Hallongrottor #FBLCookieExchange

For several years, I took part in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. I created, baked, and shipped off Boozy Salted Fennel Pollen Shortbread (2012), Matcha-Black Sesame Shortbread (2013), Candied Buddha's Hand-Olive Oil Shortbread (2014), and Kaffir Lime Macaroons (2015). Last year the organizers opted not to host the event and another group of blogging friends decided to create one. So, for year one of the Food Blogger Love Cookie Exchange coordinated by the gals at The PinterTest Kitchen and Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, I made Boiled Cider Cookies with Candied Ginger (2016).

To participate in the event this year, bloggers were asked to donate to one (or both) of the following charities. Join us, if you're so inclined.

• No Kid Hungry is an organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger. They believe no child should go to bed hungry. CLICK HERE to sponsor a meal for a child in need!

• RescuesForJoJo is an all-volunteer non-profit that helps “undesirable” shelter dogs find new homes. So far, they have saved over 70 dogs, and these are animals that typically would otherwise be passed over by adopters due to health, breed, color, or other factors. CLICK HERE to learn more about RescuesForJoJo or send your donation via PayPal to rescuesforjojo@yahoo.com

Now on to the cookie creation and swap part of this post. I baked cookies and shipped them off to the bloggers at Our Good Life, Making Miracles, and Chicago Foodie Girl. 

An InLinkz Link-up

And a quick shoutout of gratitude for the bloggers who shipped cookies to me. Thanks to The Spiffy Cookie, The Emotional Baker, and A Healthy Bite of Life.

Whenever I've created cookie recipes for a swap, I try to take into consideration: using an interesting ingredient, having an interesting story, and how well the cookie will ship. This year I chose to make a cookie that honors my mother-in-law's heritage and I found these great tins to keep the cookies safe.

Hallongrottor

Hallongrottor which translates to 'raspberry caves' is a traditional Swedish Christmas cookie. As my mother-in-law is half Swedish and half Portuguese, we make these every year. I did run out of raspberry jam, so some are apricot...and I don't know the Swedish word for that. Also, this year, I tried some with ground walnuts and rolled some of the cookies in crushed nuts for a little bit more texture.

Ingredients makes approximately 30

• 3/4 C butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 C organic granulated sugar + more for rolling, if desired
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 C flour
• 1/2 C ground almonds
• 1/2 t ground cardamom
• zest from one lemon
• 1 t gin
• 1 t cold water
• raspberry jam (or apricot or whatever you have in your cupboard)

Procedure

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in the egg yolks until incorporated. Stir in the flour, ground almonds, and ground cardamom until a flaky dough is formed. Add in the zest, water, and gin, gently working the dough until it forms a ball.

Pinch off pieces of dough and form into small balls, about the size of a walnut in its shell. Place each ball onto the baking stone or baking sheet, pressing a "thumbprint" into the center of each and slightly flattening. The cookies will not spread, so make them the size that you want!

Spoon about 1/2 t jam to each thumbprint. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cookies cool for several minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.