Christmas Cookies Everywhere!

Monday night Aileen and I hosted a Cookie Swap.

This is the kind of party where everyone brings in cookies. We all enjoy sampling some. Then when it's time to leave, you leave most of your cookies but take some of everyone else's so that you have a good variety of cookies when you get home. And you've only had to prepare one type!

I started this party 9 years ago at the insistence of a great friend of mine named Sharon who doesn't live here anymore. I had never heard of a cookie swap until she insisted we throw one together. She would really be proud of this party today.

After she moved away I had many friends who offered to throw it with me so that it would continue. Not wanting to have to pick and choose between the friends that wanted to help, I thought I would ask my sister-in-law, and friend, Aileen to throw it with me.

Aileen is really so easy going to throw this party with. The party really kind of runs itself, but there is no way I would still be doing this if it weren't for Aileen and I joining forces. Our friends blend together so well too.

I will say that I feel like all of the cookies this year were over the top! They were all so good, and big! We need to work on dropping smaller cookies so that they are easier to sample and there are more to spread around. It is really easy to give yourself a stomach ache at this party, especially when the cookies are so big.

Each year there are inevitably some baking horror stories about what went wrong when people were making their cookies. We've had stoves catch on fire, cookies explode, chocolate not melt, forgotten ingredients, and always lots of multiple batches needing to be made for one reason or another.

Through the years we've given superlatives ranging from "best cookie", "biggest disaster story"," most festive", "most original", "best traditional Christmas Cookie", etc.

This year we decided to give just one award. The "2007 Cookie Queen".

This year the "Cookie Queen" award went to Amanda. I don't know what Amanda's cookies were called, but it was what my children are very affectionately calling "Chocolate Junk".

You know the type of cookie...as many different types of chocolate things you can think of all thrown together to make this decadent cookie. Chocolate chips, Oreo pieces, chocolate batter, etc. They were PHENOMENAL. And though they are lovingly called "Chocolate Junk" at my house, which doesn't really sound appealing, they were even pretty good looking.

Of course I forgot to take any pictures, but luckily Caroline took a few for us (and that's only one of 3 full tables of cookies that were available). There were truly more cookies than you could shake a stick at. I think everyone was able to take home plenty, and Aileen and I have never had such a good supply of cookies for ourselves after the party. Usually we don't get many, but not the story this year. I'll definitely have to share some, or better yet, have people over again to share all of this Christmas Cheer.

I can't wait until next year's party. Everyone left swearing that they were the one who would win next year. I'm sure the recipe hunt has already started!