Looking for a fun, easy and affordable get together this holiday season, consider hosting a cookie exchange. Simply invite 6-8 guests and ask them to bring 3 or 4 dozen of their favorite homemade cookies. Provide drinks, snacks and bakery boxes so everyone can take home an assortment of goodies.
You can structure your cookie exchange in a variety of ways:
Heirloom Recipes
Ask your guests make and share a recipe that was handed down to them from a previous generation. This is a great way to learn about your friends’ backgrounds and family traditions. One of my childhood memories includes the walnut thumbprint cookies made by my Polish Grandma Otsie. The shortbread base melted in your mouth and the cookies were topped with pastel colored buttercream icing.
Cookie Decorating
In addition to exchanging cookies, you and your guests could decorate already baked cut-out sugar cookies. Have on hand icing, food coloring and edible decorations. A few years ago, I took a class from Richard Prince, the pastry chef at the Bonbonerie in O’Bryonville. Now, several times a year, I make his recipe for butter cut-out cookies with milk fondant icing and decorative buttercream icing. (See November post.)
Children’s Tea Party
Kids love tea parties and one with a holiday theme could be extra special. Most children also love to bake, so this is a way they could share their creations with their friends. Serving hot cocoa or apple cider would be a nice addition. Peanut butter and jelly finger sandwiches could be fun too.
Dessert Buffet
A cookie exchange could be incorporated into a dessert party. Serve champagne, hot toddies or Irish coffee and provide a selection of festive desserts. A store-bought Bûche de Noël (yule log cake) would be especially nice. I like to serve a variety of sweets that include: chocolate (cheesecake, brownies or flourless cake), spice (Bundt cake or cookies) and fruit (tart or pie). A small selection of cheese and fresh fruit is also lovely for dessert.
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