Della's Creations: 1st Annual Cookie Exchange

I held my first ever cookie exchange with much success this past weekend. Until last year, when I overheard co-workers discussing a cookie exchange, I had never heard of such a party. My experiences with Christmas parties don't really go beyond ones involving a Yankee Swap or White Elephant Gift Exchange. Out of curiosity, I began researching cookie exchanges, and decided to host one this year. Below are some of the websites that I gathered my information from.

Good Housekeeping-Host a Cookie Swap Party
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/christmas-ideas/cookie-party#slide-1

The #1 Cookie Exchange
http://www.robinsweb.com/cookies/index.html

Pinterest
http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=cookie+exchange

How to Host a Cookie Exchange
http://allrecipes.com/howto/how-to-host-a-cookie-exchange-party/

Cookie Exchange Games (We didn't play any games this time, but definitely planning on it for the 2nd Annual Cookie Exchange.)
http://www.robinsweb.com/cookies/games.html

During my research, I came across many versions of an exchange with many different rules and protocols. Some of them were quite strict. I am only that strict with 2nd graders, and can't find myself imposing such rules on adults, much less friends. I made the expectation pretty simple, bake a batch of your favorite cookies and come enjoy the party. From some of the information I read, I gathered that you don't actually eat the cookies at the party, but with so many delicious cookies staring at us, we said forget the rules, and dug in. We spent about 45 minutes sampling, taste testing, and sampling some more with cups of coffee and glasses of mulled wine in between. After all of the tasting, there were still plenty for people to take home. I have been snacking on cookies since Saturday, and can't seem to stop.

My friends shared their delicious recipes with me, which are linked below. I hope they bring you as much joy and laughter as they did for me.