Holiday Cookie Exchange

Yesterday I hosted a little cookie exchange brunch for a few friends.  I thought it would be a fun way for the ladies to get together before we all head our separate ways for the holidays.  I thought it would be a nice low-key, low-stress opportunity to get together... but considering my friends are perfectionists, it turned out not to be so low-stress!  I came to find out someone stayed up until 2am the night before perfecting their cookie recipe and another sent their husbands out at 11pm to pick up more butter because they didn't think their batch was large enough... But, all the cookies were delicious and we had a fantastic time enjoying each other's company.

I had fun making onesies for all the little ones.  I appliqued "HO" on the butt so that when we lined them up we'd get "ho ho ho..." Only later did I think about the little girls running around with "HO" on their hiney's might be taken the wrong way... opps! I appliqued a Christmas tree with their first initial on the front.  The mamas were all such good sports to dress their babies up in my little creations:)

 These 3 mamas were all prego together and now they all have their little peanuts in their arms! 

And aren't they all looking faaabulous?! 

We have such a fun group!  There may have been toys and babies and dogs alllll over the place, but I so much enjoyed having these lovely girls over for a little holiday fun!  And I am still enjoying the yummy treats they worked so hard on:)

And since I didn't follow my own cookie exchange rule (make copies of the recipe to share) I'm including it here for anyone who wants it!

Harlequin Ice-Box Cookies

1 cup butter

2.5 cups flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1.5 cups sugar

.5 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1.5 oz baker's unsweetened chocolate, melted

.25 cup candied cherries, diced

.25 cup pecans, diced

red and green food coloring

Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten egg and beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and flour mixture and mix thoroughly. Divide dough into three parts. Add cherries that have been diced, and a little red food coloring to one part; melted chocolate to another; and nuts and a little green coloring to the third. I divide each color dough in half to make too long bars. Shape half of each dough into a strip about 18-20 inches long. Place chocolate strip on bottom; cherry next, and green on top. Chill the well-wrapped bars in the refrigerator over night. Slice and bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.