snap203 wrote:I'm sorry that I won't be able to come to the exchange anymore. I've been fighting some nasty bug all week with no signs of getting better, and I can't see myself baking cookies with this cough. I hope this will free up a spot for another eager baker. I really really hope I'll be well enough for the Holiday party so I'll at least get to see some of you the night before. Have a good time!

Actually, we'll be back to 10 now as we were overbooked by one when Dobra added me.

Get better soon. I guess that means we have one open spot for Sunday.

Cookie Monster wrote:Get better soon. I guess that means we have one open spot for Sunday.

Actually, I made 11, unless someone else dropped out.

I guess this means I really have to decide what I'm making for Sunday, huh? I will email the recipe hopefully tonight when I decide what to make.

We bring the cookies in bulk, for everyone to take their twelve and then take away in our own containers, right? Newbie.

Food Nut wrote:We bring the cookies in bulk, for everyone to take their twelve and then take away in our own containers, right? Newbie.

We've done it that way and then last year everyone broght them pre-packaged. Dobra?

Mine are already bagged up in little cellophane bags of 12.

Please bring the cookies prepackaged as I do not have 90 bags to hand out to package the cookies.
My cookies will be prepackaged.

Cookie Monster wrote:Please bring the cookies prepackaged as I do not have 90 bags to hand out to package the cookies.
My cookies will be prepackaged.

Hi,

I will bring my cookies bagged, though it might be more like ziplocs.

Regards,

Ginger Bites (there's another name for these that isn't quite so G-rated!)

Here’s my entry for the Best Cookie in the Universe competition. This spicy cookie features some very adult flavors, and holds up as well with a glass of merlot as it does cold milk. (For the exchange, I might try making my own candied ginger.)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 – 1/2 cup candied ginger, chopped (I used Trader Joe’s uncrystallized)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 good grinds of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup turbinado sugar

In a bowl of a standing mixer, mix butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, molassas and chopped candied ginger, mix together. Sift in the flour, soda, cocoa, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, peppers and salt. Mix just until incorporated, and chill for at least one hour.

Place oven rack in the center of the oven and set to 360 degrees F. I used a #70 disher, which made balls just under a tablespoon (or just scoop up a scant tablespoon and roll into a large marble). Roll one side of the ball in the turbinado sugar and place sugar-side up on a cookie sheet covered with either a Silpat or parchment paper. Cookies spread to about 2″, so don’t crowd them.

Bake for 10 minutes, one sheet at a time. Cookies will puff up and then deflate when you take them out. They don’t really brown; don’t overbake. Let rest on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before using a metal spatula to transfer to a cooling rack. Try not to hork down the whole batch instantly (good luck with that).

Makes about four dozen 2″ cookies.

I am making Snickerdoodles

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tris ... index.html

Serves:
about 4 dozen

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 medium eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar and the eggs and mix thoroughly with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and well combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt, and stir into the shortening mixture.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon.

Shape the dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (1 tablespoon per ball), and roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar. Arrange the dough balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake two sheets at a time until the edges of the cookies are set but the centers are still soft, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through. Transfer the cookies to wire racks for cooling. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Store in an airtight container.
Notes

From Food Network Kitchens: After further testing and to ensure the best results, this recipe has been altered from what was in the actual episode.

Dobra, Can you PM me your address for the exchange? Thanks!

Laura

Oh, I'll need the address too, please!

I have pm'ed the two people my address.
If anyone else needs one please let me know.
Dobra

I am missing three recipes can you please post so I can do our booklets for tomorrow?
Thanks

I am changing directions, I will make Carrot Cookies. This was a recipe from the Kansas State Fair:

Carrot Cookie
Ruth Cramer


1 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 c. mashed carrots
2 eggs beaten
2 c. flour sifted
2 tsp Baking powder
1/3 tsp. Salt
¾ c. coconut
1 grated orange rind

Cream butter and sugar. Add mashed carrots and beaten eggs. Add sifted dry ingredients. Add coconut and orange rind. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 to 12 minutes. Frost when cool.

Orange frosting:
Juice from one orange
1 c. powdered sugar
1 T. butter
Cream together well and frost cookies.

Thank you Cathy, now I just need two more to finish this project.

Please PM the address to me. Thanks.

Just did it, the rest who have not sent recipes please do...
Otherwise ....

Cookie Monster wrote:Just did it, the rest who have not sent recipes please do...
Otherwise ....

I sent it to your email. Should I have pm'd it?

Thank you so much for hosting such a lovely gathering, Dobra! How the HECK you have enough energy to pull together this meal for us, after entertaining a national organization of bread bakers this morning, after partying all night at not only the LTH but then another professional event... I am exhausted just listing it all! The food was wonderful, and the stories were even better.

Here's a set of photos from the event...

Thanks again to Cookie Monster and all you marvelous bakers... everything is so good, and we will be enjoying your efforts all week!

Thank you so much for a lovely afternoon. I must say this year's cookies were tremendous (I feel mine were quite lackluster in comparison.) The quiche and salad were delcious and the company was wonderful.

