Cookie Swap: Everything You Need to Know to Pull off the Perfect Cookie Swap….From the Best Cookie Swap Recipes to Inspired Ideas for Packaging Cookies
By Kathleen Daelemans for NBC's Today

With Christmas just around the corner, it's crunch time to get your sweet treats baked for holiday gifts and gatherings. Chef Kathleen Daelemans, author of "Getting Thin and Loving Food, 200 Easy Recipes for Healthy Weight Loss" says hosting a cookie swap can be a stress-free ticket to getting your own holiday baking done on time.

When it comes to deciding on a recipe for your contribution to the swap, if you're counting calories, Daelemans recommends choosing a recipe that won't drive you to sneak downstairs in the middle of the night to steal spoonfuls of "dough."

Chef Kathleen talks to her Producer at Today before her segment with Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera...

Today Producer: What's a Cookie Swap?

Chef Kathleen: The term "Cookie Swap" means different things to different people. Cookie swaps take place in churches, schools, offices and homes across American.

Today Producer: How do you organize a Cookie Swap?

Chef Kathleen: Coordination is key. Traditionally, a host will plan a cookie swap party where everyone makes several dozen of one type of cookie and then packages the cookies to trade off with other bakers at the swap who have made a favorite cookie.

Today Producer: What are the best cookies to bring for a swap?

Chef Kathleen: We have a wonderful assortment of cookies for this swap; The Dark and White Chocolate Peppermint Bark, Chocolate Kisses, Chocolate Crackle Cookies, Classic Sugar Cookies and Springerle (Cookie Press Cookies).

The absolute best cookies to make for a swap are any cookies you're passionate about. If you're time starved, you can decorate pre-made Gingerbread cookies like the one Matt's going to decorate. It's a great thing to do with your kids. The very affordable kit is available online.

Today Producer: What's an easy "from scratch" recipe you can make that will really WOW your friends?

Chef Kathleen: Peppermint bark is a holiday favorite. It's really expensive to buy but it's so easy to make even Meredith can do it!

Today Producer: How do you package Cookies for Exchange?

Chef Kathleen: Part of the fun of an exchange is seeing how various cooks wrap their cookies. Check Good Will and Salvation Army stores for "vintage" tins. You can find seasonal zipper bags and plastic containers at your grocery store. We scoured the web and found all the pretty boxes, stickers, cookie bags and ribbons for the segment on sale at SurLaTable.com, Amazon.com, EKSuccess.com and MarthaStewartCrafts.com

Check out MarthaStewartCrafts.com for inspiring ideas you can duplicate using materials you have around the house. For those of you who don't have time to do-it-yourself, the prices on the site are quite fair, in fact they're offering 40% off many items. Check out the SALE section of the site first. You can find many of her products at Michael's craft stores and they always have coupons in the paper. View some of Martha's "deceptively simple" food packaging ideas here.

Today Producer: What do you serve to drink at an exchange?

Chef Kathleen: Well, I love to serve Homemade Hot chocolate garnished with a dollop of real whipping cream and an Old Fashioned peppermint stick. When I've been working super hard, shopping and wrapping presents and I'm in the mood for an ice cold refreshing drink that will soothe my aching bones: an ice cold glass of Hard Apple Cider. Bellwether Farms makes some of the best Hard Apple Cider in the country (cidery.com). All their apples are grown in upstate New York. They make a flavor called Black Magic, which is a combination of Black Currant juice and apple juice. They get the currants from a nearby farm too.

Today Producer: Before I let you go, tell me a little bit about each cookie you chose for Today's Swap.

Chef Kathleen: We're going to demonstrate the Dark Chocolate Peppermint Bark. If you're in a hurry, this is a hands down showstopper. You don't have to be a kitchen wiz or a pastry chef to turn out these delicious chocolates!

2. Martha Stewart's Chocolate Kisses – I make these every year around this time. Okay, my Mom makes these around this time every year. If I'm lucky, she calls me up to let me know. They're chocolate meringue kisses stuck together with a dark chocolate ganache.

3. Classic Sugar Cookies from the Art & Soul of Baking – These cookies require a time investment but you won't be disappointed. Before you get started on this recipe... read the recipe through start to finish a couple of days in advance. And then read it again. Gather your ingredients the night before and remember, this recipe requires time for the dough to chill.

I highly recommend you make the dough one day and bake the cookies on the second day. If you're a fan of decorating holiday cookies with all sorts of frostings and sprinkles, decorate on the third day and make a party out of it! Before your guests arrive, lay out all sorts of colored frostings and sprinkles on a counter. Give each guest a half-dozen cookies and decorate to your heart's content.

4. Chocolate Crackle Cookies – Dark chocolate cookies with a light dusting of snow (powdered sugar). This is another easy-peasy, classic holiday cookie recipe for chocolate lovers.

