Holiday Cookie Exchange

Yesterday, Twin Tables got the opportunity to participate in a holiday cookie exchange. Although we are obviously involved in cooking/baking/entertaining, we ironically enough, have never been part of a cookie exchange. One of our best friends invited 11 gals over for an afternoon, of chatter, camaraderie and cookies. Here were the rules:

1. Please bring at least 2 dozen homemade cookies, this way we have some to taste and some to take home.
2. The theme is "Holiday Cookies" - no chocolate chip cookies allowed - unless they are really different!
3. Arrange cookies in a basket or platter and be creative! Bring a container to carry away your cookies and bring a copies of your recipe. (Or you may email it.)
4. We will do a blind cookie tasting for the most delicious cookie, most creative cookie and best presentation; you have been warned.

So the two of us rolled up our sleeves and went to work. We ended up making three cookies. We made Maple Date Bars, Eggnog Cookies* and Chocolate Fudge Filled Cookies**. All three turned out great and lucky for us the other girls thought so too.

All the cookies were delicious. We had:

Mexican Wedding Cookies

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Super Chocolaty Kiss Cookies

Oreo Bonbons

Espresso Crinkles

Bourbon Bites

Almond shortbread

Sugar Cookies

Eggnog Cookies

Chocolate Fudge Filled Cookies

Maple Date Bars

The Chocolate Fudge Filled won the best taste! Thank you B for hosting a great party!

~~~

*We substituted Light Eggnog for full of fat and only used 1/2 cup butter and added 1/4 cup extra eggnog

** We halved the filling and melted the filling ingredients in a double boiler. Next time we are going to half the dough part as well and not put a top layer on the cookie so the fudge will shine a bit more.