Photos by SHANNON RICHARDSON
Let’s be honest: Holiday entertaining is fun but can also be stressful. That’s why a cookie swap is my go-to gathering in December. It’s a super-fun, low-stress party in which your guests help shoulder the work. (Obviously, all the delicious cookies just strengthen the argument. Right?)
I would say the formula for success is as easy as pie. But most cookies are easier than baking a pie. So, it’s as easy as cookies! Here are my rules:
- Plan ahead! Get invitations out early, so folks have plenty of time to prepare.
- Give numbers. Specify how many cookies you want each guest to bring. Also, let them know how many cookies they’ll take with them, so everyone brings an appropriately sized container.
- Gather recipes. Ask guests to bring printed copies of their recipes. It’s a good idea to ask participants to note common allergens like wheat, dairy or nuts. They can also draw attention to other dietary considerations, such as dairy- or gluten-free, vegan, etc. If you’re a stickler for presentation, get copies of guests’ recipes (ideally with photos) in advance so you can put together a book of recipes to hand out at the party. Make it as simple as a quick trip to your local copy store to have all the recipes spiral-bound into books. If you want to take it up a notch, try the free graphic-design platform Canva. For a really polished approach, try mixbook.com.
- Add sides. Are cookies the only party nibble or should other party snacks balance all the sugar? Of course, you’ll want to have plenty of milk, coffee or hot cocoa available.
- Consider competition. For additional fun, print up ballots and give out prizes for categories of your choosing (Best Decorated Cookie, Most Original, etc.).
Whatever you do, enjoy your friends and family and don’t stress. After all, that’s the whole point of hosting a cookie swap.
Candy-Striped Meringue Kisses
Use any flavor jam and dehydrated fruit you like to make these fun, fat-free and gluten-free treats. You don’t have to be a perfectionist to get a nice swirled pattern.
4 large egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon seedless strawberry jam
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup dehydrated raspberries
Red food coloring gel
Parchment paper
Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place egg whites in a metal bowl. Stir in sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Place bowl over a saucepan one third full of boiling water and simmer over medium heat. Cook until egg white mixture reaches 170 degrees, beating constantly at medium-low speed with a hand-held electric mixer. Remove bowl from heat. Beat egg white mixture on high speed 5 minutes, or until thick and fluffy and cooled to room temperature. Stir together jam and lemon juice. Crush dried fruit to a powder in a food processor. Set aside about half of meringue mixture. Beat jam mixture and raspberry powder into remaining half of meringue. Beat in enough red food coloring gel to tint the meringue a deep red color. Open a 1-gallon zip-top plastic bag and fold it half-way down from the top; carefully spoon half the red meringue into each side of the bag. Using a clean spoon or spatula, spoon plain meringue into the center of the bag. Unfold bag, press out excess air, and seal. Snip a ½-inch hole in one corner of the bag and pipe meringue in a circular motion to form 24 equal mounds one inch apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until meringues are crisp and set. Turn oven off and leave meringues in oven for 20 minutes with oven door closed. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Makes 2 dozen
Cranberry-Orange Shortbread with Chocolate & Pistachios
European butter generally contains less water than some domestic brands. Though seemingly slight, the difference is evident in baking, especially in pastries and cookies, which are more prone to spreading. When making shortbread, splurge on good butter, like Irish Kerrygold, French Plugra or American Vital Farms.
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 cup cornstarch
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (7.44 ounces)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
2 teaspoons grated fresh orange zest
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Parchment paper
⅔ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons chopped, roasted, salted shelled pistachios
Using the paddle attachment, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy in a heavy-duty stand mixer, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until fully incorporated after each addition, scraping bowl as needed. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder, stirring to blend. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Stir in cranberries, zest and vanilla. Lay a piece of parchment on a flat work surface. Place dough on parchment and roll or press into an 8- by 18-inch rectangle. Cover dough with parchment; chill 2 hours. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Slice dough into 24 4- by 1 ½-inch rectangles. Arrange dough 1 inch apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges are just beginning to brown and cookies are baked through. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes; remove to wire racks. Cool completely. Melt chocolate; drizzle over cookies. Sprinkle cookies with pistachios while chocolate is still soft. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for 3 months.
Makes 2 dozen
Gluten-Free Cashew-Coconut Cookies
If you can’t find sparkling sugar locally, order it from kingarthurbaking.com or Amazon. You can also substitute turbinado or regular granulated sugar in a pinch. Since store-bought nut butters can sometimes contain added sugar, I like to process toasted cashews with a bit of coconut oil to use in these gluten-free, dairy-free cookies. If you prefer to use store-bought cashew butter, use ½ cup, skip the food processor step, and proceed with the recipe as written, omitting the cashews.
