Cookie Exchange Gettogether Dec 1

I am looking to host a cookie exchange get together for LTH'rs at my place. If anyone would be interested in coming please let me know. I think at the most I can squeeze 20. If anyone would be interested please let me know. The Date would be the 1 December at 2PM, a Saturday afternoon still enough away from Christmas to not be so hectic.
It would be six cookies per person if less people show up then we get more cookies, please bring copies of your recipe for the other attendees. I will be serving mulled wine, red borsht and mushroom turnovers and of course extra cookies. If anybody feels like bringing something they are welcome. We will also need to know what type of cookies people are bringing so that we all don't make the same cookie. I doubt that this will happen with this talented group but you never know. Happy Baking!
Attending so far:
jygach
Cathy2
SuzyCreamcheese
figmolly (maybe)
marias23
Pucca
Mhays
Kafein

I would be interested in this event!

Thank you! This is a great idea, I'd love to participate! Please let me know if you need any assistance w/organizing or keeping track of attendees and their contributions.

Me too, tentatively! Will kids be welcome (e.g. Cookie Monster, will you be bringing yours so Sparky has somebody to play with?)

Yes my two daughters will be there., it is kind of hard to kick them out of the house unless I get my mom in law to babysit. But it should be a fun affair for them.
I am thinking of serving mulled wine, mushroom turnovers and red borsht soup to go with them. Just some finger food. Any good ideas are welcome.

Hi,

I have a Chicago Foodways Roundtable meeting that morning. I am interested in attending, though I cannot confirm until I know your timing.

Cookie exchanges I have gone to: each person brings maybe a dozen cookies to exchange per attendee. If you had a dozen people, it meant bringing twelve dozen cookies. One of these trays was for consumption on the spot.

Fun idea! Thank you for willingness to coordinate this.

Regards,

I can provide boxes for people to take their cookies home with.
Not a problem.
Does a recipe get included with each dozen of cookies?

Cookie Monster wrote: Does a recipe get included with each dozen of cookies?

Yes, please! This is great for people who want to reproduce something at home.

P.S. I edited my response above to include my offer to help you organize any administrative details like keeping lists of attendees and their contributions.

Pucca wrote:P.S. I edited my response above to include my offer to help you organize any administrative details like keeping lists of attendees and their contributions.

A noble offer!

***

You might want people to bring the cookies already portioned on paper plates with plastic wrapped around. It avoids 'too many fingers' touching the cookies or anyone getting short-changed. Of course, they will be pleased to move those cookies into your boxes for a convenient ride home.

While a recipe is desirable, there are people who may not do it. It could be conducted like the picnic with a post summarizing all the recipes here. I only have a handful of recipes I don't share, in respect for the people who gave them to me. Truthfully most can be reverse engineers, but what can I say? I do as they wish.

Regards,

That would be great as I am a computer idiot. I think we also need to think what type of cookies we will be bringing so that there won't be duplications. I think people should think of what they do at home for the family or what their heritage is, or whatever they think will be Christamas like.

I would love to attend but wouldn't be able to if it's too far. I live in Hyde Park and have no car. So, if the cookie exchange is held within the city limits and is accessible by public transport, count me in!

I am in Jefferson Park close to the el and a bunch of buses, so tranportation should not be a problem.

I love cookies and would be thrilled to attend. Saturdays are usually bad for me, but so far that date is clear. I'll have to confirm closer to the day.

Hi,

This sounds like a lot of fun. Count me in.
I would suggest letting people bring their favorite cookie - while there may be some general duplication, I doubt it would hamper the show too much.

Thanks for offering to do this. Let me know if I can help with anything. I have never been to a cookie exchange, but I'm assuming we will need refreshments of some kind.

Jyoti

Oh, I want in! I am a cookie-baking fool, and this is an excellent excuse to start softening some butter.

jygach,

I think our hostess is thinking of everything!

Cookie Monster wrote:I am thinking of serving mulled wine, mushroom turnovers and red borsht soup to go with them. Just some finger food. Any good ideas are welcome.

