So what do you do when you want to have a cookie exchange but don’t have enough people who bake to actually have one – you have a VIRTUAL COOKIE EXCHANGE!!

{Thanks to Nancy’s Daughter for this amazing badge!!}

This was Di’s idea. And it was a good one!! We all get ‘together’, bake cookies and exchange them on line. No postage, no hassle, no party prep, just cookies and recipes!! How easy is that??

So without further ado, please help yourself to what ever cookies you want!!

We only needed to make ONE cookie, but once I got started and since I was already in the kitchen covered in flour and sugar I decided to just do a couple. I can always give them away – if there are any left!!

First up – Nutmeg Meltaways.

They are from Taste of Home. These are made with ground roasted almonds, butter, sugar, and flour. After baking they are rolled in powdered sugar and nutmeg. I didn’t make any changes in the cookie, but I did add extra nutmeg to the sugar. The recipe called for 1 tbl for 1 cup of sugar. It just wasn’t enough, so I doubled the nutmeg. Much better!! Thanks to Judy Burdette for that submission to Taste of Home.

Usually for Christmas cookie baskets I make Cracker Candy. This year I found a variation of that using Graham Crackers.

Graham Cracker Pralines

    24 whole Graham Crackers
    1 cup (2 sticks) butter
    1 cup packed light-brown sugar
    1 cup finely chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350°.
Line jelly roll pan with crackers.
In saucepan bring butter and sugar to boiling, boil exactly 1 minute. Add nuts.
Pour evenly over crackers. Don’t spread; crackers will stick to spoon {Actually I didn’t have any trouble with this, but….}
Bake in 350° oven for 10 minutes. Remove to rack to cool. When cool, break apart into irregular pieces. (Recipe from Shirlee Bumpass’ Buffet on the Bayoufound in Holiday Cakes and Cookies 2000)

Of all the cookies I made for the ‘exchange’ these were my favorite. But then they are sweet, crunchy, nutty, and tasty!!

Well, two’s company, three’s a crowd so I decided to make a ‘crowd’ of cookies!!

“S”anta Cookies

These are cookie press cookies and quite simple. You can use any of your favorite press cookie recipes for these. Simply use your star plate and pipe large “S” shapes onto your cookie sheet. Drizzle with chocolate or a white icing and sprinkle with red and green sugar crystals. You can also drizzle with melted red and green discs. Easy Peasy!!

There are lots of us ‘exchanging’ cookies so check out Di’s Cookie Exchange Roundup later this week. Lots of good cookies from lots of great bakers with lots of delicious recipes.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, frohe Weinachten, Prettig Kerstfeest .

And have a cookie!!!