The holiday season is upon us, bringing with it a sense of warmth, joy, and the delightful aroma of freshly baked cookies. If you’re looking to infuse a festive cheer into your gatherings, consider hosting a Cookie Exchange Party. It’s a delightful way to celebrate the spirit of giving, share delectable treats, and create lasting memories with friends and family.
Through food blogging, I met a group of bay area women food bloggers who share the same passion for food and blogging. We bonded quickly as friends and for the last 12 years, we get together every December to have a gourmet potluck and cookie exchange. Our group of seven, reside in four different bay area counties, which gives us the opportunity to rotate who hosts our yearly soiree. I look forward to this get together each year and catching up with everyone along with eating amazing food and taking home a bounty of cookies.
It is relatively simple to organize your own cookie exchange get together. The first step is to determine your guest list, date, time, location and send out invitations via evite, email or the mail. Next you can decide how you want to allocate or have your guests select which potluck item they want to contribute. I suggest having each guest bring a copy of their potluck and cookie recipe to share. This is a great opportunity for your inner Martha Stewart to shine through a festive decorated table to enjoy all the tasty potluck delights. You can pick a theme for the potluck or let your guest surprise you. I would consider creating a holiday signature cocktail to serve at your party. A few other festive touches to consider – create a holiday playlist, light pine scented candles, complete your seasonal decorating, and the dining table reflects the time of year.
This time-honored gathering is not just about swapping cookies; it’s a celebration of camaraderie, creativity, and the love that goes into crafting these delectable bites of happiness. I suggest having each guest to bake enough cookies to create artful holiday boxes containing 6 to 12 cookies for each person attending the cookie exchange. A nice touch is to attach the cookie recipe to each package. In addition, bring an extra dozen cookies to place on a large platter for the guests to enjoy for dessert. You get a sneak peek of the diverse assortment of cookies that you will take home.
The holidays are a special time of year to create memories and traditions. A cookie exchange is a fun event that you can choose to bake together, then package OR complete that task at home which we choose to do. I have included one of my favorite cookie recipes for the holidays and is a crowd pleaser. I wish each of you a festive and tasty holiday season. Cheers!!!
Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
Makes 4 dozen.
2 Sticks butter, room temperature (1 Cup)
½ Cup + 4 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
3 teaspoon Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Grated Orange Zest
½ Cup dried Cranberries, chopped well
2 Cup Flour
¼ teaspoon Baking Powder
2 pinches of salt
In a stand mixer, cream the butter well until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar slowly until incorporated. Add the vanilla, orange zest and salt and mix well. Add the flour and baking powder slowly until well incorporated. Slowly add the dried cranberries and mix quickly.
Form dough into 2 logs, about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap or parchment paper. Slice ½ inch rounds and space about 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Bake until pale golden brown, about 12 minutes and let cool. Store in an airtight container.
By Lisa Crossett, Resident since 2001