Ming-Wai's Magic Cookie Bars

INGREDIENTS
Butter for greasing pan (or non-stick cookie spray)
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

HEAT oven to 350°F. Coat 13 x 9-inch baking pan with butter or no-stick cooking spray.

COMBINE graham cracker crumbs and butter in small bowl. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with fork.

BAKE 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Loosen from sides of pan while still warm; cool on wire rack. Cut into bars or diamonds.

*For perfectly cut cookie bars, line entire pan with foil, extending foil over edge of pan. Coat lightly with no-stick cooking spray. After bars have baked and cooled, lift up with edges of foil to remove from pan. Cut into bars.

Recipe from Eagle Brand

Victoria's Classic Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
2 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Granulated sugar or colored sugar

Mix powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease cookie sheet.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half 1/4 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Recipe from Betty Crocker

Victoria's Crockpot Cinnamon Almonds

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 Egg White
2 tsp. vanilla
3 Cups Almonds
1/4 C. Water

1. Mix together in a large bowl sugars, cinnamon, and salt.
2. In another bowl with a whisk, mix together the egg white and vanilla until it is frothy.  Add the almonds and coat thoroughly.  This will help the mixture stick to the almonds during the cooking process.
3. Prepare your slow cooker by spraying it with cooking spray.  I used a 4 quart.  Add the cinnamon almond mixture to the almonds and turn it to low.  Stir until the cinnamon sugar mixture is coated well on the almondsBe prepared for your house to smell amazing!
4.  You want to cook for about 3-4 hours.  Mine took about 3.  Stirring every 20 minutes.  In the very last hour, add 1/4 cup water and stir well.  This will ensure a crunchy coating and help the mixture to harden.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the almonds onto the sheet to cool.  The almonds should be pretty sticky so be sure to seperate them the best that you can and let them cool!

*Update:  There is a lot of sugar left over in this.  You can reduce the sugar to probably about 1 cup of each and only putting about an 1/8 cup of water.  I am going to be testing it out this week.  Also your almonds will be very dark and clump together.  Just spread them out and try to unclump them as best as possible and let them cool

Recipe from The Recipe Critic

Aimee's Iced Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
Cooking spray

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsps fresh lemon juice
2 tsps grated orange rind

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and ground nutmeg into a bowl. Mix in the quick-cooking oats
3. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar and butter in a bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended
4. Add vanilla and eggs to bowl and beat well
5. Gradually add flour mixture and cranberries, beat at low speed until combined.
6. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray, shape dough into 1-inch balls (I like using a ice cream scoop), and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
7. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until almost firm
8. Let stand on baking sheet 2 minutes then remove to a wire rack and let cool completely (I recommend overnight)
9. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice and orange rind in a bowl, stirring with a fork.
10. Spoon mixture into a small zip-top bag, snip a small hole in 1 corner of the bag, and drizzle glaze over cooled cookies. Let glazed cookies sit out for about 2 hours for the glaze to harden.

For the last step, the glaze is very liquid-y so I recommend placing the cooling racks onto a cookie sheet before you start glazing to keep the mess somewhat controlled.

Alexandra's Sugarplum Spice Cookies

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 c butter, softened
1 c granulate sugar
1/4 c molasses
1 egg
1/2 c dried figs
1/2 c dried apricots
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 Tbsp Bourbon or Brandy
3 Tbsp honey
1c course sugar (for rolling)
1/2 c slivered almonds, roasted
1/2 c pistachios, roasted

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar with a hand mixture until smooth and fluffy. Add molasses and egg, beat until well-combined.
Place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator for 1 hr or freezer for 10mn (optional).

Next, combine figs, apricots, cranberries, spices, liquor (optional) and honey in a food processor. Add in nuts and pulse until well-combined. Add the fruit/nut mixture to the spice cookie dough. Mix with a large spoon or spatula or knead with hands until well-incorporated. Roll into 1" balls and roll in sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Enjoy!

Yields 60-65 cookies.

