I love all the Sunday Supper events but there are some that are just closer to my heart, like today’s Holiday Cookie Exchange. Obviously a week dedicated to baking holiday treats is right up my alley. I’ve baked all kinds of cookies and I wanted to try something new for this virtual cookie exchange. I own several chocolate cookbooks (naturally) and have always wanted to try a millionaire’s shortbread. It’s basically a Twix candy bar in cookie form – there’s a bottom layer of shortbread, a middle layer of caramel, and a top layer of chocolate.

To dress it up a bit in honour of the season, I decided to make an eggnog shortbread cookie base, using one of my favourite recipes.

Eggnog Shortbread (adapted from Chatelaine)

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp rum extract
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup flour

***NOTE: if using all the dough, you’re going to get a pretty thick crust (which I don’t mind because I love shortbread).  If you’d rather the crust be thinner, then I’d only use half the dough.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl or your stand mixer, beat the butter until it’s creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar and the rum extract. Continue beating until it’s well mixed.

Beating butter by hand. So much harder than turning on my stand mixer!

I had to do it the old school way with a wooden spoon. This week, I lent my Kitchenaid stand mixer to Lawyer Girl who was making frosting for 6 dozen cupcakes we baked for her birthday. The empty space on my kitchen counter reflected the empty space in my heart.

Adding sugar.

In a separate bowl, stir the salt and flour together with a fork or whisk. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until just combined.

The finished dough.

Butter or line a square baking dish with parchment paper. Turn dough into the dish and using your fingers, press the dough until it’s even. Bake in the center of your preheated oven until the top is golden, approximately 45-50 minutes.

Caramel layer (adapted from My Baking Addiction)

1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter
4 tbsp light corn syrup
sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Here’s the boiled, thickened condensed milk mixture.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. With the heat on medium, add the condensed milk and light corn syrup. Keep stirring, getting into the corners of the pot, until all three ingredients are well combined. Allow the mixture to come to a gentle boil. Keep stirring – the mixture should thicken and become golden brown. Remove from the heat and pour directly onto your shortbread base. After the caramel cooled a bit, I sprinkled the top with sea salt.

The sea salt speckled caramel layer.

Chocolate layer

1 Lindt dark chocolate bar, 300 grams
1/4 cup butter

I roughly broke up a giant Lindt chocolate bar and placed it in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in increments of 30 seconds until melted. Stir in the butter and mix until the butter has thoroughly melted and combined with the chocolate. Pour overtop of the caramel layer and smooth it with a rubber spatula or spoon.



Allow to cool completely until set. Cut into whatever size squares you want and store in the refrigerator.

Things didn’t quite go as planned this week. I had no time to bake until yesterday morning and I couldn’t slice the bars until the evening. I left them in the fridge and they were so stiff when I got home in the evening, I couldn’t take them out of the pan. So, I hacked a few pieces out with a butcher knife, thankfully not slicing my hands ‘n arms in the process, then proceeded to take photos of my jagged final product in terrible nighttime lighting. Needless to say, these don’t look that great (the shortbread layer was a bit thicker than desired) but they taste phenomenal. The shortbread cookie has a pronounced eggnog flavour, which works beautifully with the caramel and chocolate. The sweetness of the bar is tempered by the pleasurable bursts of saltiness from the sea salt.

For some sweet holiday baking inspiration, make sure you check out the amazing offerings from the Sunday Supper gang this week.

While you browse through their blogs and drool over their recipes, here are some of my favourite holiday tunes for you to enjoy. The Diana Krall Christmas album is fantastic.

And here’s the awesome hip hop version of the same song by TLC:

The Sunday Supper Favorite Cookie Exchange Cookies:

• Turtle Thumbprint Cookies by Cravings of a Lunatic 
• #glutenfree Almond Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by Cooking Underwriter
• Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies by The Foodie Army Wife
• M & M Cookies by Damn Delicious 
• Snowball Cookies by Small Wallet Big Appetite 
• Mocha Thumbprint Cookies by The Meltaways
• Cardamom-Walnut Cookies by Home Cooking Memories 
• Polish Chrusciki (Bow Ties) by Comfy Cuisine 
• Cherry Blossom Cookies by Flour on my Face
• Rosettes by That Skinny Chick Can Bake 
• Millionaire’s Shortbread by Gotta Get Baked 
• Double-the-Mint Chocolate Kiss Cookies by The Weekend Gourmet 
• Whole Wheat Cereal Cookies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings 
• Chocolate Dipped Potato Chip Shortbread Cookies by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen 
• Scories De Vulcan | Lava Stones Cookies by The Daily Dish Recipes
• Zimtsterne {Cinamon Stars} #Dairyfree by Galactosemia in PDX
• S’mores Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Book and Cooks
• Chocolate Whoppers by Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Ricotta Cookies with White Chocolate Glaze Country Girl in the Village
• Turtles by Dinners, Dishes and Desserts 
• Salted Caramel Brownie Cookies! by I Run For Wine
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Toffee Cookies by The Urban Mrs.
• Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies by She likes ruffles, he likes truffles 
• Amaretto Almond Biscotti by Noshing With The Nolands
• Mexican Chocolate Cookies by Generation Y Foodie 
• Double Chocolate Peppermin Biscotti by Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again
• Ice Cream Kolaczki by Cookistry
• Amoniaczki by What Smells So Good?
• Fruit and Nut Ice Box Cookies by In the Kitchen with Audrey
• Ginger Bourbon Balls by girlichef
• Candy Cane Blossom Cookies by Mommas Meals 
• Double Chocolate Cranberry Cookies by Lovely Pantry
• Ninja Bread Men by Diabetic Foodie 
• Peppermint Sugar Cookies by In The Kitchen With KP
• Christmas Crunchies by Magnolia Days
• Cream Cheese Swirled Red Velvet Cookies by Mom’s Test Kitchen
• Double Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies and Tips on Mailing Cookies by Chocolate Moosey
• Congo Bars by Supper for a Steal 
• Mint Surprise Cookies by The Cookie A Day Challenge
• Salted Caramel Thumbprint Cookies by Midlife Road Trip
• Best Ever Pecan Pie Bars by Shockingly Delicious
• Oreo Cheesecake Cookies by Baker Street 
• Biscoff Pillow Cookies by by The Messy Baker Blog
• Mexican Hot Cocoa Cookies by Juanita’s Cocina
• Raspberry Thumbprints for my first #SundaySupper!  by Kelly Bakes 
• Tea Biscuits by My Cute Bride
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies by Mama Mommy Mom 
• Lebanese Butter Cookies for the Christmas Season by The Catholic Foodie
• Almond Joy Macaroons by Cupcakes and Kale Chips 
• Gluten Free Coconut Fruit Nut Cookies by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz 
• Snowball Surprise Cookies by Family Foodie

For more amazing cookies recipes like Snowball Surprise Cookies, check out  Cookielicious by Food Editor Janet K. Keeler from The Tampa Bay Times now while there is a special… Buy One Cookielicious Cookbook and get one for a friend!

Do you have a favorite cookie to take to a Cookie Exchange?  Please join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper on December 9th.  In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our #SundaySupper Ultimate Cookie Exchange live chat.

All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat.

We’d also love to feature your recipe for The Ultimate Cookie Exchange on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board to share them with all of our followers, too.