COOKIES!!!

Last night was our neighborhood's annual cookie exchange. As usual, it was so much fun...and delicious!!!
And, of course, I forgot my camera! DUH!!!


This is a photo taken from my friend's phone. As you can see...there are so many wonderful offerings...everything from the classic Peanut Blossoms to cupcake "Christmas Trees" (these were so cute...a regular-sized cupcake, with a mini cuppie and cookie star on top). There were Ritz Cracker/Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies (covered in dark chocolate and red melts), Pretzel-Toffee cookies, Chocolate Crinkles and Chocolate Chips, Classic Shortbread and Peppermint Cookies, Apricot Bars, Decadent Oreo No-Bake Cookies, and 2 kinds of Buckeye Candies...one in the traditional "buckeye" form, the other shaped like little MICE...sliced almonds for ears, skinny fruit roll-up for the tail. SO CUTE!

My contribution...thanks to bloggers!!!...was a Salted Caramel, Dark Chocolate Chunk cookie. 


I made a few adjustments with the size (I used a Whoopie pie pan in place of the muffin top pan...made 4 oz. cookies), plus added an additional bit of caramel sauce on the top (drizzled it from the tines of a fork). 


These cookies were truly fabulous! (Yes, I splurged and tasted one, or two...or five!) And they won our CE contest for best tasting cookie. Here's the link for the recipe. TRULY...you have GOT to try these!!! (photo is from picky-palate.com)
http://picky-palate.com/2010/05/20/salted-caramel-dark-chocolate-chunk-cookies-the-la-cookie/

I also made Chocolate Covered Grahams...again, thanks to a blogger.
(photo is from Shugarysweets.com)


I had difficulty with "dipping"...not because of the recipe, but because I am too impatient!...so I used a knife to spread the chocolates. I also pulverized the candy canes in my processor...to DUST. For me, this was better than biting into peppermint candy...which my teeth don't like very much.
http://www.shugarysweets.com/2011/12/chocolate-peppermint-grahams.html

Since I am unable not supposed to indulge in sweets, I used the neighborhood ladies...and their families...to test these recipes. And they were both HITS. And now that they have passed the "neighborhood test", I'll be making them for our Christmas party.


Happy baking....
Jane