Chocolate Malt and Cherry Cookies-The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap-2013

Recently I participated in the third  annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  This is hosted by Lindsay from Love and Olive Oil and Julie from The Little Kitchen.   Last year and this year the swap has been sponsored by Oxo, and the participants have been asked to donate $4 which goes to Cookies for Kids Cancer.  This year $13,778.40 was raised.  Additional sponsors this year are Dixie Crystals and Grandma's Molasses.

Participants received some very nice gifts from the sponsors.  Oxo sent these great spatulas which will see a great deal of use in my kitchen.

Dixie Crystals sent a Bake-It-Forward Tin.  The idea here is to fill the tin with some baked goodies and pass them on to someone who could use a lift and ask them to pass it on to someone else.  I think this is a great idea.

  

I received wonderful, spicy Gingerbread Eggnog Puddles from Nena at Eat-Bake-Blog.  My hubby is a spice cookie fan, and he really loved these.  Des from Life's Ambrosia sent chocolate chip cookies that hubby and grandson really enjoyed on a recent 4-wheeling day. Ali sent peppermint cookies that were so suitable for this time of year.  I have managed to misplace the recipe so don't remember the name of her blog. I am sorry, Ali.  If you read this, let me know the name in the comments.  Edited 12/14/13  I found Ali's blog.  It is Ali Damron, who would have guessed?  I don't know where my mind was as I didn't think to take photos of the cookies I received this year.

I sent cookies to Eleana from Chou Down, Christina from The Dough Will Rise Again, and Kara from Kara in the Kitchen.  

For this year's cookie, I decided to adapt a favorite cookie recipe from my childhood so I added some chocolate malted milk powder and chopped, candied cherries to make it festive. My mother baked these often when I was a child.  I believe that the recipe originally came from Betty Crocker.  Because I was shipping the cookies, I omitted the frosting.  I highly recommend frosting the cookie if you are making them at home.

Chocolate Malt and Cherry Cookies

11/3 c butter or margarine, softened

2 c. sugar

2 eggs at room temperature

2/3 c. buttermilk

2 t. vanilla

3 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/2 c. chocolate malted milk powder

1 c. finely chopped candied cherries

1 c chopped, toasted walnuts

In a large mixing bowl beat butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder and malted milk powder.  Add to wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Stir in candied cherries and walnuts.  Cover and chill at least 1 hour.  Drop by rounded teaspoonsful about 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees 8 to 10 minutes. The dough needs to be kept very cold or the cookies have a tendency to flatten out when they are baked  If this begins to occur, return the dough to the refrigerator to chill again.  Frost if desired.  Makes about  7 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Malt Frosting

1/2 c. butter, softened

2/3 c. chocolate malted milk powder

1/4 c. cocoa

4 c. powdered sugar, sifted

1 t. vanilla

pinch salt

2-6 T. milk or light cream

In medium mixing bowl, beat with malted milk powder until creamy.  Add cocoa, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and 2 T. milk or cream. Beat well. Add more milk or powdered sugar as necessary to get desired spreading consistency.

If you missed this year's swap but think that you would like to take part next year, you may sign up to get notifications regarding next year's swap by going to this page.

Stop by either of the hosts blogs on Monday to see all the great cookies that were exchanged in the swap.