Cookie Excahnge

Every year my friend Debbie Hosts a cookie exchange.  Every year I VOW to just make some tasty cookies and forgo the competition part of the evening...but it never fails, and the competitive gene kicks in.  This year it paid off and my entry won FIRST prize.  I called it "Wanna Play some Reindeer Games?"

I simply made cupcakes, iced them with brown butter cream icing and topped them with a gingerbread candy melt nose, edible candy eyes and pretzel antlers.  

I secured the red-hot with a dot of red icing for a Rudolph nose.

Looking back I wish I had only made a few of them with red noses...

I displayed them on a large cloth checkerboard, scattered around some playing cards, dice and dominoes.  

It was easy and fun to create and, like I said...I WON!

Not to be outdone, my 15 year old DD was also invited to a cookie exchange.

She created these mini cups of cocoa using a graham cracker base, marshmallows topped with icing dipped in chocolate sprinkles.  The handle is the top part of a mini-candy cane.  She didn't win but I think she should have!  So cure and actually tasty to boot!