KE x TOH: Cookie Exchange 2025

This December, Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes and Taste of Home brought Cleveland another magical evening filled with cookies, community, and holiday cheer. Guests gathered to share homemade treats, discover new festive flavors, and celebrate the start of the season together. With delicious cookies, joyful conversations, and plenty of holiday sparkle, the night was truly one to remember. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this year’s celebration unforgettable!

Meet Kelsey!Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes is a boutique bakery, serving up the prettiest sweets in Cleveland since 2014. Kelsey's mom, Liz, taught Kelsey young, that creativity can go a long way, that everything can be beautifully made, and most importantly, that it is okay to eat cake for breakfast. When Kelsey was just 24, she decided to take these principals into her career and with the help of Liz and her dad, Joe, they began to build the Avon Lake location. After months of late nights, kitchen naps, and Taco Bell dinners, Kelsey and Liz saw the business blossoming into the success it is today. With Liz's expert recipe making, Kelsey's artful eye, and Joe's business expertise, Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes was born.

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An Ode to LekkoShortbread Cookies

Iced Brown ButterOatmeal Cookies

Texas Sheet Cake Cookies

Decorated Sugar Cookie Cutouts

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Our Favorite Recipes

Ingredients: Cookies: 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks) 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 3 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped Buttercream: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 2 Tbsp. strong brewed coffee 1 tsp. Nescafe Gold Espresso Intense powder

An Ode to Lekko Shortbread Cookies Alex Welch from Euclid, Ohio

Instructions: Cream the softened butter, maple syrup & confectioners’ sugar. Sift the flour in a separate bowl. Add in the salt and fresh rosemary. Stir dry ingredients to combine & slowly add to wet ingredients until a dough forms. Arrange the dough into a log in plastic wrap & refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough log from the refrigerator & cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange the cookie slices 1 to 1-1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. If the dough softened too much, refrigerate again for 10 to 15 minutes. You want a nice, chilled dough so they don’t spread too much. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, turning the baking sheets halfway through if baking multiple at once. The cookies will be a somewhat pale color with the bottom starting to turn golden brown. Cool on the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. To make the frosting, cream butter until smooth and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar about a half cup at a time, waiting to add more until it is fully incorporated. As the frosting gets thicker, add a tablespoon at a time of the strong brewed coffee. Add espresso powder and any remaining confectioners’ sugar. You may need to add more confectioners’ sugar or coffee depending on the consistency you’re looking for. Scoop frosting into a piping bag. Frost the cooled cookies as desired.

For this year's cookie exchange, Alex was inspired by a maple-rosemary latte at Lekko, her favorite local coffee shop (and "happy place"). She recommends using butter with a high fat content to get melt-in-your-mouth cookies. If you don’t like a strong coffee flavor, swap in milk for the brewed coffee when you make the buttercream.

Ingredients: Cookies: 1-1/4 cups (280g) unsalted butter (2-1/2 sticks) 2 cups (190g) old-fashioned oats, pulsed in food processor to be a mix of fine & large crumbs 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. (280g) all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 Tbsp. honey 2 tsp. vanilla extract Icing: 2 cups (240g) confectioners’ sugar 4 to 6 Tbsp. whole milk 1 vanilla bean pod, or 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste

