Cookie Swap Ideas | Frugal Holiday Cookies Recipes

The holidays and New Year are full of time for family and friends. Just thinking about making new memories fills people with the Christmas spirit. This Christmas, gather a few of your best girlfriends and host a cookie exchange party. Here's some cookie swap ideas.

Cookie Swap Ideas

Cookie Swaps are a frugal way to have some fun and maybe exchange Secret Santa cheap presents.

What is a cookie swap? It can be done at any time of the year, but there are so many rich, delectable cookie recipes associated with Christmas, that it is hard to pass up having a get together that centers on the sweet round treat. Keep the list of participants short or you will be baking cookies until your oven gives out.

The main idea behind the cookie exchange is fun, fellowship, and food. Each person invited to the swap will make a dozen cookies for every other guest plus themselves. The dozen they make for themselves will be left at home. Hide it from prying eyes if you don't want them to magically disappear while you attend the party.

Cookie swap ideas and parties work well if planned at least three weeks in advance. This gives your guests time to respond to your invitation and bake the cookies. Ask each guest to list the kind of cookies they will bake so there are no dupes. A week before the party, give a phone call, email, and a postcard to the guests who are coming to let them know how many people will be in attendance. Now they know how many dozens of cookies to bake.

Plan the cookie swap for a cool weekend evening. On a Saturday evening, no one wants to worry about heating costs or getting up early for work. Guests can relax and eat until they need some Pepto Bismol. Since cookies are so sweet, provide drinks like apple cider, bottled water, and hot chocolate.

Finger foods are allowed at the cookie swap. Each person including you will be baking a bunch of cookies so purchase appetizer trays from the local grocery store or have the affair catered. Catering may be a bit pricey but you only live once.

Chocolate chip, Chocolate Bark, Brandy Balls, almond, spice, fruit filled, and brownies - these sound mouth-watering. Instead of the traditional cookies that we make each year, try to come up with something new for everyone to try. They and their families will love you. Bring a few extra bags or disposable containers for guests to take home their cookies that they didn't eat. 

Check out my recipes for White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, Cake Mix Cookies (great for the kids to make on their own) and German Chocolate Caramel Turtle Bars.

Need a holiday idea? Host a Christmas cookie swap for your church circle, coworkers, or neighborhood friends is easy, and doesn't require payday loans. If there must be a gathering, make sure that something sweet is present.

These are my simple Creme de Pirouline Hazelnut Cookies dipped in dark or white chocolate decorated with shots or jimmies

Clean up after the party with my crochet handmade Dish Cloths from my Moomettes Crochet Shop

Watch for some great Christmas and holiday cookie recipes you can start freezing ahead!

Like my Recipes?  Buy me a Bag of Flour

© Frugal New England Kitchen 

Easy Cake Mix Cookies Recipe | Cookie Shortcuts

'Is there always a gaggle of kids and teens in your house? Here's a new twist to making an easy cookies starting with a basic cake mix.  Cake Mix Cookies are quickly become our favorites!

BASIC CAKE MIX COOKIES

I love to bake from scratch because I know the ingredients that go into my bakes, and can substitute what my family likes. However, oftentimes in a pinch I like to take baking shortcuts.  I learned this over  the years with some fantastic recipes from my co-workers.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are always so busy for everyone, which makes these Cake Mix Cookies a perfect choice to get your holiday baking on.  Baking with kids is a great way to celebrate the season.

No matter the season, school in session, February or April vacation, school is out for the summer, pool parties,  slumber parties, or just relaxing at home, cookies are always a favorite treat.

These Cake Mix cookies were made with a carrot cake mix and chocolate M&M's.  My next batch will be out of a German Cake Mix  and I'll be adding raisins.

For Christmas, I'll be whipping up Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies with white chocolate chips. Such a simple hack for a Cookie Swap ~ (Try my Red Devil Cheese Ball!)

I've been following Anne Byrn - the Cake Mix Doctor for many years, and recently made a Birthday Cake for my granddaughter.  Anne has a way of doctoring up Box Cake Mixes so that you'd be hard pressed to guess they started out as a mix and with a substitution and addition of a few ingredients, end up tasting as if you worked hours to get a homemade from scratch taste. There's recipes for frostings, icings, bars and cakes.

I adapted the recipe in order to get the feel of a homemade from scratch dough. The dough is going to be STICKY no matter if you refrigerate it ahead of time, so I just deal with it.  These cookies are so worth it!

You can check out my recipe for Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cake Mix Cookies here.

 So if you're busy and want to wow them at the soccer game, birthday party, Halloween Thanksgiving or Christmas, give these cake mix cookies a try!

