The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2012 has 575 confirmed participants in 8 countries, raising nearly $2,300 for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. OXO made a matching contribution so that makes $4,600 raised for a good cause. And, with 575 participants each sending out three dozen cookies, that means 1752 dozen cookies are being shipped around the world! How tasty is THAT?
I was really happy that I could help in raising money for this cause. I sent my cookies to three bloggers, and got some back from three different bloggers. The ones I received were all delicious and all gluten free.
First, I got Cranberry Chocolate Biscotti that was nice to have with my morning coffee. Then, I received some Molasses Cookies. Unfortunately, neither one of these nice ladies put their blog name or their real names on the recipes they included in their cookie package so that I could give them a link. The last of my cookies just happened to be one of my all time favorites, Brown Butter Snickerdoodles, and were sent to me by Heather from A Sweet Simple Life.
For my recipe, I wanted to make something that was easy, and that used very common ingredients, that would ship well, and would make a good “bake sale” type of cookie. I thought and thought and thought, and finally came up with this:
Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Bars
8 cups Chocolate Chex (1 14.5 oz box)
4 cups miniature marshmallows
4 Tbl butter or margarine (I used butter)
1 tsp Nielsen-Massey chocolate extract
1 tsp Nielsen-Massey peppermint extract
Melt the butter in a large pot. When the butter is melted, add the marshmallows and stir continuously until they are melted. Add the extracts and mix well. Pour in the Chocolate Chex, and still until all of the cereal is well coated. Press into two 8”X8” pans. Set aside and let cool completely.
For the topping:
3 blocks Almond Bark
1 tsp butter or margarine (I used butter)
1 Tbl water
1 tsp Nielsen-Massey peppermint extract.
12 soft peppermint candies, crushed
Melt the Almond Bark according to package directions. Stir in the water, butter and extract, stir well, and melt for 10 seconds in the microwave. Drizzle over the cereal mix in the pans. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candies. Cut into bars. Makes 32 small bars or 24 large bars.
Although they didn’t turn out as pretty as I pictured them in my head, they tasted really good. There was just the right amount of chocolate and peppermint, and crunch. I really hope that Jenny from Creative Cooking Gluten Free, Desiree from Unconventional Kitchen, and Leslie from Chef LP Healthy Meals enjoyed their cookies!
Virginia from That Bald Chick says
Oh my yum! I am pinning, bookmarking, stumbling, and all that jazz!
Beeb Ashcroft says
First of all, I think the idea of a blogger cookie exchange is SO FUN! I love what you made – I’m a sucker for peppermint and this looks so good!
Paula @ Frosted Fingers says
These look good and they have peppermint in them… my favorite!
Hanan says
That looks easy to make, and sounds good too, thanks for the recipe!
Melinda@LookWhatMomFound...andDadtoo says
it doesn’t matter what they look like as long as they are good going down 🙂
rob@LookWhatMomFound...andDadtoo says
These start with Chocolate Chex so that alone makes them awesome. They look so awesome. Can we do a cookie exchange? LOL.
Henrietta says
Mmm, I love Chex, this looks so good and I bet the kids would love them too!