On a sad note, I was just explaining all the cookie type to my daughter and realized I only had eight varieties. I somehow missed getting Mamagotcha's wonderly spicey cookies, and I was looking so forward to having them with a glass of red wine.

Can't wait until next year.

I apologize for not getting my recipe sent in on time in order to make the book. I didn't check back yesterday. Here's the recipe for the Lebkuchen.

Nürnberger Lebkuchen or gingerbread has been around since the 14th century, when Nürnberg was a rich city with good trade associations. Now you can make Nürnberger Lebkuchen in your home without any special German ingredients. These soft, spicy cookies keep for several weeks.

Makes about 32 three-inch cookies.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
• ***Cookie Dough***

• 1/2 c. softened butter (113 grams)
• 1 c. sugar (200 grams)
• 4 eggs
• 3 c. white flour (360 grams)
• 1 T. Lebkuchen spices (6 grams)(see note)
• 2 T. cocoa powder (12 grams)
• 1 1/2 tsp. double acting baking powder
• 1 c. milk (225 ml)
• 1 3/4 c. ground almonds (150 grams)
• 1/2 c. candied lemon peel, chopped (100 grams)
• 1 T. rum or orange liqueur

• ***Glaze***
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. water
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 - 2 T. rum or liqueur
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar

• ***Extras***
• 32 Oblaten (baking wafers) 3 inch size
• 1/2 c. raisins, soaked in rum and chopped
• 1/4 c. shredded coconut

Preparation:

Cream butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.

Mix in flour, spices, cocoa powder and baking powder, alternating with milk.

Fold in nuts and lemon peel. Stir in rum. Stir in raisins and coconut if you are using them.

If you are not using the "Oblaten" (they look like Catholic communion wafers and are purchased in Germany or at a German deli, etc.) draw 3-inch diameter circles on parchment paper using a cup or biscuit cutter as a template. Drop about 3 tablespoons cookie dough into the center of each circle. (If you are using "Oblaten" drop the dough onto the wafer and smooth to the edges.) When tray is full, use the back of the spoon to fill out circle, slightly mounding the dough towards the center. (I used a pastry bag and just piped the dough onto the oblaten. No need to smooth.)

Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes. Turn down oven to 350°F if cookies are browning too much.

Let cool for a few minutes, then remove to a cookie or cake rack to cool.

While they are still warm, make the glaze.

Place 1/2 c. sugar and 1/4 c. water in a small saucepan on the stove. Bring to a boil and boil for a few minutes. Add vanilla and liqueur or
rum. Sift powdered sugar over hot sugar syrup and stir.

Using a pastry brush, brush warm glaze over warm cookies. Let dry completely. Dry glazed cookies for a day (to dry the glaze so it stays a bit crunchy) then store in an airtight container or freeze.

Note about "Lebkuchen spices". If you do not buy premixed "Lebkuchen Gewürz" from a German store, you may mix your own. ($1.99 @ Gene’s Deli)

• 2 T. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground anise seed

Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per recipe.

I wanted to thank everyone for the super delicious cookies.
It was a lot of fun and I want to thank for all the other treats and goodies that peolple bought for me.
A super successful cookie exchange!!
Dobra

I handed out the first bags of cookies I put together, and one of my cow-orkers was so cute. He says "One of those cookies was really good" - he only had one so far.

Maybe it was funnier in person.

But he really really liked the cookie. And another cow-orker said "Great, you took the only good cookie, and that one was my favorite." Anyway, we worked it out that he had the Snickerdoodle. He had never had Snickerdoodles before.

Thanks to Cookie Monster for hosting and the lovely food and drink, thank you all for such tasty cookies, for the company, and the fun!

Thanks for the positive feedback on the Snickerdoodles, I appreciate it! I had to put the cookies in the freezer so my husband would stop eating them (well, me too). The cookies are delicious, thanks everyone! Thanks especially to Cookie Monster for hosting such a lovely afternoon with fantastic food. I really enjoyed visiting with everyone.

One of my sons really loves the kolaches (did I spell that right?) that I think Allison brought. LauraS, is she a member of LTH? If not, can you please contact her for her recipe? I think we'll need a few more of those before the holiday is over! (I'd've PM'd you, but I suspect others might like that recipe too, as well as your wonderful B&W cookie recipe!)

The black and white recipe is in the booklet.
I have not received the recipe for the kolaczkis yet.
Hopefully this member will post on our link.
If not I will be happy to share my great aunt Wanda's kolaczki recipe.
Have a great week everyone!

What, no pictures?

Pie Lady wrote:What, no pictures?

I put a link to a photoset on Flickr: pix from cookie exchange

Cathy2 was also doing photography, maybe she'll put up more...

Cookie Monster wrote:The black and white recipe is in the booklet.
I have not received the recipe for the kolaczkis yet.
Hopefully this member will post on our link.

Allison is not a member yet. She came as a guest of LauraS.