My excitement yesterday was rewarded by 44 eager cookie bakers sending me emails to let me know of their entries and recipes. Thank you to everyone who participated in this edition of Is My Blog Burning? - The Holiday Cookie Swap.

I decided to list the blogs by alphabetical order, to keep things a little more copasetic. If I have missed or forgotten anyone or if you haven't sent me an email yet, please let me know so I can add you to this list of wonderful bakers!

A
Carolyn of 18th C Cuisine is the first to arrive - I take her cloak and offer her some mulled cider as I wait, rather impatiently, to see what she has clutched in her hands. She places a tray on the table and unveils two different types of cookies - 17th century-style meringues (Meringues Jumelles) and 18th century-style Madeleines. Two of the daintiest cookies I have seen in my life. I love Carolyn's blog because I get a great history lesson every time I read it. Thanks, Carolyn!

Oh, there goes the doorbell! I was just starting to relax...thinking that maybe I could enjoy one of Carolyn's cookies. But, no! It's Kate, The Accidental Hedonist herself - toting a delicious looking, refreshing sounding batch of Lemon Cookies...not too heavy, not too sweet but just right. Thanks, Kate!

Annalyn of Ajay's Writing on the Wall comes through the door next, showing up with a batch of really yummy looking Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, which her son apparently loved! Thanks!

What would a cookie swap be without some gorgeous looking French-Style Macarons? The cookie-cake combination is just too good to pass up and Clement of A La Cuisine has brought not one, not two, but THREE varieties on this theme: Matcha-Chestnut, Caramel-Fleur de Sel, and White Sesame Seed Macarons...all of them melt-in-your-mouth delectable!

Oh, boy! One of my favourite bloggers, Derrick of An Obsession With Food is here! And he's brought TWO different types of cookies for us to indulge in: Vanilla Butter Crescents and Cinnamon Sablés. Those two flavours just exude holiday memories for me. And, he even provided us with a wine pairing...for cookies! Thanks, Derrick! Oh, and thanks so much for not making tripe cookies...I'm sure Melissa was pleased.

Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar comes by next with her delicious looking and scrumptious sounding Phoebe's Fabulous Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies (from the TV show, Friends!). Angela also had a bit of a blunder in the kitchen earlier in the week with her slightly sad looking Cinnamon Star Cookies. Chin up, Angela!

Someone else is here! It's Linda from At Our Table and she has brought a really scrumptious sounding batch of Lime Shortbread Cookies, a new addition to her cookie repertoire...and definitely something I am going to be looking into making for my holiday gatherings!

Another person has shown up! Kelli-Ann of Avoir une famille n'est pas comme un téléroman, and she had her own smaller, not-quite-so-successful cookie swap earlier today. With her she has brought gingerbread cookies with piped royal icing, German honey cookies, pumpkin cupcakes, apple-date filled oatmeal cookies and peanut butter cookies. Wow! What great additions to the swap!

B
Nicole of Baking Sheet joins us with her Cashew-Macadamia Butter Cookies (with White Chocolate Chunks and Cranberries) -- quite a mouthful, in more ways than one! Yum.

Next to arrive: Sam from Becks & Posh, toting a few of the remaining Marzipan Pine Nut Cookies and Parmesan Proscuitto Biscotti from her bake sale. A sweet AND a savory cookie...yay, Sam!

Llizard from Blog from our Kitchen shares a great sounding recipe for Ginger Shortbread...unfortunately no cookies were baked in preparation for this IMBB here, but at least the sentiment is there...

C
Next up: ST from Cheat Eat has brought us a lovely looking batch of Biscotti Di Mandorle (a cookie I think we'll be seeing again when Ronald from Love Sicily arrives). Even baking with only one good eye couldn't stop ST from making what I think turned out to be some tasty treats!

Oh, here's someone else: Petra from Chili und Ciabatta has stopped by with the first of her holiday cookie boxes under her arm. In it is a batch of her Grandmother Hermine's Hildatoertchen - an almond-cinnamon-butter cookie with raspberry jam sandwiched in the middle and iced lightly with a confectioner's sugar icing...yum! In addition to these lovelies, she made FOUR other types of cookies: Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars), Falsches Butterbrot (False Butterbread with butter and chives) and Vanillekipferl (Vanilla Croissants), and Zimtkarten (recipes are in German).

Clotilde from Chocolate and Zucchini just arrived with a batch of Pistachio Cookies that smell especially scrumptious. I can't wait to try one!

Next to arrive, a bit chilled from the cold, is Amy of Cooking with Amy, with her contribution: Rugelach, or Melted Ice Cream Cookies. Amy has even given us a link to where we can learn to properly pronounce Rugelach...how great is she?!?

