Another cookie in the tie for 3rd place at this year’s swap…I love it when a classic recipe gets a new twist, like these Salty Sweet Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. They start out like regular chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, and then the dough is rolled in a mixture of sugar and salt. It turns out to be a great combination, and these were my favorite of the day. They not only taste great, but they are sturdy and travel well, so you can take them to parties year round!

This year’s swap featured 3 cookies tied for 3rd place, including these Almond Roca cookies made by a first time swapper. She had heard about the competition, and put a lot of effort into these – I think they look much prettier than Emeril’s version! There is a delicate balance of chocolate, almonds, and toffee which make these great. I brought the last few into my office on Monday, and got an Instant Message from a colleague about 2 minutes later, telling me how awesome these were. Of course, I told him he had to read the blog to get the recipe, so here it is!

Another cookie swap in the books! You can never really tell what type of cookie is going to win; some years it’s all about the chocolate, other years it’s a totally different flavor. This year’s winner was Maple Pecan Bites, originally posted on the blog Eat Live Run. I was actually the one who made these cookies (errr…bars), and they contain all good things: flour, butter, more butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and pecans. You really can’t go wrong. I cut them in triangles to try and make them cuter, and I guess it worked! But I must say, all the cookies at the swap were excellent, and I think the bar has been raised.

I’ll leave you with a couple of other pictures from the swap. I am still waiting for a few more recipes, so stay tuned…..

It’s cookie swap time again, and on Sunday there will be over 600 cookies in my house, along with the talented people who baked them. I am looking forward to it! I’ll announce this year’s cookie swap winner on the blog on Monday, but if you’re really anxious, you can always check Twitter!

I had a lot of fun helping to cook for a Superbowl party this weekend, and since I am not really into football, it’s all about the food (and socializing!) anyway. This week will feature many of things we made, but I had to post about dessert first. My friend Susan made these cookies using a fairly standard sugar cookie recipe, but clearly the decoration sets them apart. I’ll be sure to remind you about these when football season rolls around again….

I do not have a lot of experience working with chocolate, but nevertheless, I decided to tackle chocolate truffles. Let’s just say that two batches later, I learned a lot. I used this recipe, replacing the Grand Marnier with amaretto, and skipping the coffee as some reviewers suggested. The chocolate itself came from Trader Joe’s, which had a great selection of high quality varieties.

Have a Merry Christmas, and I’ll be back on Monday with new recipes from the holiday!

My sister brought coffee toffee to this year’s swap, using this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Everyone in our family is pretty fascinated with her site, and this really was a stunning candy. It is a little messy between the chopped hazelnuts and the chocolate that melts a bit when your house heats up to 80 degrees because it’s so crowded, but still fabulous. It’s so good that you think about it when you wake up in the morning, and decide that since it contains espresso powder and all, you really can have a little piece with breakfast.

This year’s second place winner was a cherry chocolate pecan cookie made by my friend Paula. She makes several test batches every year before finalizing the cookie she will bring to the swap. Her family and friends appreciate this effort, because she is quite a talented baker!

3 sticks butter at room temperature
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla
3 c. flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
2 t cinnamon
3 c. quick oats (not old-fashioned)
2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
3 c. chocolate chunks
2 c. chopped dry cherries

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. And vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and mix. Add oats. Stir in walnuts or pecans, chocolate, and cherries. Drop by the tablespoon onto parchment paper. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350F.

Another cookie swap in the books. It may have been the 10th swap, but it was definitely the first time there were seven children at my house! There was a lot of holiday spirit, and a fair amount of New England Patriots spirit as well. With all the excitement, I didn’t manage to capture many pictures. Somehow though, I did manage to eat more than my fair share of cookies.

The first place winner was this Chewy Toffee Bit cookie made by my friend Meg. She actually had brought this same cookie to a previous swap, and I still had the recipe on hand. The cookies appear unassuming, but the toffee bits set them apart, and they were definitely a hit with the kids as well.

2 1/4 c. flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. Skor English Toffee Bits

Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add eggs, beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in toffee chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly, and transfer to a wire rack.

The kitchen was just about cleaned up from Thanksgiving dinner, and our thoughts turned to the annual family party on Friday which warranted a freshly made dessert. This cookie recipe is from an old newspaper clipping, and credited to Quaker. It’s a fairly basic recipe, with the addition of dried cranberries. The cookies came out pretty well, and of course we had to sample a few ourselves.

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
3 c. oats
1 c. dried cranberries

Heat oven to 350F. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, and cinnamon and mix well. Stir in oats and cranberries. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, and then remove to wire rack.