New Cookie Swap-PDLooking for a unique cookie swap theme or cookie? Look no furtherthan Cookie Swap by Julia Usher where she takes the popular idea of the cookieexchange party to new heights and new directions. Cookie Swap isfilled with delectable recipes and tasty treats sure to please atany gathering whether you're looking for something colorful andchewy like the Bunny Trail Mix Cookies or feeling a bit nutty forthe Under her Thumb(print) Cookies rolled in hazelnuts and toppedwith a creamy, white-chocolate ganache.This elegant entertaining book shows that the cookie swap isperfectly suited not only to holiday gatherings but also togarden parties, showers, children's birthdays, summerget-togethers, and more. Talented baker Julia Usher reveals thatcookies are infinitely adaptable to different party themes andtimes of year, resulting in scores of delightful possibilities.

Introduction	p. 7
That's How the Cookie Crumbles: Cookie Baking Tips	p. 10
An Affair of the Heart	p. 15
Spring Fling	p. 29
Not Your Garden-Variety Garden Party	p. 47
A Vision in White	p. 65
Fun in the Sun	p. 81
Cookies Cum Laude	p. 95
Cookie Monster	p. 109
Deck the Halls	p. 127
Cookie-Cutter Approaches: Basic Recipes	p. 142
The Sugar on Top: Decorating Techniques	p. 152
Resources	p. 156
Index	p. 158
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

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Cookie Swap-Excerpt

Cookie Swap Countdown

1. At least four weeks prior to theparty:

Choose a date and send out invitationsto allow guests ample time to bake. Ask each guest to bring afavorite cookie and enough copies of the recipe for all to share.Though there are no hard-and-fast rules about how many cookiesyour guests should bring, consider capping each guest'scontribution at five or six dozen (generally no more than two orthree standard-sized batches), or at whatever number s/he cancomfortably prepare. The goal is to keep the event stress-freefor everyone.

Most importantly, use the invitation to your guests' advantage.Identify any known food allergies in advance and broadcastoff-limits ingredients in the invitation. If your event isthemed, share the concept so guests can bake clever cookietie-ins if they wish. You might even include a few tried-and-truerecipes as inspiration.

2. With two to four weeks togo:

Gather all the essential support for thecookies, such as serving plates (should guests forget them),napkins, beverages, and containers for packing up the take-hometreats. Elevate your swap by avoiding paper plates and plasticwrap whenever you can. Stock up on paper and pencils for writingdown recipes, making name tags for cookies, and/or listing theingredients in each recipe. (The latter is especially importantif guests have food allergies.)

3. With one to two weeks togo:

Make your cookie contributions as closeto the event as possible. If time won't permit last-minutepreparation, choose cookies with a long shelf-life, or doughsthat can withstand some freezing. It's best not to let fragilecookies dominate your offerings. If you opt for fragile cookies,gather the packaging and transport instructions that guests willneed to get the cookies home in one piece. (As a general rule,package fragile cookies in one layer and cushion them with papertowels to prevent them from sliding in the car.) Set your table for the cookies it will soon receive.

4. On the day of the event:

Welcome friends with open arms. After afew hours of lively conversation and cookie sampling, giveeveryone the signal to swap treats. Partygoers should take homenearly the same quantity of cookies as they brought, but theirchoices will now be immense.

S'mores Bars

Bar PrepTalk:
Allow about 1 hour for the brownies to cool before applying themarshmallow topping; otherwise, the marshmallows will melt andflatten. The brownies will stay fresh longer if kept in the pan,tightly wrapped in foil, and cut just before serving. Store atroom temperature up to 1 week.

Graham Cracker Crust
2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (15 to 17 crackers, finely groundin a food processor)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
Fudge Brownie Filling
6 ounces premium unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, choppedinto
tablespoon-size pieces
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional, fortopping)
4 cups (packed) miniature marshmallows (about 8 ounces, fortopping)

"I've takenthe same
campy ingredients in s'mores
and turned them into an
easy-to-package bar,
perfect for tossing into summer
picnic baskets." -Julia Usher

Line a 10 x 15 x 2-inch glass baking dish (sometimes called aroasting pan, p. 10) with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang aroundthe top edge of the pan. Smooth out any big wrinkles in the foiland then lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat theoven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the Graham Cracker Crust. Combine the graham crackercrumbs and sugars in a small bowl. Gradually add the meltedbutter until the crumbs just hold together when squeezed in yourpalm. (The crumbs may absorb slightly more or less butterdepending on the graham cracker brand.) Press the mixture into aneven 1/4-inch-thick layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Run asmooth-bottomed measuring cup over the crust to pack and levelit.

