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In Season: Holiday Cookie Exchange
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IN SEASON
Holiday Cookie Exchange Party
by KATHRYN O’MALLEY
112
December January
The century-old cookie swap has a simple yet irresistible premise: bake several batches of one kind of cookie, socialize and swap cookies with friends and family, and take home a spectacular assortment of goodies. Unless there are any cookie monsters lurking in your home, the bounty should supply all of your holiday gifting, entertaining, and late-night snacking. Not sure what to bake? Looking to try something new? We’ve got you covered. These knockout recipes from all your favorite cookie connoisseurs—and a couple from our test kitchen—are guaranteed to give you sweet results.
Jazz up the classic cookie swap: Ask guests to bring a beautiful tin, box, or serving dish, and “dish” them out by drawing names from a hat. Not only will everyone go home with a delicious variety of cookies, but also a lovely vessel in which to display them.
salted toffee peanut cookies
“Equally at home with a glass of milk or a bourbon cocktail, these cookies are addictively crunchy, sweet, salty on the outside and meltingly tender within. The big peanutty flavor comes from using pure natural peanut butter. Adventurous eaters must try the variation with Thai curry peanuts.”
– Alice Medrich, renowned pastry chef and award-winning cookbook author
Salted Toffee Peanut Cookies
View Alice Medrich’s recipe on page 56 »
Malted Milk Sandwich Cookies
View Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafi to’s recipe on page 58 »
malted milk sandwich cookies
“Malt is one of those ingredients with a taste you just can’t quite place your fi nger on. It has a warmth, depth and a nuttiness that tends to give your recipe an added note of fl avor, which if you are anything like us, over time becomes a serious addiction. There’s a reason that malt permeated almost every vintage American dessert recipe. And like all baking things of old, malt is making a comeback and features prominently in this amazing sandwich cookie.
These cookies come from our love of the classic Oreo-style sandwich cookie. And as much as we like sugar cookies around the holiday season, we love a sandwich cookie with a slightly boozy, creamy center.”
– Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafi to, owners of famed NYC bakery, Baked, and authors of Baked Explorations: Classic American Desserts Reinvented
Mexican Wedding Cookies
View Rose Levy Beranbaum’s recipe on page 59 »
mexican wedding cookies
“This is a recipe with many names and claims of origin. Some people call them Portuguese Wedding Cakes and Wedding Bells, but this version containing pecans is said to have come from Mexico.
These innocent-looking mounds, pristinely dusted with powdered sugar, are so ethereal they seem to explode in your mouth. A real favorite with most everyone, they are lovely to serve for an afternoon tea and, placed in an attractive container, make a charming and welcome holiday gift.”
– Rose Levy Beranbaum, James Beard Award-winning baker and best-selling cookbook author
Mandel Bread
View recipe on page 60 »
mandel bread with dried cranberries and pistachios
The Jewish mandel bread, sometimes called mondel bread or mandelbrot, is a twice-baked cookie similar to Italian biscotti. Rich, crunchy, and loaded with almonds, the basic recipe is infinitely adaptable and can be dressed up or down. Keep things simple with a dusting of cinnamon and sugar, or try a nontraditional mix of dried cranberries and pistachios.
It’s hard to believe that a cookie containing only a handful of simple ingredients could taste so positively decadent, but here it is. The Chocolate Cloud, with its crisp and crackled surface and luscious, gooey center is sure to please even the most discerning of chocolate lovers.
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