Celebrate the holiday season this year by hosting a cookie exchange party. Visit www.kissescookies.com for tips and recipe ideas.

Become the ultimate cookie exchange host

(ARA) – Cookie exchange parties are a holiday tradition that provides a fun-filled reason for friends and family to enjoy each other’s company and fill up their holiday cookie trays. This season, bakers and holiday entertainers can visit www.kissescookies.com to find a one-stop shop for receiving and sharing holiday baking and party planning tips that are sure to sweeten any holiday get-together.

For those looking to create the ultimate cookie exchange, the experts at Hershey’s Kisses Brand Chocolates offer the following tips to turn any holiday party into a sweet success. The iconic chocolate treat also will serve as the party-planning partner for holiday hosts by sponsoring 1,000 cookie exchange parties nationwide. To apply to host a Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates Cookie Exchange and for recipes and additional party tips visit www.kissescookies.com.

Cookie exchange tips:

* When sending out invitations, include a unique cookie recipe for each guest as a suggestion. Also ask your guests to RSVP with the recipe they plan to make so that you can be sure not to double up on a specific type of cookie. You can find a variety of creative recipes at www.kissescookies.com.

* Once you have all the RSVPs, inform your guests how many cookies they need to bring. One dozen per guest is a good start, but if you’re having a large party, it might be a good idea to reduce this quantity to only a half-dozen cookies so that guests aren’t overwhelmed with baking.

* Encourage your guests to bring copies of their recipe for everyone. Also ask them to bring along sealable containers for the cookies they’re taking home. Have a few extra containers on hand in case someone forgets.

* To give your party added fun, set out gift tags, gift bags, ribbons and pens so that your guests can create gifts for co-workers, neighbors, teachers and friends.

* Play holiday music and offer simple refreshments like hot cocoa, warm apple cider, coffee, tea and eggnog to keep the holiday ambiance going.

To get your party planning started, consider the following recipes for your cookie exchange:

Kisses Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes four dozen cookies

Kisses Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
Cookies:
48 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates
1 cup softened butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 cup Hershey’s Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolates

Chocolate drizzle:
1/4 cup Hershey’s Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolates
1 teaspoon shortening

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and remove the wrappers from the milk chocolates. Beat together butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until well blended. Add flour and blend until smooth. Stir in the mini chips. Mold scant tablespoons of dough around the milk chocolates, covering completely. Shape into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool completely.

Prepare chocolate drizzle by placing the mini chips and shortening in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at medium heat for 30 seconds and stir. If necessary, microwave at a medium heat for an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth when stirred. Drizzle mixture over each cookie.

Chocolate Almond Thumbprint Cookies
Makes three and one half dozen cookies

Ingredients
Cookies:
1 cup softened butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Chocolate filling:
42 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates with Almonds
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Hershey’s Cocoa
1 tablespoon softened butter
2 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and remove the wrappers from the milk chocolates. Beat together butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla extract together until well blended. Stir together flour, cocoa and salt in a separate bowl and mix into the butter mixture. Roll dough into one-inch balls and roll in chopped almonds. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and press thumb gently into the center of each cookie. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely.

Prepare chocolate filling by combining powdered sugar, cocoa, butter, milk and vanilla extract in a small bowl. Beat mixture until smooth. Spoon or pipe about 1/4 teaspoon of the chocolate filling into each thumbprint on the cooled cookies. Gently press one milk chocolate into the center of each cookie.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Cinnamon Stars (Zimtsterne)

Thanksgiving and Christmas in Canada are wonderful occasions for home bakers to hone their skills. Traditional German Christmas cookies are a fun way to get started, even for people with no baking experience. The recipes are usually fairly simple and straightforward, requiring only pantry staples, a few special seasonal ingredients and cookie cutters.

For those that don’t have time to bake during the holiday season, German Christmas cookies can be found on your supermarket shelf.

For more ideas on how to make your holiday entertaining more traditionally German or for recipes, visit Germanfoods.org. You’ll find recipes, entertaining ideas and a list of retailers in your area that sell authentic German foods and beverages.

Cinnamon Stars (Zimtsterne)

The quintessential Christmas cookie – these crisp, spicy cookies make a perfect snack after a day outdoors. Serve them with big pitchers of mulled wine and hot chocolate.

14 oz. (400g) unpeeled almonds

3 egg whites

2 cups (250g) confectioner’s sugar, plus extra for decoration

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 280°F.

Finely chop or grind almonds (food processor works great). Whip the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff. Sift the confectioner’s sugar and gradually fold it under the egg whites. Reserve and put aside 2 heaped tablespoons of this mixture. Gently stir the almonds into the egg mixture. Sprinkle the work surface with confectioner’s sugar. Roll out the mixture to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using a star cutter and place them on a cookie sheet lined with non-stick parchment paper. Dip the cutter into confectioner’s sugar from time to time to stop the mixture from sticking to it. Brush each star with a little of the reserved egg mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes until crisp on the outside.

The cookies should still be a little soft in the center.

- News Canada

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Almond-Orange-Cardamom Cookies

1 cup slivered almonds

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

28 whole natural almonds

Spread almonds onto an ungreased baking pan. Place in a 350ºF oven and bake about 7 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant; stir once or twice to ensure even browning. Place slivered almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground. Set aside. Stir together flour, cardamom and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Place the butter in a medium bowl and beat at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in the egg yolk, orange zest and almond extract. Add flour mixture and ground almonds and beat at low speed just until blended. Cover and chill.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape tablespoonfuls of dough into balls; place 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Press a whole natural almond in the center of each ball. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the underside is lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Per serving for 28 servings:

Calories
80

Cholesterol
15 mg

Total Fat
6 g

Fibre
<1 g

Saturated Fat
2.5 g

Calcium
16 mg

Monounsaturated Fat
2.5 g

Magnesium
15 mg

Polyunsaturated Fat
1 g

Potassium
45 mg

Carbohydrate
6 g

Sodium
20 mg

Protein
2 g

Vitamin E
1.4 mg*

Total Alpha-Tocopherol Equivalents

- News Canada

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