How to Host a Social Media Holiday Cookie Exchange
- Find your tribe—the more the merrier!—and spread the word by creating a hashtag and announcing your cookie exchange on social media. For the past few years, I've hosted #VirtualCookieParty2018 and #VirtualCookieParty2019 on Instagram, and dozens of bloggers have shared their favorite cookie recipes on the designated day.
- Share the date and ask that participants use the hashtag and tag you so you don’t miss recipes. You can include a link to the blank recipe card, too, or have people share the recipes in the caption of their posts.
- On the day of the cookie exchange, you’ll be flooded with fun cookie exchange recipes!
Cardamom-Molasses Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
For the filling
- • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- • 2 teaspoons baking soda
- • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- • 1 teaspoon ground anise
- • ½ teaspoon allspice
- • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
- • 1 cup granulated sugar
- • ½ cup light or dark brown sugar
- • ¼ cup date molasses
- • 1 egg
- • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, cardamom, anise, allspice and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, ½ cup of the granulated sugar, the brown sugar and the molasses on medium-high (6–8) speed for 3–4 minutes, until mixture becomes fluffy and light in color. Add the egg and vanilla and mix for another 30 seconds. Lower the speed to the stir setting and slowly add the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium-low (2–3) and mix until the ingredients are just blended, scraping down the sides as needed and being careful not to overmix. Stop when no streaks of flour remain and the ingredients are fully combined.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place a rack in the center.
- Fill a small bowl with the remaining ½ cup of granulated sugar. Using a cookie scoop, scoop the dough, then roll it between your hands to create a 1” ball. Roll the dough in the granulated sugar to coat it. Repeat this step until there is no more dough. (If you plan to freeze the dough, do so at this stage in the process.)
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet 1–1 ½" apart and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the cookies puff up slightly and begin to crackle on the top. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes; they will continue to crackle. Once they are cool, you can transfer them to an airtight container to store for 4–5 days. The cookies will remain soft and chewy.
A note on freezing cookies
- You can freeze the cookie dough or even the baked cookies. To freeze the dough, do so after you’ve rolled the dough balls in sugar. Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze them overnight, then pop them into a freezer bag to store. When it’s time to bake, they may take an additional 1–2 minutes in the oven. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- You may also freeze baked cookies for up to 3 months. Remove them from the freezer, allow them to come to room temperature and enjoy!