5. Springerle (Cookie Press Cookies) – These are great make-ahead cookies and they actually taste better the next day and even the second day after baking. Choose this recipe if you want to spend an afternoon in the kitchen baking cookies and listening to holiday music. Remember, the dough requires refrigeration so you might want to prepare it the night before.

Chef Kathleen is the author of the National Bestseller (as seen on Oprah) Cooking Thin with Chef Kathleen, 200 Easy Recipes for Healthy Weight Loss.

Chef Kathleen’s Dark & White Chocolate Peppermint Bark
I love making this during the holidays for two reasons. It’s a lot cheaper to make than to buy and this peppermint bark makes a great gift! If you’re on a budget, package it up in tins you might have kept over the years or go to a local thrift store and look for vintage holiday tins. Use parchment paper to separate the layers of bark.

Ingredients

12	oz chocolate chips
1	pound white chocolate chips
1/2	teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2	cup peppermint candy, crushed

	Preheat oven to 250°. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides. Spray foil. Pour the chocolate chips in an even layer on the foil. Place in oven for 5 minutes or until almost melted. Remove from oven, smooth with an offset spatula or knife. Place in refrigerator until cold and firm, about 20 minutes.
	Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a metal bowl over simmering water (don’t let bottom of bowl touch water), until chocolate is almost melted. You can use your microwave for this if you’re brave!
	Remove bowl from water and stir until completely melted, stirring in extract.
	Let cool a little bit so it doesn’t melt the chocolate layer when you pour it on top.
	Working quickly and using an offset spatula or butter knife, spread the white chocolate over the dark just to cover. Sprinkle with crushed candy.
	Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and shake off excess candy. Trim edges. Cut into 2” wide strips.
	Peel bark from foil and cut each strip as desired. Chill in covered container. Makes about 2 pounds.

Martha Stewart’s Chocolate Kisses
From Martha Stewart Holidays, 2001

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Difficulty: Easy Peasy!

Yield: Makes 32 large or 64 small cookies. Perfect for a cookie swap. Halve the recipe if you’re only making them for your immediate household.

Ingredients

4	large egg whites
2	cups sugar
12	Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
12 1/2	ounces ground almonds
1	teaspoon shortening
8	ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

	Pre-heat oven to 325° Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
	Beat on high speed until egg whites are stiff. Add the sugar slowly, continue beating until egg whites are very thick, 2 to 3 minutes.
	Beat in cocoa until combined. Stir in almonds; mix until completely blended. Batter should be quite thick and sticky.
	Dampen hands, and shape out 1 heaping teaspoonful of dough into a one-inch ball and place on prepared baking sheet. Continue process, spacing cookies about two inches apart, until all the dough is used.
	Bake until slightly cracked, about 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on sheet several minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
	Combine shortening and melted chocolate. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of chocolate onto flat side of a cooled cookie; place another cookie on top. Press together gently so chocolate oozes out slightly. Return to cookie rack; let the chocolate harden. Repeat with remaining cookies. Serve.

Classic Sugar Cookies
The Art & Soul of Baking, copyright 2008, Sur La Table

Makes 40 to 50 cookies

Here’s a deliciously crisp and tender sugar cookie that can assume many shapes and be served as is, or sandwiched with jam, chocolate, or your favorite filling. The cookies also make a great canvas for decorating at holiday times.

Equipment: Stand Mixer Fitted with a Paddle Attachment or a Hand Mixer and a Medium Bowl, Small Bowl, Whisk, Parchment Paper, Rolling Pin, Three Baking Sheets, Cookie Cutters, Fine-Mesh Strainer, Cooling Rack

Ingredients

2 1/4	cups (11 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4	cup (5 1/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4	teaspoon salt
2	sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2	large egg yolks
2	teaspoons pure vanilla extract

