Have any of you ever participated in a Christmas/Holiday cookie exchange? I never have, but it sounds like tons of fun! From what I’ve heard, in a nutshell, someone “hosts” the cookie exchange and invites 6-12 guests to the party. Everyone makes a few dozen of their favorite holiday treat then 
takes it to the party where the other guests take a couple of each of the other guest’s confections to take home. From what I understand, this exchange isn’t limited to just cookies. You can also make and bring dessert bars and holiday candy, too! By the end of the night, each guest end up with a very nice assortment of holiday goodies to take home and share with their family!
I really love this idea, but since I’m no longer living close to family and friends, I thought it would be super fun for us to have a holiday cookie/candy/dessert bar exchange here in the jungle. Of course we can’t exchange REAL treats, so how about the next best thing — recipes!? So, whip out your favorite holiday cookie/candy/dessert bar recipe and share it with us today.
I’ll start first. I have two recipes to share — one is a yummy dessert bar that is always a huge hit when I make it during the holidays, and the other is a recipe that would probably fall under the “candy” heading. Both are super-easy to make (which is my own personal criteria for making/baking/cookie anything! 
)
OATMEAL CARMELITAS
~ Crust ~
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups margarine or butter, softened
~ Filling ~
1 (12 1/2 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping (1 cup)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (6 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional!)
Heat oven to 350*. Grease 13×9 inch pan.
In large bowl, blend all crust ingredients at low speed until crumbly. Press half of crumb mixture, about 3 cups, in bottom of greased pan. Reserve and set aside remaining crumb mixture for topping. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in small bowl combine caramel topping and 3 tbls. flour; set aside.
Once the bottom crust is out of the oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture then sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture on top.
Return to oven and bake an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours or until filling is set. Cut into bars and enjoy!
“SO EASY” PECAN PRALINES CANDY
~ Ingredients ~
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 cups pecan pieces and halves
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cut in pieces
Preparation: Combine sugar, milk, and water in a 2-quart saucepan; heat to boiling stirring constantly. Cook until mixture reaches soft ball consistency (235°).Remove from heat; stir in pecans, vanilla, and butter. Immediately drop by tablespoons onto wax paper and let cool before eating.
Okay, now it’s your turn to share a yummy recipe. I can’t wait to see what you all post today! 
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Janelle Denison finds it hard to believe that it’s been nearly 25 years since she first started writing romance novels. At first, it was a way to pass idle time while her husband worked swing shift, but before long it became an obsession to get published. Luckily, she kept at it (it took her over 5 years to get that first book published!) and is now a Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, and USA Today Bestselling author! Now, after selling over 45 plus novels, she finds that her Plotmonkey pals help to keep her stories fresh and unique, and she can’t imagine writing a story without their input. Janelle lives in Oregon with her husband, Don, along with two teenage daughters that keep life interesting.
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Oh yum!! Our tradition was to make pineapple cookies (not very traditional, I know) and I still try to make them each year. The only problem is I never end up giving them away to neighbors. I eat all of them myself!! I’ve got to get kidlet to school but I’ll be back later with the recipe.
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i will have to think about this one. Most of my baking is pies and other than growing the fruit I use myself, there is nothing much different than anyone else does to bake pies. Except my pumpkin and I don’t share that one.
I will bake them for others, but not hand out the recipie. Took me years to develope one that goes beyond the usual bland pumpkin pie.
I have a friend who does a cookie exchange with a group every year- they bake a dozen for each person based on how many there are that year and then exchange them at work.
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For the past 25+ years I’ve hosted a Christmas Candy Day. I have a large kitchen so we usually have from 10 to 14 people. We spend the day making cookies, candies, fudges and chocolates. At the end of the day we all take home an assortment of everything we’ve made and, as a Christmas bonus, my gift to everyone is a cookbook of that year’s recipes. It’s great fun! Here’s my favorite cookie recipe.
CHOCOLATE TIPPED LOG COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons brandy
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped pecans
Powdered sugar
Melted milk chocolate
Cream butter. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Add brandy, vanilla and salt; mix well.
Add flour, stirring until blended; stir in pecans.
Shape dough into 1 ½ x ½ inch logs. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 325 for 15 to 20 minutes. Cookies should not brown.
While warm, roll cookies lightly (or dust with) powdered sugar. Place on wire racks to cool. When completely cool, dip one end in melted chocolate. Let stand on wax paper until set.
YIELD: 4 dozen
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I’m at work already, but will put in a recipe after work and the gym. I don’t bake lots of cookies at Christmas, but do give away about 10 run cakes. I’ll have to look for some of my grandmother’s cookie and candy recipes.