Iced Brown Butter Oatmeal Cookies Elizabeth Tittle from Cleveland, Ohio

Instructions: Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Brown butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir often as it foams and crackles, making sure to scrape the bits off the bottom. Cook until golden in color and slightly fragrant. Do not burn! Pour brown butter in a large heat-proof bowl, scraping all remaining bits from the pan into the bowl. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pulsed oats and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Wisk the sugars into the cooled brown butter until smooth. Add eggs, honey and vanilla to the wet mix, whisking until well combined. Add dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and fold in with a large spatula. Don’t over mix! Use a medium cookie scoop to evenly divide the dough. Place on prepared cookie sheets. Cover and chill overnight (minimum of 3 hours). When the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F and line additional cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough balls from the fridge and transfer to the lined baking sheet, about 2 to 3 inches apart (about six cookies per sheet as they will spread a little while baking). Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until set on the edges and golden brown. Do not over bake if you’re looking for a softer, chewy cookie. Remove from the oven. Use a large circle cookie cutter slightly bigger than the cookie, or spatula, to scoot the edges of the cookie towards the center to make a more uniform, round shape (it also helps create more nooks and crannies for the icing). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 min. then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. For the icing, mix confectioners’ sugar and milk (starting with the lesser amount) into a medium shallow bowl. Adjust consistency with additional milk, it should be smooth & thick so it can stick to the cookie when dipped in. Scrape the vanilla bean seeds from the pod & add to the icing (or add vanilla bean paste); whisk until combined. Dip the top of the cookie into the icing, then flip upright and place on a wire rack to allow the icing to set.

Elizabeth elevated a classic oatmeal cookie recipe by browning the butter. The result: a rich, nutty flavor.

Ingredients: Cookies: 2 eggs 1 box chocolate cake mix 1/3 cup oil Frosting: 1/2 cup butter 2 Tbsp. cocoa 3 Tbsp. milk 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar Sea salt, optional

Texas Sheet Cake Cookies Tracy Pesho from North Royalton, Ohio

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Add eggs to a large bowl; whisk until yolks and whites are combined. Stir in the cake mix and oil until the mixture is thick and sticky. Using a tablespoon or medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for seven to eight minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for four to five minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. To make the frosting, combine butter, cocoa and milk in a saucepan over medium heat; whisk until the mixture has melted together. Remove from heat, add powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Pour the frosting over the cookies. Sprinkle with sea salt, if you like. Let frosting set before serving.

Tracy’s dark chocolate cookies were based on a family recipe for Texas sheet cake. Just like their full-size namesake, the moist and chewy cookies were slathered with crackly chocolate icing. Be sure to let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for four to five minutes before you move them to a cooling rack. Tracy says this step is critical to keeping the cookies soft for days. Store in an air-tight container.

Sweet Holiday Inspiration: Cookie Swaps & Baking Joy

Ingredients: Cookies: 2 sticks butter, at room temperature 1-1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs, at room temperature 2 tsp. almond extract 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour Royal Icing: 2 lbs. (1 bag) confectioners’ sugar 4 egg whites, at room temperature 2 tsp. almond extract 1 tsp. water

Decorated Sugar Cookie Cutouts Melissa Falk from Avon, Ohio

Melissa scattered edible beads and icing swirls across her Christmas trees for a polished design. She suggests filling each baking sheet with the same shape of cookie so they bake evenly.

Instructions: To make the dough, use a mixer to cream butter and sugar together for 2 min. Add eggs. Beat until just incorporated. Add almond extract, salt and baking powder; mix until incorporated, but don’t overmix. Add a cup of flour at a time, just until incorporated; again, don’t overmix. The mixture will be very soft & sticky. Place two large pieces of parchment paper on counter, and split dough in half. Place another piece of parchment paper on top of each piece of dough. Roll out the cookie dough between the parchment sheets until they’re 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick. Place the dough sheets in the fridge for up to a day. Preheat the oven to 365°F. Remove the chilled dough sheets from the fridge & place them on a floured surface. Cut your desired shapes with cookie cutters. To bake, place cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The bake time depends on the size of the cookie. For a cookie that is approximately 3 inches in diameter, bake the cookies for 3 min. on the bottom rack, then rotate and place on the top rack. Bake for another 3 min. Don’t let them overbake. Remove the baked cookies from the baking sheet and transfer to a cooling rack immediately. Store the cooled cookies in airtight containers lined with parchment paper until you’re ready to frost. To make the royal icing, use a hand mixer to whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually sift confectioners’ sugar into egg whites, 1 cup at a time, until incorporated. (This takes a long time; be patient.) When all the confectioners’ sugar has been added, add the almond extract. Icing will be on the thick side. Fill a piping bag & pipe the edges of the cookie shapes. (You want a thicker frosting to pipe the edges & a thinner one for the fill.) Stir 1 teaspoon of water into the remaining icing. Put it in a piping back & fill the cookie designs. Decorate as desired.

