reminds me of quilt guild block exchanges.....but I dont intend to micromanage a cookie exchange. Thanks for your input. Sorry that others don't play well.... ;)

the ladies that are coming make exquisite cookies.... they set the bar high! we love the camaraderie of just getting together.

my "plain janes" are better than most!

sandy

Can't beat a good peanut butter cookie.

I have a friend who has hosted one for years. She provides coffee, hot tea and cocoa. Along with some sort or non sweet casserole or breakfast item. Just watching others, there are usually a lot of drop cookie styles. So any bar, cutout or round ball cookie look great in the variety. I make classic Wilton butter cutout cookies the recipe in a snowflake pattern with crystal sprinkles. It's the shapes on the plate that makes a pleasing set of cookies. She also has some simple kids crafts to make. The little foam Christmas ornaments or painted wooden items. They are fun and divert the group into different areas.

Spice cookies are my go to for Christmas Cookie Exchanges. Gingersnaps or Moravian Spice cookies are always good this time of year. I make my great grandmother's Pheffernusse, from her recipe. I do cheat though as I make them about the size of a quarter instead of the smaller less than a dime size. Don't hate me because I cheat.... but they are rather labor intensive. Rolling all those little cables to cut. etc. BUT still the folks love them. Put on on your tongue and let it melt. They are very hard cookies, which is why they got the name German Peppernuts. This is the one cookie I make every year. They ship very well too.

Overly handled - like when little kids decorate sugar cookies - and they look kind of grungy by the time they get baked.

Or "too much" decorating on them (which I now is subjective) -

My Danish Mom and Grandma made those and that's exactly what they called them. Germany and Denmark are neighbors so that would stand to reason. Never my favorite, I think you could not harm them if you ran over a batch with an army tank! Thanks for the memories !

This is my little invention aka: tweak. I named Christmas Eve Cookie

Christmas Eve Cookie
On the back of the Reese's Peanut Butter Chips pkg. is a recipe for chewy double chocolate chip cookie, the recipe on the right side of pkg.
Follow the batter recipe, swap the Peanut Butter chips for Andes Peppermint Crunch chips(Walmart) they are in a red package. I also use Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa. They are the new favorites in this household, pairs well with Coffee or Hot Cocoa. Definite ahhh factor, another that tastes the best on Christmas Eve when all is finished. Hope someone tries this recipe and lets me know how they liked it. We love 'em!!

I've never done a cookie exchange but I'd make Shortbread ... they freeze and handle well.
Or double chocolate chip - which in my house are Santa's favourite cookie.
I love baking cookies at Christmas - so I really don't need to do an exchange. But my neighbour and I each do a recipe the other likes to exchange. We need our treats!

i get it! Thanks for clarifyng.
sandy

Fruit and nut drop cookies- they are like an oatmeal cookie with walnuts or pecans and cut up dates instead of raisins
They are a chewy cookie
Mexican wedding cookies- they are kind of like a shortbread cookie with finely cut up pecans and then rolled in powered sugar. I add fine grated lemon zest to the powered sugar. These are my go to cookie with hot tea.