Goodies are good year-round

Santa has always had a monopoly on the good cookies. But why should the winter holidays get all the gingerbread? And why should something as deliciously fun as a cookie exchange be relegated to December?

Cookie exchanges are about more than shared calories, says Julia Usher, a former California Bay Area engineer turned bakery diva.

"It's an opportunity to draw family and friends into the kitchen and swap memories and recipes," she says. "It's one thing to take the cookies home. It's even better when you can take the stories home. A lot of the cookie-swap tradition is about carrying on what's been important into the future -- giving and sharing, handing down the legacy of recipes."

Her philosophy unfolds in mouthwatering fashion in the new book "Cookie Swap: Creative Treats to Share Throughout the Year" (Gibbs Smith, 160 pages, $19.99).

At this time of year, Usher whips up tiny vine-festooned pumpkins, meringue ghosts and a gingerbread house that would send Hansel and Gretel scampering back up the breadcrumb trail.

Even if there's no time to organize a Halloween cookie exchange, these cookies are still fun, spooky treats to create with your children.

While Usher's career switch may seem a bit dramatic for some, she says it wasn't that big a stretch.

"We were a very avid baking and cooking family. Nothing came into the house that wasn't made from scratch," she says. "Mom would go crazy making jams and jellies. Same thing with breads. Often those things were made and swapped around the holiday time."

Now, if Usher has her way, they'll be swapped all year long.

Her fall-themed recipes include the Giant Pumpkin cookie, which can be decorated with fondant flourishes or simply dipped in orange icing.

"It's a lovely spice cookie that's really suitable for the fall season," she says.

And the Meringue Ghosts can be piped over a chopped date cookie base, or directly onto parchment-covered cookie sheets. Add mini-chocolate chips for eyes and tuck the adorable, ridiculously simple results into a warm oven for an hour.

Usher also offers clever ideas for invitations, decorations and take-home containers. And yes, there are plenty of winter holiday cookies for Santa, too.