Marshmallow Crispy Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispie Cookies

Persimmon Cobbler Cookies

COMING SOON

Decorated Sugar Cookies

Death by Butter Cookies

Biscuit du Fromage Cookies

COMING SOON

INGREDIENTS: Puff Pastry Dough 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 480 grams all-purpose flour 227 grams very cold water (I typically add water and ice to a large bowl at the start and measure from there) Butter Block 339 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed 30 grams all-purpose flour Filling 1 cup sugar 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup Crisco 1 cup milk 3 tablespoons flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lady Locks Cookies Laura Pappas from Wexford, PA

INSTRUCTIONS: Make the Dough In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, combine flour, sugar and salt on low speed. Add butter. Mix until granular, roughly 1 minute. With the mixer running on low, slowly pour in the cold water. Mix just until the dough mostly gathers around the paddle. Move the dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat. Shape into a 7×8-inch rectangle. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Make the Butter Block In a stand mixer, mix butter and flour until smooth. There should be no flour lumps. Place butter mixture between two pieces of wax paper. Use a rolling pin to form a 7×8-inch slab. Wrap and chill 1 to 2 hours, until the butter block is firm. Enclose the Butter (First Lamination) On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into an 18×9-inch rectangle. Wipe off excess flour. Carefully place the butter block on the dough. Fold both short edges of the dough down over the butter (they should meet at the center of the butter block). Pinch seams along the short and long sides to fully enclose the butter. Laminate the Dough (Turns 2–7) (It is best to keep close to a rectangle shape, use a knife to trim after each 18x10–inch roll out.) Turn 2 & 3 Turn the newly enclosed dough 90°. Roll the dough into an 18×10-inch rectangle. Fold like a business letter: top third down, bottom third up over the top (Turn 2). Rotate the block 90° and repeat the roll-and-tri fold one more time (Turn 3). Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Turn 4 & 5 Remove dough from refrigerator. Repeat the same process: roll to a 18x10” rectangle, fold in thirds (Turn 4) Rotate the block 90° and repeat the roll and tri fold (Turn 5) Wrap in plastic and refrigerate again for 1 hour. Turn 6 & 7 Remove dough from refrigerator. Repeat the same process: roll to a 18x10” rectangle, fold in thirds (Turn 6) Rotate the block 90° and repeat the roll and tri fold (Turn 7) Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using. Make the Filling Cream together sugar, confectioners' sugar, Crisco and butter in stand mixer with paddle attachment. Slowly add milk until fully incorporated. Add flour, salt and vanilla. Beat on high for 5 minutes. There should be no grittiness from the sugar. Bake Lady Lock Shell Wrap 24 individual wooden clothes pegs in aluminum foil, make sure to pinch both ends to ensure a tight wrap and no wood showing. Preheat oven at 400°F. Remove dough from refrigerator. Cover a pastry mat with a mixture of 1/3 flour and 2/3 granular sugar. Roll out to a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut into 3 sections. Wrap two sections in plastic wrap and place in fridge to keep cold until needed. Use a pizza cutter to cut 6x1/2-inch strips. Take 1 strip and wind around foil-wrapped peg. Spirals should overlap slightly. Pinch end to previous coil to prevent unwrapping. Repeat for all remaining strips of dough. Then place in freezer for 10 to 20 minutes. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until shells begin to turn golden. Cool for a few minutes. Gently pull off clothes peg while still slightly warm. Repeat steps 5-9 for other two sections of dough. Fill Lady Locks Once cookies are completely cooled, add the filling. Using a 1M piping tip, fill piping bag with the icing. Squeeze icing into each Lady Lock cookie, filling all the way through. Roll in confectioners' sugar.