Bounding through the door, with her batch of Soetkoekies (Spicy Wine Cookies) in her hands for us all is Jeanne of Cook Sister! Originally a Dutch confection, quite popular in South African cookie tins. I'm really looking forward to trying these cookies!

Kelli of Culinary Epiphanies brings along a batch of Cornmeal Lemon Drops, a recipe that apparently screamed at her to be baked...I mean, what else could she do?

E
Arriving on the keels of Kelli is Celia of English Patis. She brought two different batches of cookies (well, one cookie and one "micro-muffin"); her hedonistic nut and fruit stuffed Holiday Date-Nut Cookies and her "easy-peazy lemon squeezy" Cherry Macaroons. How much closer to holiday bliss can you get?

Next up: Niki of Esurientes is here, finally! And with her she has what looks to be a really yummy batch of Caramel Cornflake Christmas Cookies (or as she says, alliteration cookies!). The recipe for these interesting-sounding cookies came from The Australian Women's Weekly New Cookbook, circa 1978. Good on you, Niki!

F
Finally! Renee of Feeding Dexygus Seconds has gotten here! And with her she has brought a delicious-smelling batch of Chez Panisse Gingersnaps, her favourite holiday cookie. Her story of how she got the recipe is great, too...it proves that you don't get what you don't ask for!

Oh, goody! Another good friend - Zarah of Food & Thoughts has arrived! She did have some trouble with her site earlier so I wasn't sure if we'd see her, but here she is! And with her, a batch of great sounding Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies...but Zarah wasn't sure what butterscotch was, so her cookies kind of "ran" in the oven. Hmmm...let's hope she has a more positive experience hosting the next edition of Sugar High Fridays - more info coming on her site soon!

Oh, that's the door! Who's there? It's FoodNerd, toting a huge box of Chocolate Afghans, already packaged up individually for all of us to enjoy!

H
I think I should install a revolving door; it's non-stop arrivals here! Next up: Winnie of Hodge Podge Kitchen stopped by with a treat! Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies that look and sound oh so festive and yummy! This is Winnie's first IMBB, in fact I think it is only her THIRD entry in her very new blog! Welcome, Winnie!

I
And here I thought we might not see Alberto of Il Forno at this cookie swap because his laptop has been giving him some troubles lately. But there he is -- standing in the hall, holding a large tray of gorgeous looking Checkerboard Cookies for all of us to take a nibble on! Thanks, Alberto -- and be sure to check out Food & Thoughts for further details on the next SHF, if you want to join in on the fun!

Can you see Christine of I Like to do Stuff over there? Maybe if you pass the tray of Oatmeal Cookies you have over everyone's heads I can put them on the kitchen buffet. Her delicious-looking cookies were made from a recipe published in 1918...antique cookies!

J
Okay, people, lets get some more bodies in here! I now it's getting a bit crowded, but we have to let Allison of Jinjurly through the door! She's got a tray full of Russian Tea-Cakes, all snowy white , dressed up in their layers of confectioner's sugar. LET HER THROUGH! She also has a batch of Chocolate Ginger Cookies that apparently taste great with scotch...pass 'em over!

Oh, let Julie in...even though she doesn't have a blog she wanted to share her recipe for Orange-Almond Florentines...cookies that say Christmas in so many ways.

K
Lisa of Kitchen Chick comes to the party toting not one, not two, but THREE different batches of cookies for us to indulge in: elegance, simplicity and decadence. She shares her Ginger Thins, Cinnamon Palmiers (which I remember as Butterfly cookies) and Hello Dolly Squares - one of my favourite squares. Oh my...I feel full just thinking about all those delicious cookies!

Next to arrive is Karen of Karen's Food Log who joins in on the action with a batch of scrumptious looking Walnut Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. What a perfect addition to your standard Oatmeal cookies - cranberry and walnut...and so festive, too! Welcome to the world of burning blogs, Karen -- we hope to see you again!

L
The party atmosphere is starting to take over as Mik from L'Art de Vivre walks through the door, toting her gorgeous three-dimensional Christmas Tree Cookies and a batch of Green Tea Christmas Tree Cut-Out Cookies - the latter being a shortbread-like dough, infused with green tea powder. Delicious!

Charlotte from Love and Cooking is definitely in the party mood, as she waltzes through the door with her tray piled high with THREE types of cookies for the cookie swap! Look: she's brought a batch of Mom's Peanut Butter Cups, one of Robert's Chocolate Cookies and one of Triple Ginger Cookies! Three of her "old reliable" recipes, but three of my new faves, I think!

The Cookie Swap gets an almond infusion from Ronald of Love Sicily, who has brought along a batch of Biscotti di Mandorla, or Almond Biscuits. I love the way the finished cookies look with all their flecks of sliced almonds and confectioner's sugar! Spectacular, Ronald!

