Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2013 - Crunchy Frostbite Cookies

Last year was the first time I participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap and it was so much fun, I was really looking forward to doing it again!  This is a world wide cookie swap with all participants giving a donation to Cookies for Kids with Cancer.

First of all, anyone interested in participating has to meet certain criteria, such as being a food blogger and having published so many posts in a definite time frame.  Once accepted, then there are deadlines to meet!  One of these was to post your cookies no later than 2 December. Which was not  a problem for me, being a Monday and all!  And Whitney and I had spent Saturday baking cookies,  although the ones I did for the Cookie Swap I did on my own!  I did these before Whitney came over because they were a complete new recipe for me and I needed to be sure they would be tasty enough to share and sturdy enough to survive the journey to other people's houses with the Royal Mail!

(If they did not meet my standards, I had an old and very favourite stand by to bake, but maybe that will be next year's swap!) 

There is an air of secrecy and expectation about giving and receiving these cookies.  Once registered, we are each given 3 others to share our cookies with. But this is like a Secret Santa, so all the energy and thoughts about this exchange goes silent for a few weeks!  Then - suddenly, there it is - the first package!   I always work to a deadline so I was very surprised when I received my first batch of cookies days before I had even purchased the ingredients for mine!







These were delicious Bailey's and Chocolate Chip Cookies from Quips and Dip.  These were Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Not only did they taste wonderful, but Emma also packaged them beautifully.

The next package came on 4 December - from Come Con Ella.  These were amazing Brownie Roll Out Cookies.  Mehrunnisia says she got her inspiration from Smitten Kitchen and I cannot wait to try this recipe.  The cookies tasted like real brownies, but must be so much less in calories.  My Weightwatcher group has asked me to point these once I get the recipe!  I think they will end up being a wonderful snack!
Brownie Roll Out Cookies and Bailey's Choc Chips

The last package had difficulty getting to me.  The Postman attempted to deliver it on Thursday 5 December, but uncharacteristically, no one was home. Friday was the same. So I did not get them until Saturday.  These were from Katiesprog.  I have been unable to contact her to let her know her Raspberry and White Chocolate Cookies arrived!  I think the contact given is only a Twitter account, but I have struggled to get connected. So I do apologize that I have not been able to acknowledge arrival and thank her for these cookies.


I had decided to bake Crunchy Frostbite Cookies found on the myrecipes.com website, based on a Southern Living magazine recipe. Why I couldn't use one of my many cookbooks is beyond me, but I saw these and wanted to try them.  And I must admit they are a hit with my grandson, who   has told him Mum he wants to bake these for Santa. So she is waiting for me to publish this recipe too!

Here goes!

If you want this recipe photo free, just scroll down!





 An action shot of me! Taken by my daughter.

Crunchy Frostbite Cookies  

adapted from a Southern Living recipe found on myrecipes.com.

Just a reminder that this is an American recipe and I have tried to measure everything so anyone can do this.  However, my weights and measures might not be exactly accurate and I apologize for any errors!

2 cups (295g)  all purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons baking soda  (bicarbonate of soda)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar  (226g)
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (235g)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups (164g) uncooked regular oats
1 1/2 cups (58g) cornflakes cereal
12 ounces (340g) white chocolate baking squares, chopped* 
3 tablespoons shortening**
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

*I have never seen baking squares in any UK grocery stores I have been in, and have only thought to buy chocolate squares when I go home. So I just used the weight amount called for in White Chocolate bars.  Seemed to do the trick!

**For many years, I substituted butter or margarine for shortening.  But I usually ask visitors from the States to bring this to me.....personally?  I don't really think it matters which one you use!

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.


Using an electric mixer - mix 1 cup of shortening with sugars, added slowly, until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well each time and then add vanilla.  After this is all mixed, add the flour mixture, gradually.  Following this, add the oats and cornflakes.






On a lightly greased cookie sheet, drop cookie dough by heaped teaspoonfuls, leaving space for them to spread.  Using a fork, flatten each one a bit.  

Bake at 325F/160C for 10 - 14 minutes.  Mine is a fairly slow oven so it was the full 14 minutes for me.















 Allow to cool before eating!


For the chocolate coating, carefully microwave the white chocolate along wth 3 tablespoons of the shortening.  Using a lower setting protected the chocolate even if it seems to take a bit longer. Stir as little as possible, but at least once.  Add the peppermint extract and mix that in well.
Dip what I would consider the bottom of the cookie into the chocolate mixture and place these on parchment paper, chocolate side down.  Let stand until chocolate is set.

I got about 40 cookies!
before the white chocolate dip!




















And here is one set of cookies getting ready to find a new home!





In looking at my contribution from last year - another Southern Living cookie recipe, dipped in white chocolate!  I wonder what next year will bring?

Many thanks to Lindsay and Julie for taking on this huge worldwide charity challenge and making it so much fun! 





Crunchy Frostbite Cookies 

2 cups (295g)  all purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons baking soda  (bicarbonate of soda)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar  (226g)
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (235g)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups (164g) uncooked regular oats
1 1/2 cups (58g) cornflakes cereal
12 ounces (340g) white chocolate baking squares, chopped* 
3 tablespoons shortening**
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

*I have never seen baking squares in any UK grocery stores I have been in, and have only thought to buy chocolate squares when I go home. So I just used the amount called for in White Chocolate bars.  Seemed to do the trick!

**For many years, I substituted butter or margarine for shortening.  But I usually ask visitors from the States to bring this to me.....personally?  I don't really think it matters which one you use!

Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.


Using an electric mixer - mix 1 cup of shortening with sugars, added slowly, until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well each time and then add vanilla.  After this is all mixed, add the flour mixture, gradually.  Following this, add the oats and cornflakes.

On a lightly greased cookie sheet, drop cookie dough by heaped teaspoonfuls, leaving space for them to spread.  Using a fork, flatten each one a bit.  

Bake at 325F/160C for 10 - 14 minutes.  Mine is a fairly slow oven so it was the full 14 minutes for me.

For the chocolate coating, carefully microwave the white chocolate along wth 3 tablespoons of the shortening.  Using a lower setting protected the chocolate even if it seems to take a bit longer. Stir as little as possible, but at least once.  Add the peppermint extract and mix that in well.
Dip what I would consider the bottom of the cookie into the chocolate mixture and place these on parchment paper, chocolate side down.  Let stand until chocolate is set.

I got about 40 cookies!








2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for sending me these! They were absolutely amazing, the texture was particularly good, I was rather sad when I had finished them. I have been waiting for today so that I could get the recipe and make them for myself. Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. I am so glad you enjoyed them, Fiona! They are really easy to make too. I think Santa will be pleased to see them waiting for him at my grandson's house!

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