2 ¼ cups gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup toasted cashews
¾ cup unrefined coconut oil, divided
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Cooking spray (or silicone baking mat)
Sparkling sugar
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in small mixing bowl, stirring well to blend. Set aside. Place ¼ cup coconut oil and cashews in food processor; process until a smooth paste forms (about 3 to 5 minutes). Scrape mixture into the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Beat remaining ½ cup coconut oil, cashew butter and sugars at medium-high speed, using paddle attachment until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Divide dough into 24 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball. Arrange cookie dough balls 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat (or coated with cooking spray). Flatten center of cookies by making a criss-cross pattern with the tines of a fork. Sprinkle tops of cookies with sparkling sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden and set. Let stand on baking sheets 5 minutes; remove to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely. Store cookies in a parchment-lined, sealed airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Makes 2 dozen
Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies
These cookies are great year-round. I add peppermint oil and garnish with crushed candies just for the holidays. They taste like homemade Oreos when you omit the candies and peppermint oil. And it’s easy to adapt them to many different occasions. At Halloween, for example, you can tint the filling orange.
Cookies:
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (7.44 ounces)
¾ cup special dark unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
Cooking spray (or silicone baking mat)
Filling:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 ½ cups powdered sugar
¼ teaspoon peppermint oil
Crushed peppermint candies
Prepare cookies: Cream together butter and granulated sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until fully incorporated after each addition. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder, stirring until blended. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating with a mixer at low speed until just combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead dough 3 to 4 times. Cover dough and chill 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out to ⅛-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut dough into 52 circles, rerolling scraps as needed. Arrange dough rounds 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake for about 8 minutes, or until set and cooked through. Carefully remove hot cookies to wire racks; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare filling: Beat butter, shortening and salt at high speed 3 to 5 minutes, or until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until filling is smooth and fluffy, scraping sides as needed. Beat in peppermint oil. (Do not chill.) Scrape filling into a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag; cut a ½-inch opening in one corner of the bag. Pipe filling over 26 cookies; top with remaining cookies, flat sides down, to form sandwiches, pressing gently to squeeze filling out to the edges of each sandwich. Roll edges of cookie sandwiches in crushed peppermints, pressing slightly to adhere. Store cookies in a parchment-line sealed airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for 3 months.
Makes 26 sandwich cookies
Pecan Sandies
These deliciously nutty, melt-in-your-mouth cookies need no introduction. I’ll simply say: Consider doubling the recipe. These disappear in a flash every time I make them.
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 ½ cups powdered sugar, divided
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 large egg yolks
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (6.5 ounces)
1 cup cornstarch
1 ½ cups chopped toasted pecans
30 untoasted pecan halves
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Using the paddle attachment, cream together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until fully incorporated after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and cornstarch and gradually add to dough, beating just until blended. Stir in chopped pecans. Turn dough out onto a work surface; knead 2 to 3 times. Divide dough into 30 equal portions (about 1 heaping tablespoon each); roll each portion into a ball. Place remaining ½ cup powdered sugar in a bowl. Roll dough balls in powdered sugar; reserve excess powdered sugar. Arrange sugar-coated dough balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper (or a silicone baking mat). Press 1 pecan half in the center of each cookie. Freeze for 15 minutes. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Let cookies cool on hot pans 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Place remaining powdered sugar in fine-mesh sieve and dust tops of cookies with powdered sugar. Keep cookies in a parchment paper-lined airtight container for up to 2 weeks and freeze for up to 3 months.
Makes 2 ½ dozen
Christmas Funfetti Biscotti
Use a mix of holiday-themed sprinkles that includes ordinary sprinkles but also some in the shape of Christmas trees, and some larger round candy-coated chocolate balls. It’s tasty and super cute. You can also make the biscotti with no sprinkles at all, or sprinkle them just over the white chocolate coating, if you prefer.
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (10.63 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
¼ cup sprinkles
Melted white chocolate
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Using the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together in the mixing bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer at medium speed until blended; scraping sides of bowl as needed. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy.. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until fully incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in sprinkles. Divide dough in half; shape each into a 10- by 3-inch loaf on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze dough for 20 minutes. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and set. Cool 15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Using a serrated knife, slice each loaf, crosswise, into 16 slices (about ½-inch thick). Arrange slices, cut sides down, in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes per side, or until biscotti are golden and crisp. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks and cool completely. Dip one cut side of cooled biscotti in melted white chocolate. Chill biscotti 30 minutes, or until set. Store biscotti in a parchment-lined airtight container for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Makes 32 biscotti
