Cookie Exchange

Yesterday was the Holiday Cookie Exchange I hosted for my family and friends. Working up to party time was quite a feat but so much fun once all the cleaning was done!

Here are a few things I learned along the way:

1. I had my party at 4:00 pm; close to dinner time. To keep it simple, I enlisted my good friends at the Honey Baked Ham store for the main entree of ham and turkey sandwiches. I also had a vegetable tray and my mother (I so lovingly call Mama Stewart) made cole slaw and chicken and noodles.  Everything could be kept in crock pots or just out on the counter. I hate having to worry about keeping cold things cold.

If you don’t want to worry about a dinner menu, I suggest having it around 2:00 and just having a few appetizers hanging around. After all, your main focus here is the cookies

2. Spread out the cleaning. I made a list of what I wanted to accomplish each day of the week and tried my best to stick to it.  (With two little ones to chase around and a husband who had to go out of town for a night, it was a little hard, but do your best so that your party day is a stress free as possible!)

3. Make the cookie dough in advance and freeze so all you have to do is thaw and bake.

4. THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT!! Never make a cookie you have never made before! I learned this the hard way.

I made two types of cookies: Red and White Sugar Cookie Pinwheels and Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies. Let me tell you, the pinwheels were hard! Hanna at Bouffe e babini made hers looks so perfect! I have a new found respect for Ms. Hanna. Mine tasted good, they just didn’t look nearly as pretty.

See? Sigh. Don’t laugh.

The Double Chocolate Espresso Cookies I found over at Sweet Tooth worked out much better for me. There was no talent needed as you just dropped them on a cookie sheet. No rolling up required.  And they were super yummy!

These=Yum.

As far as decor goes, I set up one table to put all the cookies on and another one that had the take home buckets, recipe books and food cards I already labeled with all the cookies everyone brought.

Cookie Buckets I found for $2 each at Target. I was ecstatic to find them because the only other things I kept finding were cookie boxes at Michaels  for about $2 each and I would have had to get two for each person just so they would have enough space to put all their goodies.

The recipe books and food tents are part of my Holiday Collection.

Can you smell the deliciousness? There were a good variety of cookies and sweets and everyone left with tummy aches but it was so super delicious.

I think we need to follow up a cookie party in December with a wine party in January…….