Cookie Exchange: Candy Cane Kisses Cookies + A Giveaway!

Happy 12.12.12!

It's time for the 3rd Annual Larson Lingo Cookie Recipe Exchange!

I have a delicious recipe to share with you. Seriously. You are going to LOVE it.

 Here is what you need:

 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 cups butter {at room temperature...not melted!}
1/2  teaspoon peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups  flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses, finely chopped
Granulated sugar for rolling
Additional Candy Cane Kisses for the garnish

Directions:
In large bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract, vanilla extract and egg.
 Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy.

 In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
Add to the sugar/butter mixture and beat until well blended.

Unwrap some candy cane kisses (about 15-20)

Aren't they pretty?

Chop them up.

You need 1/2 cup:

Stir in chopped Kisses to the mixture:

Make sure the pieces are mixed evenly through the dough:

 Shape dough into balls:

Roll in granulated sugar:
 
Place on cookie sheet:

Bake for at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
While they are baking, unwrap more kisses.
As soon as your cookies come out of the oven, press a Candy Cane Kiss in the center of each cookie.
Put cookie sheet immediately into the refrigerator so that the Kisses will set quickly.
I kept them in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

 This recipe makes about 2 1/2 Dozen Cookies.
They are SO good. Seriously. So good.

 YUM.

After I made these cookies, I emailed Hershey's & told them I made these cookies using their kisses & that I was having a Cookie Recipe Link up on my blog. I asked if they would be willing to giveaway a cookbook to one of my readers. So out, of the kindness of their hearts & in the Spirit of the Holidays, they want to giveaway this cookbook to one of my readers in honor of the Cookie Exchange!
And, they said they will also mail the winner a variety of Chocolate as well! Isn't that nice?

How to Enter...It's EASY!
1. Leave a comment letting me know your favorite type of cookie.
2.  You get an extra entry if you linked up a cookie recipe, so leave a comment if you linked up!

The winner will be chosen on Wednesday 12/19 via random.org

So, grab a button & link up YOUR cookie recipe!

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Can't wait to check out your recipes! 
You can link them up now until next Wednesday, 12.19.12
 

3rd Annual Cookie Recipe Exchange!

Mark your Calendars...
It's that time of year again!

The Larson Lingo's 3rd Annual Cookie Recipe Exchange!

Coming to a blog near you on Wednesday
12.12.12

(How awesome is that date? Be still my number loving heart)
 

This will be the THIRD annual Cookie Exchange Link up! 

{Well, it is more like a Cookie Recipe Exchange, since we can't all get together in person and actually exchange cookies, but you get the idea!}

I don't know about you, but during the holidays, I LOVE baking & making cookies to give to family, friends & neighbors.

I love trying out new recipes, so 2 years I thought I would host a
"Virtual Cookie Exchange"
I can't wait to get new cookie ideas & recipes from YOU this Holiday Season!
On Wednesday, December 12th, I will put up a blog post with one of my favorite cookie recipes and I will have a linky up so you can link up your favorite cookie (or cookie bar) recipe!
It can be a recipe you have already blogged about, or you can post a new recipe.
It doesn't have to be a Holiday Cookie recipe (but it can if you want it to!)
Have you been wanting to spill the beans on a secret family cookie recipe? Now is the time!
Is there a cookie recipe on Pinterest that you have been wanting to make? Pin it, Make it & Link it!

Cookies, Cookie Bars, Brownies, Fudge....I can't wait to see what recipes you share!

Be sure to comes back next Wednesday to link up (or to just check out everyone's recipes!)
You can grab a button on my sidebar
<--------------------------------- p="p"> Start digging through your cookbooks & recipe boxes...
It's time to make some cookies!
I hope you will join the fun! 

Cookie Exchange: The best Snickerdoodles EVER

It's time for the 2011 Cookie Exchange!



I am excited to share one of my favorite cookies.
SNICKERDOODLES
I LOVE Snickerdoodles. But they have to be soft!
These are so soft & so amazing.
They are the best Snickerdoodles EVER.
I promise you can't just eat one. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Here is what you need:

• 1 cup (2 sticks)  butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Topping:
Cinnamon & Sugar
Like I have mentioned before, I am a cookie snob and I am all about soft cookies.

