Chocolate Toffee Bars using Saltines or Ritz Crackers
I’m confessing right here with you all, my nearest and dearest friend. I feel like the Scrooge of Baking Christmas Cookies. I’ve been invited to a Christmas Cookie exchange tomorrow evening, and I don’t want to go.
You heard it correctly. I don’t want to go because I don’t feel like baking Christmas cookies. (GASP!)
Quite possibly it’s because many of the recipes that I have for Christmas cookies are putsy and time consuming. Or maybe, I’d just rather snuggle in for a long winter’s night watching every Christmas movie on Hallmark (Yes, I did that lazy, wonderful thing this weekend), but honestly, I have no desire. What is wrong with me?
Now, typically when I am in this scrooge-ish mood, I go for my two favorites: Chocolate Toffee Bars using Saltines or Ritz Crackers , they are a perfect Mock Toffee without the hassle of candy thermometers, or No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls.
Both of these recipes look divine without all the time consuming work of traditional Christmas cookies, and taste just wonderful.
No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
If I wanted to be really daring, I could bring frozen cookie dough. The guests may raise an eyebrow for that once since I am sure that hasn’t been done before, but I guarantee people would love it because yes, you can freeze cookie dough and it makes the most amazing gifts. (See how I packaged the frozen cookie dough for gifts here.)
Now here’s a possibility. I could just bring some of these yummies to share at the party. Yes, this Easy Cream Cheese Danish recipe whips up in minutes and has only three ingredients. Is something even allowed to be that simple?
I realize this cookie exchange is tomorrow, and I really may pass, but I am counting on all of you to share your favorite cookie recipe in the comments.
I need some sheer, divine inspiration on this matter.
I hate visualizing my children at age thirty with their feet up on the therapist’s chair crying, “My mommy refused to bake Christmas cookies with us in the year 2011. It’s all been downhill since then.”
So help a girl out, will you? Share your favorite, Christmas Cookie Recipe.
I’ll shake this yet. (I’ll just consider you my own personal Ghost of Christmas Baking Future).
I’m looking forward to perusing through all these great Tasty Tuesday recipes. Make sure to support your fellow bloggers, by browsing a few others as well. Simple requests, Link up to your exact recipe post, link back here in your post, and please refrain from linking up your recipe carnival.
I know the feeling sometimes! I linked up some chocolate dipped potato chip cookies, easy and impressive! I also linked up some eggnog truffles for ya! Enjoy and thanks for hosting.
Cookie dough at a cookie exchange??? I think its a brilliant idea! A few years ago I got together with a couple of friends and we swapped cookie dough and made pie crusts together. It was great. Whenever I needed something to take to a get together or if friends were coming over, I could just go to the freezer and get out the dough and bake up the cookies. In fact, I have 2 children who love to cook so I think I’ll have them make the doughs today to stick in the freezer. Thanks for the reminder.
You are a woman after my own heart! Every year my boys beg for cut out cookies and every year I dread them while feeling like a grinch.
I went to a cookie exchange once where one woman made Chex Mix and put it in pretty containers instead of cookies. Just a thought.
I really like the freezer cookie dough gift idea; I’m thinking of my MIL and others who don’t do much baking anymore since they aren’t able to stand for a long time. Thanks for sharing another great recipe idea. 🙂 ~Lisa
I’m sharing 25 days of Christmas cookies/treats on my facebook page – http://www.facebook.com/FindingJoyinmyKitchen.
But, my FAVORITE cookie recipe is this one for healthier molasses crinkles. This recipe uses 100% whole wheat flour and no one knows.
http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/2009/11/whole-wheat-molasses-crinkles.html
I recently made the recipe & replaced half of the butter with sweet potato puree… oh my were those wonderful too.
It’s okay to say no. I give you permission to stay home and watch Hallmark if it’s what your body and your family needs. 🙂
I’m so excited because I have tried all of the recipes you shared today. I have spent almost $10 a pop on the toffee crackers before you posted this recipe last yr. I am addicted to your Neiman Marcus cookies when they are still frozen. I made the cheese danish twice last week for the first time and took it to a training Sat. Everyone drooled! It’s OK to be in love w/ the IDEA of making cutout Christmas cookies, but realize that’s not for you. Someone else can bring those to the exchange and you can do the unique gifts. I would love to get the frozen dough because my house could be overflowing w/ prepared desserts in Dec and I’d really like to have something in Jan or beyond. Grab those cooking kids and whip up one of these yummy treats to share w/ your friends! Go for the social and don’t sweat the cookies!!!