Also known as cream horns, these spiral-shaped Eastern European treats are delectably buttery and flaky, filled with icing and dusted with powdered sugar. Laura says making Lady Locks is a true labor of love, but we think every bit of that effort shines in the delicious result.

INGREDIENTS: Cookie Base: 1 box (18.4 ounces) dark chocolate brownie mix 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup butter, melted 1 egg Peanut Butter Balls: 1-1/2 cup peanut butter 1/4 cup softened butter 2 cups confectioners’ sugar Chocolate Topping: 1 cup semi-sweet melting chocolate Silver edible glitter, optional

Buckeye Brownie Cookies Sherri Gordon from Cleveland, OH

INSTRUCTIONS: Heat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a hand mixer, mix the peanut butter and butter until combined. Add confectioners’ sugar. Form the mixture into 24 balls, about 1-inch each. Chill in the fridge to firm up. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese and egg using a hand mixer. The dough will be a little sticky. Use a cookie scoop to scoop 24 balls onto the baking sheet. Smooth into round balls. Bake the cookies for 12 min. or until slightly firm without being undercooked. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a peanut butter ball lightly into the center of each cookie. The peanut butter mixture will soften slightly, but that is OK. Let the cookies cool for 5 to 10 min, then transfer them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Place the chocolate into a glass microwave-safe bowl. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then melt in 15-second intervals or until the chocolate is completely melted. Spoon melted chocolate on top of each cookie so it covers the top of the peanut butter ball. Sprinkle with edible glitter, optional.

These chewy brownie cookies are topped with a buckeye, an iconic Ohio treat. Sherri made these for a cookie exchange a few years ago, and they were an absolute hit. Everyone begged her for the recipe.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup salted butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies cereal 1/2 cup Heath bits 2/3 cup mini marshmallows Flaked sea salt, for topping

Marshmallow Crispy Cookies Kerry Cook from Lakewood, OH

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brown butter. Over medium heat, melt 1/2 cup butter in a medium saucepan, and then continue to cook past the point of boiling; it should turn golden brown. Pour into a bowl and cool in the fridge or freezer for about 10 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together brown butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low until smooth. Slowly mix in the salt, baking soda and flour. Don’t overmix. Fold in the Rice Krispies and Heath bits. Fold in the mini marshmallows. Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Leave adequate space in-between each, as they will spread. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes. Look for light golden brown around the edges. Watch carefully so you don’t over-bake, or you will lose the chewy center. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt, optional.

Inspired by the cereal she loved growing up, Kerry dreamed up a crispy brown butter cookie loaded with Rice Krispies and mini marshmallows.

Ingredients: 10 cups Rice Krispies cereal 1/2 cup butter + 1 tbsp butter 2 tsp vanilla extract 3/4 cup peanut butter 9 cups marshmallows 1 cup chocolate chips 1 tbsp coconut oil Sea salt (optional)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Rice Krispies Cookies Dot Chmiel from North Ridgeville, OH

INSTRUCTIONS: Melt butter in large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Stir in peanut butter. Stir in Rice Krispies cereal until just mixed together. Transfer mixture to baking pans, and press down firmly. Cool in the refrigerator. While the mixture is cooling, melt chocolate with coconut oil. Melt in 30-second increments in the microwave, adding coconut oil as you go until it reaches the right consistency. Pour chocolate over Rice Krispies and smooth out. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours to set the chocolate. Once cooled, sprinkle sea salt on top. These are best enjoyed at room temperature.

To elevate classic Rice Krispies treats, Dot mixed peanut butter into the cereal mixture, then smoothed on a layer of chocolate. The bars were a huge hit—especially with the younger attendees.

Ingredients:

Persimmon Cobbler Cookies Devin Trout from Lorain, OH

Instructions:

Devin instantly fell in love with persimmons the first time she tried them. She wanted to make a cookie with them for the cookie exchange but couldn’t find many persimmon cookie recipes. She came across a peach crumble cookie recipe and thought the flavors would work well, so she swapped peaches for persimmons, and voila: persimmon cobbler cookies!