In a bowl, cream softened butter and sugars together. 

Add eggs and vanilla. 

Beat until smooth.
In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the cookie ingredients. 

I always add in a dash of cinnamon to the mix!

Slowly pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix well.
Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 - 60 minutes. 

Combine topping sugar and cinnamon together. 

Roll dough into walnut sized balls and in the cinnamon/sugar mix.
Place on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 12-14 minutes depending on your oven.

Bake at 300 for 12-14 minutes.
DO NOT OVER BAKE!

I pull them out of the oven as soon as the edges are slightly brown. They might not seem like they are done, but they are. If you cook them longer, they will over cook and be as hard as rocks!
After they have cooled, try not to eat all of them!

And, like I always do....store them in an airtight container with a slice of bread in it (the bread helps keep the cookie soft!)

Now, grab a button & link up your cookie recipes!
The linky will be open until next Wednesday!

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2nd Annual Cookie Recipe Exchange

It's that time of year again....

The Larson Lingo's Cookie Recipe Exchange!
Coming to a blog near you...one week from today
12.07.11

Last year's Cookie Recipe Exchange was so much fun, I can't wait to do it again!

There were almost 30 recipes linked up last year, I can't wait to see what you link up this year.
I made so many of the recipes you linked up last year and was able to give cookies to friends & family during the holidays. I love trying new recipes!

On Wednesday, December 7th, I will put up a blog post with one of my favorite cookie recipes and I will have a linky up so you can link up your favorite cookie (or cookie bar) recipe!

It can be a recipe you have already blogged about, or you can post a new recipe.
It doesn't have to be a Holiday Cookie recipe (but it can if you want it to!)
Have you been wanting to spill the beans on a secret family cookie recipe? Now is the time!
Post your favorite cookie recipe or a "tried & true" cookie recipe!
Is there a cookie recipe on Pinterest that you have been wanting to make? Pin it, Make it & Link it!

Cookies, Cookie Bars, Brownies, Fudge....I can't wait to see what recipe you share!

Be sure to comes back next Wednesday to link up (or to just check out everyone's recipes!)
You can grab a button on my sidebar
<----------------------------------

For those of you who missed it last year, I hope you join in this year!
Start digging through your cookbooks & recipe boxes...
It's time to make some cookies!

Cookie Exchange: Ultimate Ginger Cookie

It's Virtual Cookie {Recipe} Exchange Time!

I can't wait to share one of my favorite cookie recipes with you and I am even more excited to see what recipes you link up with!


One of my favorite cookies, especially during the holidays is homemade Gingersnaps.
(They have to be soft!)

I had a gingersnap recipe that I used year after year. But then my older sister made gingersnaps with a new recipe....and they were even better! She came over today to make them with us!
The recipe is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa's (Ina Garten) Ultimate Ginger Cookie.

Here is what you need to make The Ultimate Ginger Cookie:

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups dark brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
• Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

The recipe calls for chopped crystallized ginger (we got ours a Whole Foods)

But, if you don't have any, you can make the cookies without the crystallized ginger. This is what it looks like, in case you were curious:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Then, stir it together.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes.

Make sure you set the timer for 5 minutes so you don't forget. Elyse & Claire did a countdown for us:

Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 2 minutes.

With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Slowly add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined. If you aren't using the Paddle attachement on your stand mixer, you want to switch it for this part because the dough gets pretty dense and it might bend your mixer (not that I would know from experience.....!)

Here is the dough, all blended in!

Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop (or a spoon)

With your hands, roll each cookie into a ball & then roll in granulated sugar.

This was Kate's favorite part. She was in charge of rolling them in sugar:

It's all fun & games until someone got sugar spilled all over their head & shoulder:

Place them on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees:

The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside.

Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

They are the perfect cookie to enjoy with a cup of tea or cider. Yum!
And, they taste better if you eat them while sitting by your Christmas tree with Christmas music playing in the background :)

Now it's your turn to link up your favorite cookie recipe!
Use the linky below & remember to link to the specific post, not just your blog home.
It would be helpful if you included the cookie name in the linky!
Thanks for joining in and be sure to check out all the other recipes!

*If you need more time to get your post up, I will keep the linky open for the next 2 weeks!*