I love the mock toffee. One of my favorite recipes. I’m adding my Caramel Brownie Bites recipe. They are super easy and so good!
I make the Saltine toffee every year. People seem to expect it from me. I wouldn’t say it is scrooge like though because it is a lot of work. I make other items too though.
I think the frozen cookie dough idea is brilliant. I do it all the time at home, but I’ve never packaged it as gifts. I’m going to read up on that. Thanks. I am honestly feeling the same way….I had to make lunch for our staff (along with another person) today, and I have a cookie exchange on Friday, that I don’t really want to go to. But, I think I’m going to bake one type and package the other as frozen.
Ok, so I linked up my Peanut Blossoms and my Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels (again). I whipped those pretzels up last night in no time. You could just package them in small bags, tie them with a ribbon, and arrange them on the tray for your cookie swap.
If I were part of the cookie exchange, I’d want to be on the receiving end of the saltine cracker toffee! 🙂 I think that’s my all-time favorite candy.
Magic Cookie Bars – melted stick of butter, add crushed graham cracker crumbs, pour on a bag of choc chips and a bag of butterscotch chips, cover with can of sw. cond. milk, top with coconut, bake about 20 min at 350. super easy! chill before cutting.
Good morning, I’m sharing a recipe for coffee cinnamon protein brownies made using coconut flour. Have a great week.
I had a hard time choosing which to post. I have two NEW favorites — Butterscotch Gingerbread and Cookies and Creme cookies. They are both easy!
The cookie dough is a unique idea — I bet it would be greatly appreciated!
Have fun!
Maybe you should try cake box cookies… my mother-in-law introduced me to these years ago. Yet again they take 3 ingredients…1 box of cake mix, 1/2 cup of oil, and 2 eggs. Mix it all together, drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. My favorite are lemon, but I’ve tried several that I really liked! Hope this inspires you.
OH, Stephanie – you and I think alike. I have that post ready to go, but for Cake Pops. In fact, last year, I posted the Cookie Sandwich cookies using cake mix. So yummy, but didn’t think they’d go over for the cookie exchange. 🙂 I have NOT tried lemon though and that would be delicious. Thanks for reminding me to try something new.
So, so many links to go see. Today I bring Hawaiian Luau Cookies. These slightly pineapple flavored cookies full of macadamia and coconut are a nice change from the usual flavors of the holidays. Try these for the exchange. They are very easy and will have everyone dreaming of sunshine and warm breezes. Thanks for hosting.
Here’s another 3-4 ingredient simple cookie recipe:
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Take a box of spice cake mix or carrot cake mix. Add in a can of pumpkin. Add in some chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. Let cool. Then drizzle with canned cream cheese frosting or melted white chocolate. Voila! Plus, super moist!
Forgot to mention, that after the drizzle with frosting or white chocolate, pop them in freezer for 5-10 minutes to harden the drizzle. 🙂 Good luck!
Around here some of the cookie exchanges have gotten SO picky about what is and isn’t acceptable that it’s just not worth it. I’d rather have my niece and nephew over and bake with them.
I say do what you want to and say no to everything else.
Frozen cookie dough sounds like a great idea. You can save it and make just a few (or a lot :P) as you want to eat them. Fresh cookies every time!
I just got through posting 5 days of Christmas cookies and I wanted them all to be easy – no “putsy” recipes, as you put it. 🙂
The one I chose to link, Espresso Truffle Bars, is one of the best simply because if you like chocolate, one bite and you’re in chocolate heaven! It’s a truffle, but in a bar form- no individually shaping and fooling with- I love it, hope you all do, too!
My go-to cookie recipe is chocolate chip shortbread. I always have the ingredients. It is easy and quick to make. And people love this buttery, chocolate chip combination.
I tried 4 times to link up, but couldn’t. I can’t figure out what I’ve done wrong so I will leave the link here: http://fruitfulwords.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/chocolate-chip-shortbread-cookies/