Granny Cookies

If you are someone who loves cookies and any other type of baked goods, Christmas is the time of year where many are being made and enjoyed. If you have never heard of a Christmas cookie exchange, it may be something you would be interested in attending or even hosting for your friends and family. If you are a baker or love baked goods this will be right up your alley when it comes to a Christmas cookie exchange.

A Christmas cookie exchange is one great way to taste many different cookies you might not have ever known existed. You are able to swap recipes of different cookies and desserts you make with your friends and family who attend. The holiday season is one time of year where it seems alright to indulge in sweets without feeling bad about it. For a Christmas cookie exchange or swap you usually will have at least ten individuals which you can swap cookies with. So how exactly does the Christmas cookie exchange work?

First you want to send out invites to those who you feel would enjoy this type of Christmas exchange. You will of course need them to RSVP so you are aware of how many will be attending. Also include the instructions on how a Christmas cookie exchange works for those who might not have ever been to one before. This will give them a bit of insight before they arrive so they do not feel lost when the exchanging begins. But again, you will need to explain the exchange and how it works once all of your guests arrive.

When you host a Christmas cookie exchange you will ask every participant to bring at least a half a dozen to a dozen of different cookies. Usually a good three or four different kinds is great. You will swap a dozen or half a dozen of your cookies for someone else's which interest you and place them on your tray. You go around the room to all the different individuals' cookies until all of yours are dispersed. Many hosts will also ask you to bring an additional dozen of your cookies for them to be shared throughout the party as a snack. It is also another great way to figure out which cookies you are looking to swap with yours.

In the end make sure you ask each participant to bring a copy of their cookie recipes so you can hand them out to those who are extremely interested in a specific cookie which you made. This is one great way you can taste different traditional cookies that many have made in their family for centuries. You may taste something you would have never thought you would enjoy but came out loving them.

Christmas cookie exchanges are becoming more and more popular including at work locations. This is a great twist on a Christmas party to keep everyone going. It may also be a new tradition you bring every year to those friends and family members of yours which love to bake around the holidays.

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Is there anything better on a cool Fall day than coming into the house and smelling the aroma of the season's best fruits? Well, feeling the warmth of the oven might be a close second. Here are some recipes to enjoy this Fall and Winter (or anytime of the year), using some of our Fall favorites - pears, apples, and blackberries. Grab a cup of coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate and enjoy a real treat.

SNAPPING CRANBERRY-PEAR CRISP

FRUIT MIXTURE:

1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
2 tbsp flour
5 med pears, peeled and sliced*

TOPPING:

1 cup coarsely crushed gingersnap cookies
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

For the fruit mixture, combine cranberry sauce and flour in a medium mixing bowl; mix well. Add the pear slices, toss to coat evenly. Place fruit mixture in a baking dish and set aside.

For the topping, in a small mixing bowl, combine cookie crumbs, flour, brown sugar, and butter; mix well. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the fruit mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pears are tender and the topping is golden brown.
Note: This is just as good when you substitute apples for the pears.

Oregon's Blackberry-Apple Crunch

Filling:

4 cups sliced Granny Smith apples
2 cups fresh blackberries (may use frozen but do not thaw)
3/4 cup sugar

Topping:

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, berries, and sugar. When well combined, pour mixture into a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan or dish.

In another large bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, walnuts, butter and cinnamon; blend together using your fingers. Sprinkle over the top of the fruit. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately an hour or until the top is brown and fruit is bubbly.

Enjoy!

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