Tis The Season: My Holiday Cookie Exchange with Kat Tanita

The holidays are so close, I can almost taste them! Actually, I already did plenty of holiday tasting with one of my favorite fellow blogger friends, Kat Tanita of With Love From Kat. If you guys don’t already read her blog or follow her on social media – you’re missing out! Her chic lifestyle and fashion tips are not to miss. I’m always looking for an excuse to get together with friends and catch up, but it can sometimes be difficult to carve out time for each other during the busy holiday season. A cookie exchange with girlfriends or co-workers is – first off, an American tradition I had never heard of until now – and secondly, a more relaxed (and delicious) alternative to a big holiday party… The perfect excuse to get together. It truly doesn’t get better than girl time, complete with cookies, hot cocoa, and red wine for my non-pregnant ladies.

To plan your own holiday cookie exchange, get on a group text or email with your best babes. Everyone brings something to the table with their own specialities, so let everyone know what you’ll be bringing, so there aren’t any duplicates. Bring your favorite holiday cookie creation to the party, and don’t forget to include the recipe so your friends can recreate it at home! I love learning about an old family recipe, or experimenting with something completely new that I found online (hello Pinterest!). Need inspiration? Try one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes below, for chewy ginger biscuits as we call them in England. It’s also so fun to style your party with festive flowers, so go for lots of green and red for a holiday vibe. If someone in your group isn’t the greatest baker, put them in charge of the flowers, or at least the wine! Happy baking…

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Butter (softened)
1 cup Sugar
1 Large Egg
1/4 Cup Molasses
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
*additional coarse turbinado sugar, for dusting

Directions:
1. Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and molasses.
4. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
5. Gradually add the creamed mixture and mix well.
6. Refrigerate dough for up to 1 hour, until it begins to harden
7. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls, then roll into remaining sugar.
8. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes until puffy and lightly browned
10. Remove and place on wire racks to cool.

xx,