Cookie Swap 2011

This year I decided to host a cookie swap. With just a few friends, it would be an intimate affair that we all needed - a respite from the harriedness of this time of the year. Preparation for this party was the hurdle though, having set a 3 cookie requirement and eliminating the use of tree nuts in these cookies. This party was my idea of fun - sitting around the table, eating sweet treats, and discussing baking! The cookies my lovely friends brought were amazing and quite varied and so much fun to taste and evaluate. I cannot wait for next year's swap.

The cookie I made is a Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti. It's flavored with orange zest and this combination - white chocolate, cranberries, and orange - is really amazing. If you haven't tried it already, you must. The smells wafting from my oven while baking this cookie are truly bakery-worthy. The biscotti is perfect with a hot cup of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or any other warm drink you prefer. It's utterly dunkable - becoming soft and losing their crunch while retaining their structure, the white chocolate drizzle starting to melt slightly, as it absorbs just the right amount of liquid from your hot and cozy drink... mmmmmm.. cookie heaven.