Ingredients: Cookies: 10 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature 10 ounces granulated sugar 2 large eggs, room temperature) 1 pound 4 ounces all-purpose flour 1/4 ounce baking powder 1/3 ounce salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Royal Icing: 1 pound confectioners' sugar 1 ounce meringue powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Decorated Sugar Cookies Kyrsten Willits from Mechanicsburg, PA

INSTRUCTIONS: Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla until fully incorporated. Slowly add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time, until fully incorporated. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour (ideally overnight). Lightly flour your table. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. To make royal icing: Use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer to slowly mix confectioners' sugar and meringue powder. Add vanilla extract and slowly add water until the icing reaches the desired consistency (stiff peaks for piping, loose "ribbon" consistency for flooding). Scrape the bowl and mix until the icing is white and glossy with no lumps. Decorate cookies as desired.

With vanilla bean speckles and an intricate royal icing pattern, Kyrsten’s sugar cookies were true standouts for flavor and design. The edible snowflakes sparkled at the Cookie Exchange while it snowed outside. While she can’t share the exact recipe from her baking business, Kyrsten's Sweet Designs, she was happy to provide a similar recipe for vanilla sugar cookies.

Ingredients: 1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1 egg 1 box yellow cake mix Confectioners' sugar, to roll the balls in

Death by Butter Cookies Katie Cooper from Madison, OH

INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat cream cheese and butter until well blended. Stir in the vanilla and egg. Add the cake mix and stir until well combined. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in confectioners' sugar. Bake 11 to 15 minutes or until set.

This wonderful yellow cake cookie melts in your mouth! Katie got this recipe from her mom, and it’s now a staple at work events and family gatherings.

INGREDIENTS: Cookie Dough: 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 eggs yolks, room temperature 1 cup all-purpose flour Water, if needed Mix-ins: 1/2 cup dried figs, stems removed, chopped 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, finely chopped 1 teaspoon fresh thyme Filling: Honey

Biscuits de Fromage Elizabeth Tittle from Garfield Heights, OH

INSTRUCTIONS: Using a stand mixer, hand mixer or spatula, cream together butter, sugar, salt and egg yolks until smooth. (If desired, use brown butter: brown the butter, chill so it resolidifies, then let soften before baking.) Work in the flour until well incorporated. Add the mix-ins. If the dough seems too dry, add up to 8 teaspoons of water. Dough will be crumbly in the bowl but will hold firmly when pressed together. Dump dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Form into a log, wrap and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Remove dough log from the fridge. Slice rounds 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick, according to your liking. (For a thinner, crispier cookie: slice closer to 1/8-inch thick; for a slightly thicker, more tender cookie: slice 1/4-inch thick.) Transfer to the lined baking sheet, at least a quarter inch apart on the tray. (Cookies should not spread, but you want to allow for airflow while baking.) Bake 8 to 12 minutes, or until slightly golden brown. Allow cookies to slightly cool on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. To make them sandwich cookies, place a small amount of honey on one cookie and sandwich another cookie on top. Be careful not to add too much honey as it will ooze out the sides. (You may whip the honey first to make it easier to see the filling.)

One of our 2024 winners, Elizabeth took her cue from a festive cheese board for this year’s creation. She folded fig, pistachio, thyme and Pecorino Romano cheese into a brown-butter dough, then finished the slice-and-bake cookies with a touch of honey.

Click here to check out our favorite cookies from 2024!

Check out the 2024 cookie exchange

Click here to check out our favorite cookies from 2024!

Click here to check out the 2024 Cookie Exchange!

Check out the 2025 cookie exchange

Buckeye Brownie Cookies Sherri Gordon from Cleveland, OH

A chewy chocolatey Brownie base with a buckeye topping.

Bake the cookies for 10 min. Look for light golden brown around the edges. Watch carefully so you don’t over-bake, or you will lose the chewy center. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt, optional.

Click on the thumbnails below to reveal each recipe!