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I can’t do it right now. If anyone has any ideas for cookies that don’t require an oven….my oven is broken and I am supposed to bring cookies!
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CONGRATULATIONS CARLY ON YOUR RT NOMINATION FOR CONTEMPORARY CAREER ACHIEVEMENT!!! YAY!!!! WOW!!
I’m not a baker so I don’t do cookie exchanges. I wish I could but with not being able to tolerate dairy that would be a problem. The recipes do sound extremely yummy!
Have a great day all,
Cher
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Cher, thank you ….. FOR WHAT???? I haven’t heard!
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Alannah, my hubby would LOVE those pineapple cookies! I’m looking forward to getting the recipe!
PJ – what a very cool idea. That recipe looks YUMMY!!!
Liza — you can share your rum cake recipe if you’d like! :grin1:
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Janelle my family just had what we call cookie day! Me my mom, sister, sister in law and friend each made our favorite holiday cookies and backed all day. It was so much fun and very filling. You don’t really need a lot of people to do it. You and your daughters can each make two recipes and you’ll have a lot when your done. Then you can get fun cookie tins and send them to friends and family for a fun holiday treat!
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Janelle, I’ll post my rum cake recipe when I get home tonight. I pretty much know it from memory, but would rather be sure I’m giving out the correct information.
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Katie,
The only thing I can thing of is the Marshmellow treats for no bake cookies
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Stipped Delight I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit
35 OREO Cookies
6 Tbsp.
(3/4 stick) butter, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cold milk
1 tub (12 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
3-1/4 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
Make It
PLACE cookies in food processor; cover. Process to form fine crumbs. Transfer to medium bowl. Add butter; mix well. Press firmly onto bottom of 13×9-inch dish. Refrigerate 10 min. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk in separate bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in 1-1/4 cups of the whipped topping. Spread over crust.
POUR 3-1/4 cups milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Spoon evenly over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 min. or until thickened. Spread remaining whipped topping over pudding layer.
REFRIGERATE at least 4 hours. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator
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Katie, I make rum balls, peanut butter balls, and fudge, none of which require the oven. Just the stove top. Check out recipes for that kind of stuff.
I’m going to print out these recipes–they look great! Sorry I haven’t posted one. I’m living in 2-week-mother-in-law -visit-hell and haven’t been getting anything done—not a single decoration in sight! Wah!
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Janelle, what a good idea an online cookie exchange. I just made these for the first time the other day. Yummy! It is sort of a combination of two recipes!! Your cookies sound yummy as do the Candied Pecans.
Pumpkin-Cranberry Cookies
Ingredients:
8 oz. butter, softened 1 cup rolled oats
1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup dried cranberries, or raisins
1 cup pumpkin puree 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)
Cream together butter, white sugar & brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla & pumpkin.
In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cranberries & flour. Stir into pumpkin mixture.
Drop cookie by the heaping teaspoonful on to cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. Bake 12 – 15 minutes or until slightly browned around the edges.
Remove from oven & place on cooling racks. Frost with your favorite powdered sugar glaze or leave plain.
These are yummy, I left mine plain. The cookies are soft, I froze most of mine to give away for Christmas. These cookies do not spread. Enjoy!
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I’m actually hosting a cookie/ candy swap I will have to come back to post a cookie recipe. but in the mean time if you have to bring a dish to something here is an easy one and very yummy I usually double the batch
1 8 oz container of cool whip
1 pkgs vanilla pudding
6 apples cut into bite size pieces (Mac or Jonathons work best)
6 regular or 24 snack size snickers Cold the cut easier
mix the cool whip and pudding powder together then mix in bite size apples and bite size snickers bars refrigerate and you have Candy Apple salad.
For all of you who don’t bake it is also fun to have an ornament exchange invite your guest have them all bring a wrapped ornament you can set a price limit. draw name see who goes first have that person open an ornament then draw anouther name then that person can either open one or steal one that is already open after someone has had on stollen twice they can pick one and sit down and keep that one it is fun and everyone takes a new ornament home
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I’m really loving the recipes. I’ll have to print today’s post off.
Rum Cake
1 box yellow butter cake mix(one with pudding in the mix)
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. oil
1/2 c. light rum
1/2 c. pecans
Glaze
1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. light rum
Oven temperature should be 325 degrees. Grease and flour pan(I use a bundt pan) and put pecans in bottom of the pan. Mix all remaining cake ingredients together and pour into pan. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
About 5 minutes before cake is done, bring all glaze ingredients to a boil. Pour glaze over cake while hot and still in the pan(could bubble over, so pour over slowly). Let cool and then flip pan over onto cake plate.
