cookie swap! Chocolate Spice cookies

<a href=”http://www.fbcookieswap.com&#8221; target=”_blank”><img src=”http://www.fbcookieswap.com/images/fbcookieswap2012_badge.png&#8221; border=”0″ alt=”The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2012″></a>

Hey everybody, it’s December 12th – the official food blogger cookie swap reveal day – which means I finally get to tell you about the cookies I made and sent to three previously unknown-to-me food bloggers, plus the yummy cookies I received from three other food bloggers. How fun!

This is the second year for the cookie swap, but the first time I’ve been able to participate.  This year, proceeds from our swap were donated to http://www.cookiesforkidscancer.org/, plus, I got a nifty little spatula from OXO, who also matched our donation. http://www.oxo.com/p-1115-good-cookie-spatula.aspx

On to the cookies!

Chocolate Spice cookies, specifically, which I adapted from The Joy of Baking’s gingerbread man recipe. http://www.joyofbaking.com/GingerbreadMen.html

I made their version first, but midway through I started asking myself what they would taste like with a little cocoa added in, so of course I had to try it, and of course it was yummy. Not that you are surprised. 🙂

Here is the recipe as I baked it.

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons oil (added to counterbalance the extra dry ingredients)

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup (160 ml) unsulphured molasses (To prevent molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a non stick vegetable spray.)

1/3 cup light corn syrup ( the original recipe called for 2/3 cup molasses and no corn syrup. That version is yummy as well – I just ran out of molasses mid-way through baking)

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, and spices.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, oil, molasses and corn syrup and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture beating until incorporated.

Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least two hours or even overnight).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out the cookies. With an offset spatula lift the cookies onto the baking sheet, placing about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. If you are hanging the cookies or using as gift tags, make a hole at the top of the cookies with a straw or end of a wooden skewer. (If cookies are a little soft, place the baking sheet (with the cookies) in the fridge for about 10 minutes. This will prevent the cookies from losing their shape.)

Bake for about 8 – 12 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. They are done when they are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

 

When the cookies were done I decorated them with royal icing – you can find a recipe for that here http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Royal-Icing

My favorite ones were the little guys with bow-ties. Yay!

I got to share these wee things with Amber, of http://slimpickinskitchen.com/, Felicia, of http://www.lovelifeeat.com, and Mary, of http://thenewtonienne.blogspot.com/

I also received some delicious cookies from Erin of http://eatbakedrinkcook.com/, Sarah of http://confectionarytales.blogspot.com/, and Kara, of http://www.domesticendeavors.com/

Go check them out!