Pirouline Cookies

This is another cookie hack I like to make - although not made from a cake mix cookie recipe, it's delish - simple Creme de Pirouline hazelnut cookies dipped in white or dark chocolate and decorated with shots or jimmies. Everyone loves them

Easy clean up with Handmade Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet Shop

CARROT CAKE MIX COOKIES RECIPE

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 oz) Carrot Cake Mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 c. vegetable oil (I start out with 2 Tbl. and then add 1 Tbl. at a time if needed)
Chocolate M&M's or Raisins (or whatever choice of additions you wish to add)


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
Mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon - starting out with 2 Tbl. oil and add more if needed
Mixture will be sticky.
If it's still too sticky, add extra flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
Mix in additions (candies, raisins, whatever you'd like)
Refrigerate dough for 1/2 hour.
Form dough into 1 inch balls
Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet
Bake 9-13 minutes.  (I found 10 minutes to be good for my oven, I like the cookies somewhat browned, but still chewy.  I eyeball for doneness.

Remove and let cool completely.

Can be frozen.

Like my Recipes?  Buy me a Bag of Flour

© Frugal New England Kitchen 

White Chocolate Chip Cookies | Dipped Cranberry Cookies | Cranberry Walnut Cookies

This White Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe is definitely going to become a Holiday Favorite! It's a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe with a grown-up taste!

Recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies

You can use either white chocolate chips or dark or milk chocolate chips, your choice.

The white chocolate glaze and edible glitter add a nice addition to your dessert table or next Cookie Exchange or Cookie Swap.

Easy clean up in the kitchen with these Handmade Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet ! These cleaning cloths also make a nice addition to any gift basket.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

1 c. sugar
1 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
3 c. Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 4-oz. bag of dried & sweet cranberries
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 package (20 oz.) vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark)
Edible glitter, if desired

In large mixing bowl, beat sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in cranberries, chocolate chips and walnuts.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Form into balls. Place balls 2 inches apart. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely on wire rack, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium microwaveable bowl, microwave candy coating bark as directed on package until melted and smooth. Dip about 1/3 of each cookie at an angle into coating, allowing excess coating to drip back into bowl. Place on waxed paper; sprinkle with edible glitter. Let stand about 1 hour or until coating is set.

Like my Recipes?  Buy me a Bag of Flour

© Frugal New England Kitchen 

Brandy Balls | Cookie Balls | Easy Christmas Candy Recipes

It wouldn’t be Christmas without some sweet chocolate treats. Besides Valentine’s Day, Christmas is another holiday where people give food as gifts. What better gift to give to friends or to your family than a pretty Holiday tin full of Liqueur Brandy Balls.

Easy Christmas Candy Recipe

Brandy Balls are sweet and not tooth-friendly. Some people call them Brandy Truffles.  But, it is the Christmas season and it only comes once a year. Your teeth will forgive you as long as you brush afterwards. Brandy Balls look good and are easy to make. Be sure not to leave it unattended or the ingredients may overcook and ruin your batch of candy.

Making candy doesn’t have to be hard. Start out with simple recipes and work your way up to the more difficult ones. Most candy is mixed in a saucepan over varying levels of heat.

This is my mother's recipe for Brandy Ball Truffles.  Sometime mom would make brandy balls, sometime she'd make Rum Chocolate Balls.  Some folks even like to make Bourbon Chocolate Balls.

Mom used to crush her Vanilla Wafers and walnuts with an old-fashion rolling pin. I used to do the same for years too, but now I enjoy using my Cuisinart food processor - makes short work!

However, I do stick with tradition and use my mom's now vintage glass Pyrex mixing bowls that I inherited!

I haven't made these Brandy Balls in quite some time.  In years past I would start making my Christmas candy recipes the day after Thanksgiving.  But fast forward, and the Friday after Thanksgivings is now Black Friday, and I'm usually out trying to score Black Friday deals.

These Brandy Balls need some time to ferment.  The first time charming son-in-law ever tasted them, he said "whoa!"

That's just how good they are!

Check out my recipe for No Bake Oreo Truffles Balls and other cookie exchange recipes too!

Every year after Thanksgiving I start to make my Brandy Balls recipe.  Sometimes I make Rum Balls.  Think I'll be sending some up to my brother in Upstate New York, along with a few of my crochet handmade Dish Cloths that I sell at my Moomettes Shop. Aren't these old fashion handmade dishcloths pretty?

Brandy Ball Chocolate Truffles

12 oz package chocolate chips morsels
6 Tbl. Karo syrup (clear)
1 c. brandy, rum, bourbon or whiskey
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. confectioners sugar
5 c. crushed Vanilla Wafers

Mix together in a large mixing bowl chocolate chips and Karo syrup

Add brandy, rum, bourbon or whiskey, or liqueur flavored extracts if you desire, and mix well

Add together chopped nuts, confectioner's sugar and vanilla wafers

Mix all ingredients together and let stand for 1/2 hour in refrigerator

Roll into balls in confectioners sugar or nuts

Store in an air-tight container until ready to serve

Like my Recipes?  Buy me a Bag of Flour

© Frugal New England Kitchen