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Liza, that sounds SO good and easy, too!!! :angelbanana
Thanks to everyone who shared recipes today! They all sound DELICIOUS!!!
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Well, this is so typical of me. I’l always, always, always late to the party. But I guess better late than never. Here’s the pineapple cookie recipe (and now I’m going to have to make them for myself, as well). Lookout scales! :giggler Hope Don enjoys them!!
Pineapple Cookies
2 Cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
Few grains salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup margarine
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Drain pineapple well, reserving liquid for icing. Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Dissolve baking soda in pineapple. Smoosh butter, add sugar – blend well. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Gradually add sifted ingredients – mixing after each addition. Blend in pineapple
Bake 6-8 minutes at 375
Icing:
2 Cups powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons pineapple juice
Mix up and smear on top (and the more the better).
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Congrats, Carly!!!!
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Yummm. These recipes all look wonderful and are making me very hungry. Here is my contribution.
These cookies are great. The ingredients meld into a fabulously delicious cookie that will disappear all too fast. Be sure to grab one for yourself before serving them or you may miss out! And they are made on the stove top.
Cherry Date Skillet Cookies
1 Cup Butter
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
8 oz. chopped dates
1 egg
3 Cups crisp rice cereal
1 Cup flaked coconut
1/2 drained maraschino cherries, chopped
1 T vanilla
2-1/2 Cups flaked coconut
In 10-inch or larger skillet melt butter over medium heat. Stir in sugar and dates; remove from heat. Stir in egg; return to heat. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full boil (4 to 6 minutes). Boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in all remaining ingredients except 2-1/2 cups coconut, until moistened. Let stand 10 minutes; shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1 inch balls.Roll in coconut. Makes 5 dozen.
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Well, I’m always late to the party.
Here’s my contributon, Cracker Candy. (My DD calls it Crack Candy because it’s as addicting as…this stuff is like toffee only easier to make.)
Okie Cracker Candy
72 Club crackers
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 Cups chocolate chips
2 cups chopped nuts (we use pecans)
Preheat oven to 375. Coat large cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place crackers on sheet in a single layer. Melt butter, add sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes. Pour mixture over crackers. Bake for 5 minutes. Microwave nuts for 1 minute to roast. Remove cracker mix from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the baked crackers and spread as the chocolate melts. Press the nuts into the chocolate. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Break candy into chunks.
Can’t wait to try some of the other goodies! Will see folks late tomorrow after the DD’s eye surgery.
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There are some really yummy recipes posted here. The one thing I’m now requested to bring any time there is any kind of potluck or cookie day at work are my mini cheesecakes. I’ve done a variety of different ones: cherry chocolate chip, peppermint, lemon, and my newest is orange. Here is the basic recipe for just regular mini cheesecakes that I have branched out from:
8 oz Neufschatel cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream
24 low fat Nilla wafers
Turn the over to 325 degrees. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the sour cream and mix well. Place one Nilla wafer each in the 24 mini-muffin liners. Place the cheesecake mixture on top of the wafer (I use an ordinary teaspoon to do this). Bake for 18-20 minutes.
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Cookie Swaps are great, you get a variety to your usual holiday baking.
BARK
Line a 10×15 pan with Graham Crackers and put aside.
In a pot combine
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Butter
Bring to a boil stirring all the time, STOP stirring for 3 minutes
Pour over the Graham Crackers and bake 6 minutes at 350 F
Take out of the oven and pour 1 package of Chocolate Chips and put in the oven for 1 minute to melt. Spread chocolate evenly
Sprinkle SCOR chipits over the top and PUT IN THE FRIG. till set
Take out of the frig and break into pieces.
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:devilbanana Oh sure LOL there goes the diet!
:givethaks
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:biggroan I printed out a bunch of recipes for my treat trays, ladies. Thanks. I make these but they are very rich:
Kringle Cookies:
1-1/2 cups crushed chocolate-covered graham crackers (about 17 crackers)
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 tsp. butter or margarine
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PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix crumbs and melted butter. Press firmly onto bottom of 9-inch square baking pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.
BEAT cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread over crust.
MICROWAVE chocolate and 1 tsp. butter or shortening in small microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt, stirring after 1 minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Drizzle over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Cut into 16 bars. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
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I got this out of a magazine a LONG time ago but Kraft also has it listed as
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bars