Mix It Up

Magazine
holiday baking edition

December 2019 Issue

Mix
&
Mingle

2
Contents
Edible Gifts 4

The Ultimate Cookie Swap 6

The Most Wonderful Gingerbread Cookies 8

3
 Edible Gifts
for everyone
on your list!

Egg Nog Pancake

and Waffle Mix
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 c. buttermilk powder
1/4 c. SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener,
Granulated
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Kosher salt

Instructions for mason jar assembly:

Mix all of the ingredients together so
that they are well combined and evenly
distributed. Funnel dry mixture into
quart sized mason jar, packing down
as needed. Seal with lid and add festive
ribbon and gift tag

4
 Chocolate Dipped Pretzels
Ingredients:
50 miniature pretzel twists or 24 pretzel rods
12 ounces chocolate chips: milk, dark, or white chocolate
1/2 cup sprinkles
1 tablespoon shortening
Directions:
Place the chocolate or candy melts in a microwave safe
bowl. If you’re using chocolate chips, add the shortening
to the bowl.
Microwave in 30 second increments or until chocolate is
melted. Stir until smooth.
If you’re dipping pretzel rods, pour the chocolate into a
tall glass and dip each rod halfway into the chocolate.
Tap the rod against the side of the glass to remove excess
chocolate, then coat each rod in sprinkles and set on
parchment to dry.
If you’re dipping pretzel twists, use a fork to coat each
pretzel in chocolate, then tap the fork against the side
of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. Use a toothpick
to slide each pretzel off the fork onto parchment paper,
then top each pretzel with sprinkles.
Let the pretzels sit until dry. Serve, or store in an airtight
container for up to 2 weeks.

White Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:

1 lb. white chocolate

1/8 tsp. pure peppermint extract
white chocolate–coated pretzels
puffed-rice cereal
meringue cookie pieces
white and silver sprinkles
crushed peppermint candies

Directions:
Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Place 1 lb white chocolate in a bowl and microwave at 50% power
in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted and
smooth. Add in 1/8 tsp pure peppermint extract.
Spread onto prepared sheet into roughly 8- by 10-in. rectangle
shape.
Sprinkle with white chocolate–coated pretzels, puffed-rice cereal,
meringue cookie pieces, white and silver sprinkles, and crushed
peppermint candies.
Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes and cut into pieces before
serving. 5
6 steps for hosting the ultimate holiday cookie swap

One
Make your guest list
Two
Send Invitations
Experienced cookie swap hosts generally Emails and texts don’t have the same
cap their guest list at around eight people, festive feel as a paper invitation, which
which results in a satisfying variety of cuts through holiday calendar clutter to
treats to enjoy at the party as well as a earn your party a spot on your friends’
manageable amount for everyone to take full schedules. Download editable files
home at the end of the night. Most cookie online or buy pre-printed invites with
swaps ask that guests bring one dozen your party details. Make sure you give
cookies for each person at the party, but guests plenty of notice so they have time
scaling down would be fine, too to plan and prepare their cookies.

6
Three
Set the Menu
Some cookie swap hosts assign
each guest a specific cookie (sugar,
iced, or butter, for example)
or category (brownies, bars,
no-bake)—which prevents
accidental duplicates; others set
no guidelines at all, assuming
the surprise is part of the fun.
You can compromise by asking
guests to sign up for a certain
treat, which gives you more
control over the menu but still
offers them the freedom to
choose something they enjoy
making

Four
Dress Up The Table
A cookie swap doesn’t
usually include a sit-down
meal, so you won’t need
formal seating arrangements.
But you do need a long table—or several
smaller ones—with enough space to
display each person’s dessert.

Five
Inspire Creativity
Six
Share the Recipes and Start a Tradition!
Set up a station with plain sugar cookies Combine all the recipes into a book for
and provide icing and embellishments for each attendee to take as they leave; or
your friends to DIY their own decorated print each recipe on its own card and
goodies, or create a craft station where collect them on binder rings to help your
guests can other seasonal keepsakes, like loved ones start a cookie recipe collection
festive ornaments. they can add to every year.
7
8
The Most Wonderful Gingerbread Cookies
The Most Wonderful Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
Ingredients
3/4
3/4 c.
c. packed brown
(1 1/2 sticks) sugar
butter, softened
2/3 c. packed
3/4 c. molasses brown sugar
12/3large egg
c. molasses
11 tsp.
largepure
egg vanilla extract
3 1/4 c.pure
1 tsp. all-purpose flour
vanilla extract
1 tbsp.
3 1/4 c. ground ginger
all-purpose flour
11 tsp.
tbsp.baking
groundsoda
ginger
11 tsp. ground cinnamon
tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp.
1 tsp. groundcinnamon
ground cloves
1/2
1/2 tsp.
tsp. kosher
groundsalt
cloves
1/4
1/2 tsp.
tsp. ground nutmeg
kosher salt
Sugar
1/4 tsp.Cookie
groundIcing, for decorating
nutmeg
Sprinkles,
Sugar for decorating
Cookie Icing, for decorating
Sprinkles, for decorating
Directions
1. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until fluffy,
Directions
about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
1. In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and molasses until fluffy,
2. In
abouta 2medium
minutes.bowl,
Addwhisk flour,
egg and spices,
vanilla andbaking soda,combined.
beat until and salt until combined.
3. With
2. In the mixer
a medium on low,
bowl, gradually
whisk add dry
flour, spices, ingredients
baking to salt
soda, and wet until
ingredients until dough
combined.
just comes together. (Do not overmix!)
3. With the mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until dough just
4. Divide
comes dough in
together. (Dohalf
notand create two discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill until
overmix!)
firm, about 2 to 3 hours.
4. Divide dough in half and create two discs. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill until firm,
5. Preheat
about 2 to oven to 350° and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place
3 hours.
one disc of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll until 1/4” thick. Cut out ginger-
5. Preheat
bread menoven withto 350°
a 3” andcutter
wide line two
andlarge baking
transfer sheets sheets.
to baking with parchment paper. Place one
disc of dough on a lightly floured surface and roll until 1/4” thick. Cut out gingerbread men
6.
withBake
a 3”until
wideslightly
cutter puffed and set,
and transfer to 9 to 10 minutes,
baking sheets. depending on the size of your
cookie cutters. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling
6.
rackBake untilcompletely.
to cool slightly puffed and set, 9 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your cookie
cutters. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool
7. Repeat
completely. with remaining disc of dough. Decorate with icing and sprinkles as desired.
7. Repeat with remaining disc of dough. Decorate with icing and sprinkles as desired.