The holiday season is all about family, community, celebration, and most importantly: food. The parties are non-stop, as is the eating. You were so busy looking for the perfect gift for a friend that you forgot about the next event you are headed to: a cookie swap! Have no fear; by choosing any one of these recipes you are sure to be a crowd favorite and get extra sweets in return.
Christmas Crack: Well worthy of its name. It is dangerously addictive and will have your friends begging for the recipe. Only a few simple ingredients and steps. Saltines drizzled with caramelized butter and sugar, smothered with chocolate– what’s not to love? Top with colorful M&M’s or chopped nuts for an extra bit of crunch.
Gingerbread Men: A classic holiday cookie, full of the perfect balance of sugar and spice, decked out with a cute face made of royal icing. Need a gingerbread shaped cookie cutter? Get one here so you can make the cutest cookies at the party.
Chocolate Crinkles: Imagine a snickerdoodle, but with chocolate dough and rolled in powdered sugar instead, and you have the cookie to win over any chocolate lovers.
Sugar Cookies: While there are bound to be many of these at the swap, this recipe strikes the perfect butter/sugar ratio that is perfect for rolling and cutting out with holiday shaped cookie cutters. It will taste so delicious that people will not mind if your icing decorating and sprinkle pouring skills are not pinterest worthy- it’s the taste that counts!
Peppermint Kisses: The holidays are not complete without something peppermint, like these cute cookies that use candy cane Hershey’s Kisses. Keep the dough plain, or add half a cup of cocoa powder to the mix and make a chocolate-peppermint cookie.
Magic Bars: Who doesn’t love M&M’s, especially holiday ones? These are the topping on the chewiest, tasty holiday bars. They have six layers, each one more tasty than the next. Sweetened condensed milk is involved, holding all the ingredients together into a sweet treat.
Triple Chocolate Oreo Squares: Three different types of chocolate come together into this gooey dessert. They are melt-in-your-mouth good, guaranteed to win over every chocolate lover that comes to the party and transform anyone not already into chocolate into a chocoholic.
Shortbread Pinwheels: They look tricky, but they are pretty simple! Just roll but two types of dough, stack them, roll again, slice, and bake. Make one batch soft and chewy and bake the other a little longer, so you have a type to please everyone. These are old-school cookies, ensuring you will win the vote of the adults in the crowd who will get sentimental taking a bite.
So go grab some flour, sugar, and butter and get baking! Make one cookie or make them all– no matter what, you are guaranteed to win the swap and have your friends talking about your desserts the whole year.
(Baking tips: Line trays with parchment paper so the cookies slide right off, chill the dough if the recipe tells you to, don’t just eyeball the ingredients (unless it is chocolate chips), and do not forget to set a timer while they bake!)