Christmas Cookie Swaps: I've got questions....

M

marilynfl

Moderator
Pat and I have been emailing regarding this topic.

I've been invited to my first and I'd like to have a better idea of how these work. Our hostess has never done one before and she's planning on having ~12 women each bring 5 dozen cookies cleverly wrapped up (per dozen) plus one dozen to taste. She's planning on having a drawing and letting the winners pick their favorite package, then pick again for more selections.

She likes the idea of a packaged dozen because her note suggested you can give those as presents to other neighbors.

I think this has a huge potential to hurt someone's feelings if their cookies aren't very tasty or not very well decorated.

You'd get to taste 12 types of cookies, but only take home 5?

I'd much rather prepare 12 "half-dozen" packages and just let everyone take home a 6-pack of everything.

How has it worked for you?

Also, what's your favorite cookie for this? It has to last quite a while since she's having it on the 18th....so I'm thinking a cookie that will need to last a minimum of two weeks?

Pat had a great suggestion for linzer cookies with a mini-cookie cutter tied to the bag. I'm all over that idea.

 
Last night I was thinking about the linzer cookie in a bag and the jelly

filling sticking to the bag and not looking very attractive. Might have to present the linzers, if you choose to go that route, in a box vs a bag, OR just choose a different cookie. smileys/wink.gif

 
An alternative suggestion:

Why not just put out all the cookies on trays, let everyone graze, then have everyone fill boxes up with an assortment of everything to take home?

--one who is trying to let go of control and restrain my inner-control freak these days.

 
Pat, I had thought of that, but I'll try a jelly trick by Carole Walter

I did this for the OCD Iraq cookies.

Thumbprint Cookie Prologue: Growing up I must have filled a bazillion of these. Mom would make trays and trays of these and Russian tea balls and nut rolls. She would roll the dough into balls, partially bake, then pull them out, press a thumbprint in and finish baking. When the cookie was cool, we kids had to fill them with jelly (ALWAYS home-made grape).

The jelly would always be a little messy and soft.

Carole, on the other hand, pulls the dimpled cookie trays out with 5 minutes left to go, puts a dollop of jelly on and pops the tray back into the oven. The jelly slightly melts into the dough and when they cool, they are a solid mass. I held them upside-down and jiggled them, knowing they were in for a LONG trip. They were perfect.

So I'm going to do the same with the linzers.

 
Good idea, but I doubt our hostess will go for this. She's seeing it as an

opportunity to get cookie gifts to give away to her neighbors.

She said she makes the same cookies every year and this way her neighbors will get to try new ones.

 
Good idea, thanks for sharing the trick. What about the powdered sugar though...

wouldn't want that to fall off the cookie and be all settled down on the bottom of the bag. smileys/frown.gif
They'd be cute on holiday-styled paper or plastic plates maybe?

But all that to consider, I still think linzer cookies are a nice offering for a cookie exchange because they're attractive, tasty, can be made in so many different shapes, and show that you went to a little more effort (if you're wanting to impress your audience) than simpler drop cookies (not that there's anything at all wrong with drop cookies).

 
Well that's a different take on it! smileys/smile.gif

But then, why would anyone want to collect things they haven't baked and pass them out as gifts?

To each their own...

 
So she gives away the cookies from the exchange to her neighbors? That's... I'm not sure what. smileys/wink.gif

 
I think your packages of 6 make much more sense. nice plump molasses cookies with raw sugar

sprinkles last long and look/taste so good. they stack nicely in narrow cellophane bags(ala Ina Garten) that you can buy at Michaels etc, tied with a pretty ribbon/shiny sparkly stuff and/or something attached to it.

 
Oh, I just googled images of them. They almost ALL have powdered sugar. Hey,

what about if I take Royal Icing or Sugar Baby icing and--using a new toothbrush, speckle white icing on them? Both of those icings will harden so then I can bag it.

Test time!

 
Plus, again, feelings will be hurt if theirs are not snatched up right away smileys/frown.gif

 
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