Ok, I have to start @ the beginning. I love baking and my family and I have been getting together for several years for our annual cookie exchange. Last year I made oatmeal/chocolate chip cookies and they turned out great. This year, I decided to try and make Magic Bars, that I found on the Very Best Baking web site.

Major fail. The crumb bottom didn't set up right and they turned into concrete. :( I was so disappointed, especially after investing a lot of money into ingredients to make 96 bars!

So, I had to go to Plan B. As the cookie exchange is on Saturday, I was running out of time. So despite searching high and low for a "fool proof" cookie recipe, I gave up and went to my fall back- fudge:

I found 2 amazing recipes, one I had made last year (so I knew it was good). The peanut butter one on left is Alton Brown's recipe. This is the best peanut butter fudge I have ever had and very easy to make.

On right, is Carnation Famous Fudge w/o the nuts.

Both turned out amazing, I am happy to say.

And here is how I packaged them:

To package everything up, I got Ziploc holiday containers on sale @ Target with a coupon and used aluminum foil to separate the layers of chocolate and peanut better. I am enclosing them in the holiday reusable bag shown. I picked up 6 bags, 75% off @ Pier One last year.

So, in the end, it worked out. I just hope the girls don't mind it isn't cookies! Maybe next year they can call it "Cookie/Fudge Exchange". :)

BTW, if anyone has any good cookie recipes I can use next year, I would love to hear them! Please post a comment, thanks!