Mix the Fudge Brownie Filling. Combine the chocolate andbutter in a large bowl (about 4-quart capacity) that fits adouble boiler. Place the bowl over barely simmering water andstir as needed until the chocolate and butter are melted. Removefrom the heat and whisk in the sugar, followed by the beaten eggsand vanilla extract. Stir in the flour, mixing until smooth. Pourthe batter on top of the graham cracker crust and level with asmall offset spatula.

Top and bake. Scatter the chopped nuts evenly over thebatter, if desired. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake testerinserted in the brownie center comes out with dark, damp crumbson it. Do not overbake. Set on a wire rack and cool completely inthe pan.

Distribute the marshmallows evenly over the brownie top.Place the pan under the broiler in the top third of the oven forabout 1 minute, or until the marshmallows are puffy and goldenbrown. Watch carefully and rotate the pan regularly, as themarshmallows can easily burn. Cool until the topping is firm andeasily cut without sticking.

Remove the brownies from the pan in one block by gentlypulling up on the foil overhang or by easing the block out withan offset spatula. Place directly on a cutting board. Remove allfoil and trim any uneven edges before cutting into 2-inchsquares. For the neatest cuts, use a sharp knife, wiped cleanwith a warm, damp cloth between slices.

Makes 2 dozen (2-inch) squares

Piña Colada Beach Balls

The fresh flavors of everyone's favorite summer cocktail aremixed up in Classic Icebox Cookie Dough to create what's sure tobe the life of the party. The dough can be shaped into beachballs, as I've done here, or into a host of other clever forms.For a patriotic "stars and stripes" twist, perfect forIndependence Day, fashion it into pinstripes (p. 145), slice, andthen cut into stars or squares.

PrepTalk:
For best results, the dough must be chilled for 1 to 2 hoursbefore shaping and then for another 1 to 2 hours beforeslicing, so plan accordingly. Shaped dough can be stored in thefreezer up to 1 month with minimal loss of flavor if tightlywrapped in plastic and then foil. When you're ready for cookies,simply slice and bake. Store baked cookies in airtight containersup to 5 days. For the crunchiest eating, enjoy within 24hours.

Ingredients
1 recipe Classic Icebox Cookie Dough (p. 144)
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 cup lightly packed sweetened coconut flakes (optional)
1/2 cup dried pineapple pieces, about 1 (3-ounce) bag(optional)
20 to 25 drops soft gel food coloring of your choice, or todesired shade (p. 152)

Prepare 1 recipe Classic Icebox Cookie Dough through Step 3(p. 144), adding the coconut extract along with the vanillaextract. Process the coconut flakes and pineapple pieces to afine meal in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and stirinto the finished dough, if desired.

Reserve 1 tablespoon dough for use in Step 4, right. Dividethe remaining dough in half. To the first half, add the foodcoloring and mix well to evenly distribute the color. Leave thesecond half as-is. Follow the instructions in Steps 5 and 6 (p.144) for chilling, shaping, and freezing the dough for BeachBalls. Note: If you add the coconut flakes and pineapple, thelogs will be closer to 5 inches rather than 4 inches long.

Slice and bake the dough as directed in Steps 7 to 10 (p.144), except before baking the cookies, shape the reservedtablespoon of dough into tiny (1/4-inch) balls and gently press oneinto the center of each cookie to make a button.

Note:If a log should pop apart whenslicing it into cookies, split it in half lengthwise. Cut twohalf-circles from each half-log and piece them together on thecookie sheet into a complete circle. Repeat for the remainingcookies. For perfectly round cookies, you can either trim with a2 1/4-inch round cutter before baking or with a 2 3/4-inch round cutterafter baking, while the cookies are still hot. If the cookiesaren't sliced to a uniform thickness before baking, they canspread unevenly. When this occurs, I trim after baking.

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 dozen (2 3/4-to 3-inch)cookies