Holly's Recipe: Butterfinger Wannabes and A Cookie Swap Breakdown

We had a great time of friends, family, and yummy holiday treats at my very first Cookie Swap!  I had so much fun hosting and am thinking this might just have to be an annual tradition!  I am so thankful for my friends and family...that they took time out of their busy schedules to join me.  Hallelujah for you, my dear loved ones.  You make this time of year so special!

Here's a little peek into the Cookie Swap, along with a simple recipe for Butterfinger Wannabes...a great treat that is so very easy to make and even more delicious to eat!  

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GUESTS WERE ASKED TO BRING...

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1.  1/2 dozen cookies/bars/treats for each guest attending (pre-packaged...ziplocs, tupperware, cellophane bags, etc...totally up to them).  I sent an Evite to confirm the number of guests ahead of time, also asking that they responded with the type of cookie they would bring (to avoid multiples of the same cookie).

2.  1 written or printed recipe for each guest in attendance

3.  1 basket/box/bag to carry home their cookie loot

4.  Some cookies for the tasting platters

*  I realize there are a million and one ways to do a Cookie Swap/Exchange.  This is just a peek into how I did mine this year.  Who knows...maybe next year will be a little different!

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SERVING TABLES

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Before the guests arrived, I had all the serving tables ready for their (and the cookies') arrival.  To keep all the cookies organized, I set up two card tables, covered them in tablecloths, and set out all my white serving pieces (borrowing a couple from my Mom).  I highly recommend slowly collecting white serving ware.  I think it is so versatile...it's my favorite way to serve a beautiful meal!  It allows all the beautiful colors and textures of the food to stand out and speak for themselves!  But since these would be filled with packaged cookies, it just made for a nice backdrop for each guest to place their cookies and recipes.  For colors, I chose to decorate using reds and whites with touches of silver here or there (pretty much my holiday colors this year...not the most sophisticated...but definitely merry and bright).  And last, but not least, all wrapped up and ready to go were my Butterfinger Wannabes...the first cookies to hit the table!

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BEVERAGES

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I offered warm and cold beverages when my guests arrived.  Anticipating that everyone has their own preference for the perfect accompaniment to cookies, I offered an assortment of drink options...hot chocolate, hot cider, various teas, raspberry lemonade, milk, and sparkling cider.  And do you remember my Jingle Bell Stemware? I put a little twist on it to use for the cookie party...using some elastic silver ribbon, a silver jingle bell, and some paper snowflake embellishments from Target.  Very festive.

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THE GUESTS

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Some of my favorite ladies were able to join me.  

Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to come!

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THE COOKIE TABLES

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By the time everyone had come, our tasting table had a plethora of cookies for munching, and our cookie swap table was piled high with delicious treats to take home!  Woo hoo; hallelujah for sharing baked goods!

We all got to take home some yummy treats, along with a few new recipes to add to our collections!

Scotcheroo Bars

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Easy Turtle Pretzels

Cake Mix Lemon Cookies

White Chocolate Butterscotch Coconut Cookies

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Martha's Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Mom's Famous Frosted Sugar Cookies

Butterfinger Wannabes

Don't they look delicious?!

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A Few Extra Treats

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I couldn't resist sharing a few more of my favorite holiday treats. I also gave my guests a CD of some beloved Christmas songs (including THIS Steven Curtis Chapman's The Music of Christmas and one of our FREE Shutterfly Christmas Cards (which wasn't even one of the cards I mentioned liking...but one I ended up loving) to take home.  Toward the end of the evening, there were also two special gifts for the winners of a simple drawing (just a couple sweet little ornaments)!

Hope you enjoyed a little peek into our Cookie Swap.  Have you ever experienced a Cookie Swap?  I found it to be so much fun...a great way to connect with friends during this busy time and a great way to enjoy so many different holiday treats without having to bake them all myself!   Looking forward to next year!  Get ready ladies!

And now, here's the recipe for my Butterfinger Wannabes! 

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Butterfinger Wannabes Recipe

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Ingredients

Triscuit Crackers

Peanut Butter

Chocolate Almond Bark

Directions

1. Melt chocolate almond bark.  Set aside.
2. Spread peanut butter between two Triscuts and sandwich together.
3. Coat Triscuit sandwich  in chocolate.
4. Set on waxed paper to cool and harden.
5. Repeat this process for as many as you make.
6. Enjoy!

No joke; these little treats taste so much like Butterfinger candy bars.  It's crazy!  I embellished my packaged Butterfinger Wannabes with some of the same supplies for my jingle bell stemware...more snowflake embellishments, silver elastic ribbon, and a jingle bell!

 Merry Christmas friends.  Here's to hoping you are finding many ways to celebrate the birth our Savior by gathering with loved ones.

Blessings,


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