Christmas Cookie Exchange

By Michele Confessore

I remember the holiday preparations in our house when I was growing up. Mom would spend Sunday afternoons baking cookies that we didn't see the rest of the year. Little chopped fruits, chocolate chips, frosting, the works came out for these baking marathons!

Our mouths watered as they came out of the oven and were left on the dining room table to cool and set. Sometimes mom would let us take a sample cookie, but then shoo-shoo us out of the dining room so we didn't eat ALL of the fruits of her hard work.

Then, as soon as they were cool, she would pack then all up and share these little delights with family and friends who came by to visit during the holidays.

As I got older and I had my own children, the holidays continued to be my favorite time of the year. With all of the special traditions that my husband and I have brought forth from our own childhood memories, Sunday afternoons baking occupy myholiday preparation calendar from the first of December until Christmas Eve.

With the magnitude of holiday preparations mounting year to year, I had to think of a way to:

1. Cut down on the seemingly never-ending "to-do list"
2. Make sure the cupboard wasn't bare when holiday well wishers came a-ringing!

A few years ago, some friends and I decided it was time to help each other out while having fun doing it. We decided to do a Christmas cookie exchange!

Cookie exchange? What's that you ask? Isn't that more work!? Not really.

We decided to share the holiday baking duties while expanding the repertoire of cookies we each are able to present on our holiday buffet tables! We started our first year with only six participants. Each of us agreed to make 6 dozen of our favorite cookies.

On the day of the Christmas Cookie exchange, we each bundled one dozen cookies per package and gathered at my house for punch and snacks. When the time for the exchange came, we placed our bundled cookies on the dining room table. With the assortment of cookies and/or wrapped packages on display, the table was breathtaking!

After punch and snacks and some time to just sit and enjoy each other's company, we proceeded to fill our waiting baskets with one package of cookies from each participant.

When it was time to leave, we each had 6 different kinds of cookies to share with family and friends over the holidays. Since that first year, our cookie swaps have grown.

This past year, we had 12 people take part. We were treated to Double Chocolate Delight Cookies, Cherry Winks, Stained Glass Shortbread, Biscotti, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Holly Wreaths, Toffee Bars, Russian Tea Cakes, Coconut Balls, Toll House, Oatmeal Lace and Dolly Madison's.

What a gorgeous tray we had at our house Christmas Eve!

Everyone thought I had spent the twelve-days-of-Christmas in the kitchen baking. Truth be told, doubling or tripling a cookie recipe yields enough for 12 dozen cookies depending on the recipe!

It couldn't be easier! I love these Christmas Cookie Exchanges!

Here's a tip -- fudge is a great way to go for a first timer! One pan will make a ton of fudge squares!