You have all probably participated in an annual Christmas Cookie Exchange somewhere along the line. Everyone makes scores of one kind of cookie, usually their specialty, and then on a given time and date everyone participating gathers and swaps cookies so that you get to take home a nice selection of cookies for your Christmas cookie platter and yet you only had to make one kind of cookie. Fun, and sometimes, a bit taxing this time of year.
Enter Di from Di's Kitchen Notebook, one of my online baking buddies who is whipping up tasty treats and breads in her kitchen down in Texas on a weekly basis. Di had an inspiration last year that involved a Virtual Cookie Exchange. "What is that?" you ask. Well, I didn't know either, but more than a dozen people jumped on the bandwagon and before you knew it, we had a time, a date, and a cute little badge for our posts designed by Nancy's very talented daughter Allison. The tradition continues this year.
Here's how it works: You make a favorite Christmas cookie (or any kind of cookie actually), you post about it today (Sunday), and then you send Di a link to your post in her comment section of her post. In a few days she will do a roundup that includes all the cookies and links and you are free to steal any of them and make them at home in your own kitchens.
Here is my submission for the Virtual Cookie Exchange this year: Orange Creme Roll Cookies. 
These little cookies start with a pie type of dough and are filled from each end with a filling of your choice, I like to use an orange buttercream frosting. They look a little like cannoli when they are finished. My husband's two favorite desserts are pies and cookies...this little cookie combines the two into one: win, win.
These little cookies start with a pie type of dough and are filled from each end with a filling of your choice, I like to use an orange buttercream frosting. They look a little like cannoli when they are finished. My husband's two favorite desserts are pies and cookies...this little cookie combines the two into one: win, win.
Orange Creme Roll Cookies
Makes 36 Cookies
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg yolk
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, sour cream, butter, vanilla, and ginger as you would for a pie dough.
Roll dough quite thin, making 1" by 6" strips (I roll 2 separate rectangles by dividing the dough in half, each one 9" by 12" so that I get 18 strips out of each by cutting 9 strips 1" wide and then dividing those 12" long strips in half so that they are 6").
Butter 36 round open-ended clothespins as you will use these to wrap the dough around while baking (I have ones I bought and only use for this purpose).
Wind the dough around the clothes pin in a circular pattern, but do not cover either end as you will need to slide the clothespins out when the dough has baked and formed the curly rolls.
Place all the clothespins with the rolled dough onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat mat and brush them with an egg wash made with the beaten egg and a little water. You can sprinkle them with sugar if you like.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, carefully slide the clothespins out and let the cookie rolls cool completely on a cookie rack. When cool, fill with Orange Frosting (recipe follows).
Combine all ingredients in mixer and mix well. Fill a pastry bag or paper cone with the frosting and pipe into the cookies, a little from each end, or completely filling the cookie, depending how much frosting you would like in each one. (I just fill a little in at each end and that is plenty for the cookie.)
Roll dough quite thin, making 1" by 6" strips (I roll 2 separate rectangles by dividing the dough in half, each one 9" by 12" so that I get 18 strips out of each by cutting 9 strips 1" wide and then dividing those 12" long strips in half so that they are 6").
Wind the dough around the clothes pin in a circular pattern, but do not cover either end as you will need to slide the clothespins out when the dough has baked and formed the curly rolls.
Place all the clothespins with the rolled dough onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat mat and brush them with an egg wash made with the beaten egg and a little water. You can sprinkle them with sugar if you like.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, carefully slide the clothespins out and let the cookie rolls cool completely on a cookie rack. When cool, fill with Orange Frosting (recipe follows).
Orange Frosting
1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
grated zest from one orange
1 cup butter
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
grated zest from one orange
Combine all ingredients in mixer and mix well. Fill a pastry bag or paper cone with the frosting and pipe into the cookies, a little from each end, or completely filling the cookie, depending how much frosting you would like in each one. (I just fill a little in at each end and that is plenty for the cookie.)
