Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

I have been wanting to have one for years but never had the opportunity for it to pan out. I am thinking if I start early enough and get it on everyone calendars that it might work out.

If anyone has been to one do you feel it is worth it or do you look at it more like a night out?

What did everyone do it make it fun? Any good ideas or suggestions?

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

i went to one and I was the only person out of 10 people to actually bake my cookies. Some people bought cookies from a bakery or used the premade dough.

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

I have been going to one for the past two years and its a lot of fun. Each person makes how ever many dozen cookies needed for everyone to take home and we hang out and drink wine and munch on dips and such. We have not had the problem of people bringing store bought goodies or pre-made dough.

We also make sure to separate the cookies with nuts and/or nut extracts just in case of allergies.

This year ours is going to be on December 17th.

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

i wish i could have one! it's one of the things i'm looking forward to the most when i finally get a house

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

I have one every year for my group (this is the 4th one!) and it works out famously.
I don't like to bake, and only bake one cookie type a season, so its a great way to get variety into my cookie Jar around the holidays!

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

I've been to a few. One was similar to the PP where everyone baked a dozen for each person attending plus one to serve at the party itself. Everyone packaged them in cute little tins or boxes. It's a lot of baking but was so great to go home with several dozen cookies and all the containers. The other I've been to just have everyone bring a batch or two of something. We eat some, have wine, hang out. At the end, everyone fills a baggie with some of each kind they want to take home.

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

I've been to one twice (actually it was with a LIF friend!) I had sooooo much fun. We each had to make a dozen for each person and then a dozen for the table for judging. The rules were they must be homemade and no basic chocolate chip cookies. I loved it!!

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

My mom and her friends do this every year. I always loved when she came home with so many different types of cookies. I'd love to start this with my friends too.

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

My family does a bake off. Two years ago we did cakes, last year appetizers. This year I want to suggest cookies.

There is a ten dollar fee to join and it gets divided amongst the top three winners.

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

My friends and I have been doing a Cookie Swap for YEARS! I love it!!!

If 10 people show, then you bake 10 dozen of your cookies to swap with others. In the end, you wind up with 10 different cookies - a dozen of each kind! PLUS you get all the recipes to add to your collection!

We usually have it on the Sunday before Thanksgiving (so we have tons to share with friends and family) and make it a nice afternoon with no kids. I look forward to it every year.

ETA: All cookies MUST be homemade and we all try not to duplicate each other. We post what we're making ahead of time so we can make sure there's a variety.

Sometimes we do a theme. In the past we've done: bar cookies, chocolate lover's delight, and cookie cutter cookies. This year, we're doing "favorites".

Message edited 10/29/2011 1:37:09 PM.

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

I hosted one two years ago and it was a lot of fun. AC Moore sold a kit and it had little awards in it for best tasting cookie, best looking cookie, etc. Someone else brought a whole bunch of tins from the dollar store to take our cookies home in.

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

Go for it! It's fun.

I've been going to one for 5 or 6 years. There are strict rules about the type of cookie - must be homemade or bakery bought ONLY if you botched your recipe. It has to be a fancy holiday cookie, primary ingredient has to be flour, no drop cookies, meringues or no bake cookies. It sounds strict but we all enjoy making a couple batches of a complicated cookie to be able to come back with 6-8 dozen of awesome cookies.

I love doing it. I've won "most original" with an eggnog cookie that had a rum creme filling they were yummy. I also won best decorated cookie with the cookies pictured below and this year I'm shooting for the best overall but 3 recipes into R&D and I still haven't found my cookie. I have 2 weeks to submit my recipe, our swap is mid December.

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

I have been hosting a cookie swap/Christmas Brunch for the past 5 years with my group of friends.

I serve brunch and everyone makes a dozen cookies per guest so everyone goes home with all different kinds. We just drink mimosa's and hang out. Its a great afternoon.

Re: Cookie Exchange Yay or Nay

I was invited to one a few years ago and unfortunately couldn't go. It was specified on the invitation that cookie be homemade, not bought or break and bake. Also, it was first come for dibs on a recipe when you rsvp'd.

I have been thinking about having one this year!