White Chocolate Brownies--Perfect for Your Co-op Cookie Exchange

A babysitting co-op cookie exchange is a great event for the holidays. It gives all the parents in your co-op a chance to get together in an informal setting and enjoy one another's company. Any member of the co-op could plan the exchange. It's very easy to do. Just send out invitations with basic instructions (time, place, number of cookies to bring). If you like, you can have everyone bring a snack or appetizer to share and turn it into a longer party. Using an electronic invite service like evite is an easy way to keep track of who's coming and what they're bringing. Once you're at the party, everyone divides up their cookies and goes home with a gorgeous assortment of homemade treats--and all you had to do was make your own specialty.

Here's a recipe for decadent white chocolate brownies that will have everyone asking for your recipe.

White Chocolate Brownies

2 (5oz. each) bars white chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze

1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 teaspoon shortening

Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter and one bar of white chocolate, stirring until well blended. In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, and eggs, and beat at the highest mixer speed for about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, and add melted candy bar mixture and extracts. Sift together flour and baking powder, and stir it into the candy mixture until just combined. Break up the other candy bar and stir it in. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Melt the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the cooled brownies.

Makes 32 small (but very rich) brownies.