Macaroon Coconut Anisette Cookies | Cake Mix Cookies | Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you're in a pinch and limited for time, Cake Mix Cookies are easy to make.  The combination of ingredients are up to your imagination!  Macaroon Coconut Anisette Cookies were a big hit in Macaroon Coconut Anisette Cookies our house this Christmas Season, but can be made any time of year.

To celebrate the Christmas Season, my friend from way back in middle school (junior high to us) and I went to a new Italian Bakery to get together, catch up on the latest news, and exchange gifts.

The selection of Italian cookies, ricotta cakes, cheesecake and pastry were calling our names!  We had a light lunch of Aranicini rice balls (risotto balls) and a not so light desert of Tiramisu. The Aranicini had a filling of meat, peas, rice and marinara sauce!  Delicious !

Speaking of Tiramisu, I found a wonderful recipe for Tiramisu Poppers from Rita on FB that I'm going to try next, and place in some pretty Christmas wrappers for some upcoming holiday parties !

I decided to go home and bake up my own version of a batch of those anisette cookies, and packaged them up to send off to my brother in upstate New York.  He misses these Italian Bakeries back home in Connecticut.

The Anisette Coconut Cookies came out delicious!

Easy clean up with Handmade Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet Shop:

 Anisette Chocolate Chip Coconut Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 oz) Yellow or White Cake Mix (I have picked up several from Aldi or Walmart)
2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c Shredded Coconut Flakes
1 tsp Anise
White or Dark Chocolate Chips


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
Mix eggs, oil, coconut, anise and cake mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon
Mix in chocolate chips additions
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.

Happy Baking!

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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!

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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.

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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

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