Ming-Wai's Dulce de Leche Blondie Bars

*Note: I double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 baking pan and drizzled dark chocolate on top*

INGREDIENTS
1 stick unsalted butter (room temp)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup dulce de leche (I use La Lechera sweetened condensed milk)

Preheat oven to 350
Grease a 8x8 inch pan w/ little cooking spray or butter
Place butter and sugar in electric mixer and beat till fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, flour, baking soda and salt and gently mix together
Spread 1/2 of the mixture in pan and back 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool slightly, then smear dulce de leche over base. Drop dollops of remaining batter over top and swirl slightly. Flatten with a rubber spatula. Bake for 25-30 minute. Let cool before taking out of pan. Slice into 16 even squares.

Kristi's Swedish Spritz Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 1/4 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
dash of salt
1 teaspoon almond (or vanilla) flavoring

Cream shortening, add sugar gradually.
Add egg. Beat mixture. Add sifted dry ingredients and flavoring.
Fill spritz cookie press. Press into circle.  Place cookies on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes til light brown underneath in a 350 degree oven.

2013 Cookie Swap

Time to bake 'n' swap!  See you soon!

Ming-Wai's Brazillian Rich Chocolate Truffles

Warning - these are less like chocolate French truffles and more like chocolate flavored caramels.  Totally yummy and easy too!  Different variations to the recipe can be found on FoodandWine.com.

INGREDIENTS
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate (at least 60 percent cacao), chopped
1 teaspoon salted butter, plus more for rubbing
Shredded coconut, for rolling

In a medium nonstick saucepan, combine the condensed milk with the chocolate and 1 teaspoon of butter. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until shiny and very thick, 15 to 18 minutes. Spread the mixture in a shallow dish and let cool for 15 minutes.

Arrange 30 paper candy cups on a baking sheet. Pour the sprinkles into a small shallow bowl. Rub your hands with butter. Scoop up rounded teaspoons of the candy mixture and roll them into balls. Roll the candy in the sprinkles and set them in a paper cup. Repeat to form the remaining candies. Serve slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Catherine's Chocolate Crackle Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1, 20 oz package or 1 pouch Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar (reserve for coating dough)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place brownie mix, flour, eggs, oil and granulated sugar in medium bowl. Stir until blended. (Dough will be stiff.) Place powdered sugar in separate bowl. For each cookie, scoop 1 rounded tablespoon dough and place in powdered sugar. Roll dough gently into balls, coating thoroughly with powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 11-13 minutes.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Caroline's Chocolate Caramel Cookies

Here's a recipe that I apparently forgot to post last year and I can't find a photo of it.  I do remember it being delicious though!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 package (13 ounces) Rolo candies
(I used 1 and a half packages of Rolos-depends on how much dough you put with each. I was trying to make it stretch to have at least 5 dozen)

In a large bowl, cream butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans.

Shape dough by tablespoonfuls around each candy. In a small bowl, combine remaining pecans and sugar; dip each cookie halfway.

Place with nut side up on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-10 minutes or until top is slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 5 dozen.

Caroline's notes: I used about a tablespoon of dough and quickly patted it putting the rolo in the middle and sort of folding the sides of the dough around. Quickly rolling in a ball seemed to even out the dough around the rolo.

New Twist on Claire's Italian Butter Cookies

Here's a delicious new twist to an oldie but goodie recipe that Claire brought to the cookie swap a couple years ago.

Click on the original recipe here.

Instead of piping out the dough, she just made regular round cookies, spread jam in the middle of two of them, then dipped in chocolate.  A great variation to a great Christmas cookie!

Sonja's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.

Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan. (I didn’t use a mini muffin pan, just a regular cookie sheet and they were fine. They spread a little).

Bake at 375 degrees for about 8-9 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. (Other people’s suggestions from All Recipes was to put peanut butter cups in freezer so that they don’t melt as much when they’re placed in the cookie. I followed their advice and I think it worked well). Cool and carefully remove from pan.

NOTE: Original recipe makes 40 cookies, I doubled the recipe for the cookie swap

Recipe from AllRecipes.com.

