Cookie Swap v.3

Cookies!!

It's that time again--  time for my annual cookie swap!  As in years past, I invited fellow Boston bloggers over to my apartment to enjoy a couple of savory snacks and swap some delicious cookies.  I'll save the savory stuff for later, as there's still time to add these gems to your holiday baking list :)

photo by Cara

To get the party started, I made Pumpkin Blondies (on the left) and Pumpkin Oaties w/Rosemary Pecans & Cranberries (on the right).  It took a couple of tries to get my blondies to have my desired texture, but I think these came out pretty well.  Both recipes to come soon ;)

photo by Cara

Next up we have Cara's Chocolate Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies (on the right) and Cinnamon Coffee Pecan Cookies (on the left).  Both vegan and free of refined sugars, these are a great option for any GF friends you might have!

photo by Cara

Bridget brought along her mom's Butterscotch Brownies, aka blondies from Betty Crocker ;)  They had exactly the texture I was going for with my pumpkin version, so I'd say Betty Bridget's got it right!

photo by Cara

Elizabeth made some Nutella Oatmeal Cream Pies.  I used to love those little packaged oatmeal cream pies when I was a kid, but these blew my memory of those out of the water!

photo by Cara

Christmas came early when Joanne arrived at my door to hang out for the afternoon :)  She brought along some Rainbow Cookies that are so much better than any I've ever had on an Italian cookie plate!

photo by Cara

Spiced Caramel Pecan Bars were Kerstin's contribution to the swap.  The name says it all here, and loving all things caramel I was definitely a fan!

photo by Bridget

Although Lauren couldn't stay for the swap, she dropped off some Better than Crack Brownies to contribute.  We all missed you Lauren!  And while we debated whether or not the name was accurate (none of us have ever tried crack), we figured they were delicious enough to let the name stand :)

Lizzy kicked up the traditional chocolate chip cookie by creating two variations- one with Andes Mints (on the left) and Hot Chocolate Cookies (on the right).  No need to choose, take one of each ;)

photo by Cara

Melissa made Chocolate Mint Cookies, highlighting a combo that we all apparently love as it showed up in three different cookies!

Photo by Cara

Rounding out the swap were Ranjani's Caramel Pecan Cranberry Bars.  Sweet and just a little bit tart, I bet these would be pretty popular on a cookie plate.

Back Row:  Myself, Joanne, Kerstin, Ranjani, Elizabeth; Front Row:  Bridget, Lizzy, Cara

But wait!  There's more!


This year, I teamed up with Allison at King Arthur Flour to bring a little holiday cheer to the Best Cookie!  I'm already a huge fan of King Arthur's top-quality flours, but did you know that they have a Baking Hotline where you can reach experts to help with your baking???  I should've called them about my pumpkin blondies ;)  Connect with KAF on Facebook, too!

photos from KAF

While I think everyone at the swap this year was a winner, leaving with boxes full of cookies, the Best Cookie will win Peppermint Crunch, a set of Luster Sugars and Fiori di Sicilia to play with.  Thanks Allison!

To help decide the Best Cookie at our swap, cast your vote by Saturday Dec 17th, noon EST.