Holiday Cookie Swap
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to start thinking about the biggest holiday of the year. To me, Christmas is about sharing. I love to give gifts, create memories with family, and all the holiday meals that will be shared between now and the end of the year. One holiday tradition that I always try to participate in is the cookie swap. I’ve been to quite a few, ranging from casual affairs to more elaborate events where everyone brings 10 dozen cookies and the host created a cookbook with all the recipes for the cookies.
When Foodbuzz offered the opportunity to partner up with Glad to host a cookie swap, I volunteered immediately. Glad is currently running it’s Glad to Give campaign. This campaign is an effort that supports Cookies for Kids’ Cancer, a non-profit organization founded by parents inspired by their young son’s ongoing fight against cancer. Along with this campaign, Glad will donation $0.10 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each cookie sold, exchanged or given this November and December (up to $100,00)!
You can also send a virtual cookie if you aren’t a baker or don’t have a chance to participate in a cookie swap. If you’re going to have your own cookie swap (*ahem*Shannon*), be sure to go to register your cookie exchange at www.cookiesforkidscancer.org, and track how many cookies are exchanged. All of you fellow bloggers who are participating in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap should remember to track the cookies you’re exchanging.
Update: There has been some confusion about how to register your cookies. To register any cookies swapped, sold, or exchanged in November or December, simply email the number of cookies to gladcookies@
For my cookie swap, I took advantage of the fact that my sisters love to bake almost as much as I do. While visiting the Midwest last week, we had a cookie swap at Brooke’s house with a couple of her friends. We had the swap before Thanksgiving so that everyone could share their cookies with their families on Turkey Day. Glad sent me a package with some tools to help us with our baking adventure, including some Glad containers to hold all of our cookies! We spent most of the day in Brooke’s kitchen baking up a storm.
At our cookie swap, we exchanged a total of 12 dozen cookies! My sisters Brooke and Lindsey made their favorite holidays cookies – Snickerdoodles and Chocolate Chip Snowballs. I tried a new recipe – Triple Chocolate Salted Cookies. The other cookies present were some classic Shortbread Cookies and White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies. I’ll be posting recipes for those last three cookies throughout the rest of this week, so be sure to check back for those.
Full disclosure – I received the products shown and a stipend to cover the cost of ingredients as part of a Tastemaker program with Foodbuzz and Glad.
Two Years Ago: Banana Bread
Three Years Ago: Crispy Chicken
Four Years Ago: Cranberry Applesauce
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
that cake is so beautiful, and sounds delicious!
Wow! Your pictures are amazing! I would love to sink my teeth into that cake right now!
Well…. you’ve done it again! Now, I simply have to add this to my Christmas Eve repetoire. It is fabulous! So many recipes….not enough time!
http://www.simplysweeter.blogspot.com
wow! this look unbelievable. I might have to conquer my fear of baking just for this.
Wow, that is stunning! Nice job!
Whoa..this looks beyond incredible…I dont think my sweet tooth will be satisfied ever without this!
I have to do this for Christmas dessert! Thanks for sharing!
C’est magnifique! Great job!!
Seriously, that looks downright sinful and gorgeous!!! Just amazing Jen!
wow, this is over the top 🙂 but totally worth it!! looks awesome!
What a great combination of flavors! I can almost smell the cake. Yum!!
STUNNING! Good job on this, I want a piece!
…great cake!!! and happy bday to Z!!! Hugs, ciao Flavia
What am amazing cake! I love the bright red and contrasting white, simmply beautiful!
What a beautiful cake! My family would love this. Cheesecake and red velvet are my hubby’s favorites. Maybe I will make it for his birthday!
Talk about impressive! You go!
And just when I think you can’t keep coming up with brilliant ideas and delicious photos…this looks/sounds utterly amazing!
Cheesecake in between the cake layers… OMG. You so outdid yourself. That is amazing!
Wow. I saw a similar cheesecake but couldn’t fint a recipe so resolved to just make “plain ole red velvet cupcakes.” This looks so much better!
Oh My – this looks so amazing!
that looks awesome! I saw something similar in the Sam’s club add that I’ve been wanting to try but homemade would be even better
This cake looks so beautiful and I bet it tastes INCREDIBLE! I couldn’t print it out fast enough – I’m definitely trying it in the new year! Wow!
this has been on my ‘want to try’ list for a while! Maybe this will be the push i need to give it a try!
That cake looks gorgeous and delicious!
This is so cool! The only reason I like red velvet is the cream cheese frosting and this just takes it to a whole new level!
Wow, where to begin?! That bright red is gorgeous! The cheesecake hiding in the center sounds ridiculously delicious! Gorgeous photos too:)
this is a perfect holiday cake! great idea.
What a great idea! I love how the cheesecake layer looks so impressive sandwiched between the shockingly red red velvet layers!
Ok this looks amazing!
Hey girl, I am 100% sure I am going to make this for Christmas…it looks amazing! Just wondering…you used a 9″ springform pan for the cheesecake, right?
Joanne, Sorry for the delay, but yet, I used a springform pan for the cheesecake. I think that’s why it came out a tad bigger than the cake layers. Did you make it for Christmas? How did it turn out?
I made this for Christmas and it was absolutely AMAZING! My family really enjoyed it and I already have thoughts of the other cakes that would be incredible with a layer of cheesecake inbetween. What a great idea!
This looks amazing! I am making 60 red velvet cupcakes for my cousin’s homecoming. I used the red velvet recipe without the cheesecake…AMAZING! The best recipe I have found yet. Thanks, keep it up!