Victoria's Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
Waxed paper

In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened.

Recipe from the Food Network.

2012 Holiday Cookie Swap + Sip 'n' See

Pistachio Baklava + Quinoa Salad with Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette

Thanks to everyone that made Cookie Swap 2011 such a success!  I was so impressed with the variety and quality of the baked goods this year.  My taste buds thank you... my waistline does not!

Here are links to a couple more recipes posted on our M&M Blog that people were asking about at the Cookie Swap.  Enjoy!

Pistachio Baklava Recipe

Quinoa Salad with Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette Recipe

Jennifer's Parmigiano Reggiano Crisps with Chocolate and Sea Salt

DISCLAIMER: This recipe is from Cookie Swap 2010 but people were still talking about it at this year's cookie swap so we had to post it.  Better late than never.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Parmigiano Reggiano
6 tablespoons finely chopped dry roasted whole almonds (skins on)
4 ounces good quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 scant teaspoon vegetable oil
Sea salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Toss cheese and almonds together in a bowl. Form 12 mounds of cheese mixture on each lined baking sheet, spacing them 3 inches apart. Using the back of a spoon, press down on each mound to form a 1/4-inch thick circle. Place one baking sheet at a time on middle oven rack. Bake rounds 6 to 8 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let crisps cool on baking sheets.

Once crisps are cooled completely, line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Toss chocolate with vegetable oil in a small bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip about one-third to one-half of each crisp into melted chocolate, hold a few seconds above chocolate, then place on the lined baking sheet. Immediately scatter a tiny bit of sea salt over chocolate. Let chocolate set before serving. You can put crisps in refrigerator or freezer to speed setting.

Makes 24 crisps
Recipe from Whole Foods Market

Victoria's Chocolate Peppermint Cookie

INGREDIENTS
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken up
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon mint extract
4 ounces white chocolate, broken up
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
12 starlight candies, crushed or 1/3 cup crushed candy canes

1. Heat oven to 325. Butter two large baking sheets.

2. Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.

3. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in cooled chocolate. Add eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in flour, salt and cocoa powder until a soft dough forms. Beat in mint extract.

4. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake at 325 for 18 minutes or until dry on top. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

5. While cookies cool, combine white chocolate and oil in glass bowl. Microwave 30 seconds, stir; then microwave another 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Spoon about 1 teaspoon white chocolate onto each cookie, then top each with 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed candies. Let stand to harden for 30 minutes. Store airtight up to two weeks.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Prep 10 minutes
Microwave 2 minutes

Aimee's Chewy Gingersnaps

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Granulated sugar

Beat butter at medium speed until fluffy.

Gradually add 1 cup light brown sugar, beating well.

Add egg and molasses to creamed butter and sugar. Mix well. (tip: spray non-stick cooking spray on measuring cup before measuring out the molasses.)

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

Add 1/4 of flour mixture at a time to the creamed mixture, beating until smooth after each addition.

Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar. (tip: use one hand to scoop out dough, roll with your palms keeping the fingers of one hand dough free, drop into a bowl of sugar, and use the non-doughy fingers to scoop it out.)

Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, when tops will crack.

Cool on wire racks.

Yield: 4 dozen

Katy's Cherry Pistachio Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, separated
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
8 ounces candied cherries, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup coarse sugar

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, 1/2
cup sugar, and salt. Beat in egg yolk. Mix well. Add flour and
pistachios; blend on low speed until just combined.

Remove dough from mixer and with a strong spoon or your
hands, mix in cherries. Divide dough in half and roll each piece
into a log about 12 inches long; wrap in plastic and chill
overnight (or freeze for later use).

Adjust the oven racks to the center shelf and preheat oven to 350
degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly. Set aside.

Pour coarse sugar onto a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil.
Beat egg white slightly, then brush egg white over the surface of
the log; press and roll log into sugar; transfer to a cutting board.
Using a sharp knife, slice log in 1/2-inch slices; transfer to cookie
sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely and store in an
airtight container or freeze.