla Horns

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Out of all the cookie recipes I have posted in this past week, this is probably the simplest cookie ever. People will be amazed when you tell them that it doesn’t even have sugar in the dough, so feel free to indulge as much as you like.

Vanilla Horns (makes approximately 36 cookies)

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. butter, softened

1 tbsp vanilla extract

granulated sugar

Cut the flour, butter and vanilla together until granular. Knead lightly together. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350F. Roll dough into logs that are approximately 3 inches thick and that are slightly thicker in the middle. Bend into crescent moon shapes (these are the horns!) Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake in the center of the oven for approximately 12 minutes.

Once the vanilla horns are out of the oven, let them cool off slightly (but not too much!) and dip them in the sugar until they are covered. Let cool off on a cooling rack.

B’s Tip: To make it easier to dip the cookies, use a soup bowl or a rimmed plate to hold the granulated sugar. You may even want to set cookie in the sugar and sprinkle more over top using a tea spoon to ensure even coverage.

Even though they aren’t that sweet, these cookies are so buttery and melt-in-your-mouth good you won’t even notice. The simple decoration using granulated sugar makes these cookies look as if they’ve been dusted in the lightest sparkle of snow. Just beautiful!

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

I’m counting down Christmas by sharing some of my favourite holiday cookie recipes with you! I’ll be posting a different Christmas cookie recipe every day for the next seven days so you can follow along in my family’s baking tradition, and have more cookies to add to your Christmas baking arsenal! For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.