	1. Place the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and the salt in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, just to blend the ingredients. You can also use a handmixer and a medium bowl, though it may take a little longer to achieve the same results. Add the butter and mix on low until the butter is broken into tiny pieces, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to medium-low and mix until the mixture forms small clumps about the size of peas, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
	2. In the small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the butter mixture and blend on medium-low until the dough comes together to form several large clumps. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead several times, just to bring it together. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap the disks in plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until cold but still pliable.
	3. Place one disk of dough between two sheets of parchment or waxed paper and roll 1/8 inch thick. If the dough cracks when you start to roll, it may be too cold. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then try again—this dough rolls most easily when it is at cool room temperature. As you roll, the parchment will wrinkle, especially on the bottom. When this happens, peel off the top parchment paper, smooth out any wrinkles, and place it back on the dough. Flip the dough over and repeat with the paper on the other side. You may need to do this several times during the rolling process. Note: The dough may also be rolled out on a lightly floured work surface, but be sure to brush any excess flour from the top and bottom of the dough before chilling and baking (the parchment method is easier and cleaner). Place the rolled-out dough, with the parchment still attached, on a baking sheet and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining disk of dough.
	4. Remove the parchment from top and bottom of one piece of rolled out dough and place the dough on your work surface. Line the baking sheet with new parchment paper. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into desired shapes and transfer to the parchment lined sheet, spacing the cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart. Stack the cookies on the sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper between each layer. Scraps of dough can be gently kneaded and then re-rolled, but the more they are rerolled, the less tender the cookies, so strategically place your cookie cutters to leave as few scraps as possible. Repeat with the remaining sheet of dough. Chill the cut shapes while the oven preheats.
	5. Preheat the oven to 375°F and position an oven rack in the center. Sprinkle the cookies on each baking sheet with some of the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar (you may not use it all) just before they go into the oven. Bake one pan at a time, rotating the sheet about halfway through, for 10 to 13 minutes, until light golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie shapes. Decorate the cookies as desired or leave them plain and simple.

Storing: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment or waxed paper, at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Getting Ahead: At the end of Step 2, the dough can be wrapped airtight and chilled for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. You may find it even more convenient to chill or freeze the cutout dough at the end of Step 4, wrapping the entire baking sheet. There is no need to thaw the frozen shapes before baking—simply add a minute or two to the baking time.

Recipes are reprinted with permission from Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC. The Art and Soul of Baking © copyright 2008 by Sur La Table, Inc.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen.

Ingredients

8	ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1 1/4	cups all-purpose flour
1/2	cup Dutch cocoa powder
2	teaspoons baking powder
1/4	teaspoon salt
8	tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3	cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
2	large eggs
1	teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3	cup milk
1	cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for rolling

	1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop bittersweet chocolate into small bits, and melt over medium heat in a heat-proof bowl or the top of a double boiler set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
	2. In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and light-brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add melted chocolate. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding dry ingredients and milk until just combined. Divide the dough into quarters, wrap with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 2 hours.
	3. On a clean countertop, roll each portion of dough into a log approximately 16 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, using confectioners’ sugar to prevent sticking. Wrap logs in plastic wrap, and transfer to a baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut each log into 1-inch pieces, and toss in confectioners’ sugar, a few at a time. Using your hands, roll the pieces into a ball shape. If any of the cocoa-colored dough is visible, roll dough in confectioners’ sugar again to coat completely. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake until cookies have flattened and the sugar splits, 12 to15 minutes.
	4. Transfer from oven to a wire rack to let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Springerle

Springerle are striking looking anise flavored cookies made by stomping rolled out dough with carved rolling pins or wooden molds They are said to come from the old Swabian region of Germany.

Makes 2 to 3 dozen assorted 2 to 4 inch cookies

Tip: Have all ingredients at room temperature, 68 to 70 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

Whisk together thoroughly:

Beat on high speed until lightened in color:

Gradually add and beat until lightened in color, creamy, and thick enough that it drops in thick ribbons, about 3 minutes more:

Stir in the flour mixture until well blended and smooth. Sprinkle a clean work surface with:

	Turn out the dough onto the work surface and sprinkle with a little more flour. Knead in enough flour to firm the dough and make it manageable. Divide the dough in half and place 1 portion in a sealable plastic bag to prevent it from drying out.
	Roll out the other portion 1/4 inch thick, lifting the dough and lightly dusting the work surface and rolling pin as necessary.
	Lightly dust a Springerle carved rolling pin or cookie molds with flour; tap off the excess.
	Firmly roll or press the Springerle rolling pin or molds into the dough to imprint designs.
	Cut the designs apart using a pastry wheel or sharp knife. With a spatula, transfer the cookies to the cookie sheets, spacing about 1/2 inch apart.
	Gather up the dough scraps and knead into the reserved dough. Repeat the rolling and imprinting process until all the dough is used. Set the cookies aside, uncovered, for 10 to 12 hours.
	To bake, position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

If desired, sprinkle the cookies with:

Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until the cookies are almost firm but not colored, 18 to 25 minutes. Transfer the cookies to racks to cool.

DECORATING AND STORING SPRINGERLE

If desired, decorate the cookies by highlighting the designs with a food coloring wash as follows:

	Dilute vegetable food colorings with a bit of water and, using a small brush, apply a light wash of color to raised areas of the imprint.
	Or paint the raised areas of the imprint with edible gold leaf (available at specialty baking stores).
	Let the painted cookies stand until completely dry, about 2 hours.
	Store airtight for 3 weeks or for a more pronounced anise flavor add 1 or 2 teaspoons anise seeds to the storage container or freeze for several months.