M
There's the door again and who have we here? It's Elsa from Macbebekin and she has some Pecan Shortbread with her that smell absolutely amazing! I am going to be sampling those pretty soon, Elsa! Thanks!

Next to arrive at the party is Alice from My Adventures in the Breadbox who has graciously provided a tray full of utterly scrumptious looking Cranberry Pockets that may have caused her some difficulty and mountains of dirty dishes, but don't they look well worth it?

The next arrival is Cathy of My Little Kitchen and what does she have with her? A batch of Holiday Biscotti - jam-packed with pistachios and cranberries and then topped with (what else?!?) white chocolate - they're pretty impressive!

O
Someone else is here! It's Reid from 'Ono Kine Grindz and what she has tucked under her arm smells scrumptious! It's a delicious looking batch of Li Hing Shortbread - shortbread flavoured with the powder of Chinese preserved plums. How cool! I love the idea of taking a standard recipe and changing it just slightly to reflect your own tastes, and background. Yum!

S
Joy of joys, it's Viv of Seattle Bon Vivant -- I wasn't sure if I should expect her, with her usually crazy-busy schedule. But she is here and she has brought some droolingly good Pierre Hermé Chocolate Brownies to liven up this cookie swap. They really do look like "dense and ultra-chocolatey bar[s] of cocoa and nut heaven" as Viv says. Let's hope Mr. C. enjoyed them as well!

Oh, no! Close the door! Don't let the snow in! Wait...that's not snow from the walk, it's a big batch of yummy looking Praline Snowballs that Chicka of She Who Eats has brought along to enjoy at the cookie swap! Let her in and let me at 'em! Yum...I love pralines.

Oh, yay! Renee of Shiokadelicious! has arrived! And she's brought along some lovely looking Russian Tea Cakes/Mexican Wedding Cakes. She claims they don't taste quite right, but they do look fabulous! Thanks, Renee!

Oh, look, it's Shelley of the photo blog Soleilmia and she has brought us some really yummy looking Lemon Thins and Maple Butter Cookies. Very pretty cookies that I'm sure are going to taste delicious!

Right on Renee's heels comes Ali from Something So Clever, toting a batch of none other than those infamous Neiman Marcus Cookies with her own Mint Twist. Oh my...those must have smelled so good coming out of the oven...just decadent.

And hey, who's that? It's Stella of Stella Bites! And she's late! I think I'll get her to stay after the party and help me clean up, thank you very much! But at least she's brought a really delicious looking batch of Martha Stewart's Oatmeal Crisps...THANKS, STELLA!

T
Next to arrive is Fae of Tiny Fork with her batch of How-Not-to-Make-Spritz-Cookies Spritz Cookies. After a battle with a cookie press of undetermined age she gave up and made these cookies, which were supposed to be in the shape of roses, in the shape of a spoon...I think that goes well with the name of her blog (tiny fork? spoon cookies? call me crazy!).

Oh my, it's getting crowded in here! But, there's always room for more chefs! Speaking of which, Barrett and Meg of Too Many Chef's just squeezed their way in with a double batch of their own twists on the old family favourite: Oatmeal Cookies. Barrett brings us his Orange-Cardamom Oatmeal Cookies - what a great flavour combination! Meg provides us with a scrumptious sounding batch of Cran-Apple Oatmeal Cookies that I am anxious to try...there's nothing better than the combination of cranberries and apples for that festive touch!

W
Anne of Where's My Dinner just walked in...and boy do her cookies smell scrumptious! She has made a batch of Pepparkakor, or Swedish Ginger Thins, which she cut into cat shapes in honor of her British Shorthair, Ywette being on the verge of having a brand new batch of kittens! Congratulations, Anne and Ywette!

Next to arrive is Debbie of Words to Eat By. In this, her very first IMBB, she was attempting to replicate the "best chocolate cookies in the world", from City Bakery in New York City. I can tell you, her Pretty Damn Good Cookie recipe is probably close if not better...I can smell them from here!

Jeanne of World on a Plate just popped her head through the door, followed by arms full of her Alfajores de Dulce de Leche, or Caramel Sandwich Cookies (all the way from Uraguay!). These cookies sound like they attain that fine balace between the sticky, sugary sweet dulce de leche and the cornstarch-based shortbread. Wow -- what a gorgeous combination!

And lastly: me, The Domestic Goddess. I brought some Apple Butter Linzer Cookies to the cookie swap, which were a huge hit!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Is My Blog Burning Holiday Cookie Swap...enjoy your cookies, I know I have! thanks for coming! Now I have to clean up my house...so many cookie crumbs on the floor...