Recipe Exchange Update

As you know, I tried to set up an exchange for recipes starting last month, but only one wonderful person actually posted a recipe. Thanks, Cindy. My friend Staci just created a community blog for recipe exchanges, so I decided to do that instead. If you want to, check it out. It's the one labeled 'Somethintoeat'. If you want to join it, let Staci know. I bet she'd add you on.

Recipe exchange, anyone?

I was thinking. Wouldn't it be cool to have a recipe exchange? I am always looking for new recipes and ideas for cookies and dinner and everything in between. I'd love to exchange one recipe a month with everyone, try each recipe, then comment on it. I'm not too sure how to make this work, though. Let's just try it out and see how it goes.

This month, let's exchange desserts. And since it's a month before Valentine's Day, let's focus on desserts that can be used for V-Day. I will post my recipe below, then you all can post your recipe in the comments. Next month, I will create a post per recipe so we can all add our comments to the corresponding recipe.

Fruit Dream Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sugar-sweetened cherry drink mix
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
Colored or coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 375 deg. In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, drink mix, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour and the white chocolate chips. Cover and chill dough about 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip balls in colored or coarse sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet, sugar side up. bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are just set (centers will be soft). Let stand for 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

I made about 4 batches of this recipe this past Christmas season. The guys at Jabon's work loved them! I hope you do, too. You can use any flavor of drink mix you want, as long as it's sugared. Cherry just works well for Valentine's day, as well as Christmas.