Cookie Swap

So today over at From A Creative Heart, Debbie and Darlene from Our Creative Life are cleverly hosting a first Cookie Swap. What a brilliant idea and no calories either LOL. Here are my contributions:

If you're a cheesecake fan, this cookies is for you.

Cheesecake Cookies

1 cup butter

Publish Post

4 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup fine graham cracker crumbs

For the cheese filing:
4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon rind
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon half and half

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add egg, lemon rind and lemon juice. Mix well. Combine flour and baking powder. Add to first mixture and blend well. Cover. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in graham cracker crumbs. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets. With finger make an indentation in center of each cookie. Fill with level 1/2-teaspoons of filling. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CHEESE FILLING: Beat together all ingredients until smooth.


This is not your typical chocolate chip cookie recipe. The Skor chips add such a wonderful caramel and richness to the cookie. They are husband's favorite.

Skor bits & chocolate chip cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter -- softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar -- packed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 each eggs
1 cup skor english toffee bits
1 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in toffee bits and chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire racks. Cool completely.


Here's another family favorite. Be forewarned, adults will fight over this fudge down to the last piece. It is very rich.

Baileys Irish Creme Fudge

24 ounces milk chocolate chips
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
14 ounces marshmallow cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk -- (12 ounce)
1/2 pound butter

Line a jelly roll pan (10 x 15 x 1 inch) with foil. Butter the foil. In a very large heavy bowl, place all the chocolate chips, marshmallow cream, vanilla and Bailey's Irish Cream.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk and butter over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook slowly, stirring constantly for 11 minutes.

Pour the hot milk mixture over the chocolate chip mixture, stirring by hand. The hot milk will melt the chocolate chips and marshmallow cream. Continue to stir until everything is well blended.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan and chill until set. Turn out onto a large cutting board and peel off the foil. Cut into small squares. Store refrigerated.

Yield: about 5 pounds of fudge.


Last but not least, this is the centerpiece that I'm bringing to Debbie's place. I use it on my table on Christmas day.

Peppermint Pretzel Wreath

24 ounces vanilla flavored candy coating
2 10 oz bags Golden Flake large thin pretzels -- * see note
6 3/4 ounces peppermint candies -- crushed
7 additional peppermint candies
5 small Christmas bows -- optional
1 box wax paper

Place candy coating in a large glass bowl, and microwave at high for 1-1/2 minutes or until coating melts, stirring once. Dip pretzels into candy coating, covering completely. Place coated pretzels on wax paper; sprinkle heavily with crushed peppermint. Let dry.

Place a single layer of pretzels around outside edge of edge of a 12-inch serving tray. Continue layering remaining pretzels until wreath is 3 inches high.

Spoon sever small dots of remaining melted candy around top of wreath; press whole peppermints gently onto the wreath, allowing dots of melted candy to act as "glue". Let stand until firm. Decorate with bows, if desired.

Note: Original recipe calls for 1 10-oz. bag of pretzels. "We used Golden flake fat-free pretzels.
You may want to buy two bags of pretzels just to be sure you get enough unbroken ones for the wreath."