The recipe for the perfect cookie exchange gathering

Kathleen Anderson

November is officially the kickoff for the holiday season for me. Time to finish up gift shopping, present wrapping, meal planning, and maybe, this year, host the cookie exchange.

I was invited to my first cookie exchange gathering when I was living in Texas and I was blown away by the creativity. The premise was straightforward – bring a dozen (or more depending on the number of guests you invite) of your favorite cookies and the same number of copies of the cookie recipe.

You can invite neighbors, co-workers, family and friends or a mixture of all the above. Everyone takes one of each cookie and the recipe home with them in the container they brought their cookies in…easy right?

Well, it is on paper.

 Step One:

First, you must pick a date that works for everyone at home. When you live in an intergenerational compound, as I do, this step is not as easy as it sounds.

We have four family members that work outside of the home, four that attend school or college, one in pre-school and me. I work from home most of the time unless I am interviewing someone or volunteering at the Lions Low Vision Resource Center.

Step Two:

The next step is to design an invitation that will make people want to come. There are family members far more talented than me for this step, but I am perceived as having the most free time, so the job will fall to me.

I will spend at least three weeks designing in my head and God knows how many sheets of paper to see if I have come close to what I envisioned, before I trudge off to the nearest Hallmark Store, and buy basic “fill in the blanks” invitations.

I know this will be the end result from past celebrations, so why I put myself through step two in the first place is beyond me.

Step Three:

Now I can move onto the most important step…selecting the cookie I want to make. This can create another dilemma. As the hostess, do I want to outshine my guests or let them take home the honors? My cookies are delicious but basic.

Years ago, I once convinced my kids that I had stayed up all night creating the perfect Oreo cookie clone for their party at school, but it is doubtful I could get away with this again. This decision is easy – the guests win.

Step Four:

Now comes the menu selection. We can’t eat the cookies since we need to make sure everyone gets one of each to try at home. So, we have to have something else to serve our guests. I am leaning toward quiches, fresh fruit, juice, coffee, and tea.  I will change my mind about this at least five times before I return to my original choices.

Step Five:

The final step is one of the biggest. Decorating the house for Christmas. Finding everything in the garage, hauling it to the house, sorting and incorporating what you have used for years, with the new things you purchased at the after-Christmas sales last year.

Going back to the store to purchase lights to replace the ones that no longer work is a given. And you will want holiday dishes or paper goods, including plates of various sizes, cups, napkins, and plastic utensils. A centerpiece or fresh flowers will finish off the serving table and of course you need another table to showcase the cookies.

And there you have it. The recipe for the perfect cookie exchange gathering. And if I start right now, I might be ready to host one next year…

Kathleen Anderson writes this column each week from her home in Olympia.  Contact her at  kathleen@theJOLTnews.com or post your comment below.