Cathy2 wrote:jygach,

I think our hostess is thinking of everything!

Cathy,

With cookies on my brain, I clearly missed the second post by our host.

Jyoti

The format will be that we bring twelve cookies for each person coming to the event, along with recipes for that cookie. I will be providing boxes for people to take the cookies home with them.
Look forward to seeing you all.

Cookie Monster wrote:The format will be that we bring twelve cookies for each person coming to the event, along with recipes for that cookie.

I am interested in coming, however, if you are expecting 30-ish people, that means not only will everyone have to make 360+ cookies, but everyone will be taking that many home. I don't know about everyone else, but that's a lot of cookies! I recall needing to make at least two cookies for each person at exchanges I've been to in the past. What does everyone think? I don't mean to diss the idea, I think cookie exchanges are the best thing since sliced bread.

Pie Lady wrote:

Cookie Monster wrote:The format will be that we bring twelve cookies for each person coming to the event, along with recipes for that cookie.

I am interested in coming, however, if you are expecting 30-ish people, that means not only will everyone have to make 360+ cookies, but everyone will be taking that many home. I don't know about everyone else, but that's a lot of cookies! I recall needing to make at least two cookies for each person at exchanges I've been to in the past. What does everyone think? I don't mean to diss the idea, I think cookie exchanges are the best thing since sliced bread.

I'm going to keep a running tally of people interested in attending. I propose that as the date nears, we can confirm the count and determine how many cookies to bring. I would prefer to avoid making any more than 12 dozen cookies.

You are totally right. Math was never my strong suit.
Either we lower the amount of people that attend or everyone can get six cookies each instead of a dozen and we can invite more people that way.
I would like to find out which way people are leaning, either less people or everyone takes less cookies home.
At 12 people for six cookies you will take home 72 cookies.
At 20 people for six cookies you will take home 120.
How many cookies are people willing to make is the question?
Please let me know so that I can cut off the amount of people attending.
Thanks for pointing this out to me.

I would say, let's cap the cokies at 12 dozen and then divide that by the number of people attending. I would be fine with 3 -6 cokies of each kind.

Jyoti

I'm OK with that idea, as 12 kinds seems daunting to me (though we probably do that over Christmas anyway)

I'm overwhelmed right now with Halloween, but could probably help take on whatever extra stuff needs to be done next month, if you can think of any delegating you want to do. Cookie Monster, thank you for starting this thread so early on two counts: I'm always late with my Christmas cookies, and this far out was much easier on my calendar.

HI,

Twelve dozen cookies is 2-4 batches of cookie dough.

Hmmm - why don't we see how many people are attending, then adjust the plan to that. Could someone create a roster of those who agreed to attend? Keeping track of the numbers will help analyze what's happening and how to respond.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Hmmm - why don't we see how many people are attending, then adjust the plan to that. Could someone create a roster of those who agreed to attend? Keeping track of the numbers will help analyze what's happening and how to respond.

Cookie Monster posted a list up top. I have started an excel file, but it's on my computer at home. I can post it later tonight.

Pucca,

I don't always look upthread. At eight people so far, it is still in the manageable range.

Thanks!

Regards,

I think 3-4 cookies per person is good; if they like the cookie enough to want more, they'll have the recipe handy to make a full batch. That also works nicely if someone's creation isn't someone else's cup of tea - you won't have to eat another 11 of them!

HI,

I find 3-4 cookies pretty ackward amount. The idea of a cookie exchange is to have a variety of cookies without having to bake a variety. Not as a sample, so I can go home and start baking again.

One dozen of any cookie is enough to give my family and any guests a shot at any one cookie type. When you have 3-4 cookies, then you have cherry pickers who may take the best and leave the rest to fend for themselves.

If you don't like the cookie, then wrap it up and give it as a hostess gift.

Regards,

Personally, I intend to bake vast amounts of cookies. The oven helps to keep the place warm

I think that 6 cookies per person sounds good and manageable if about 20 people show up. If less people come than we can increase our cookie amount. This is a lot of cookies Plus I will have goodies to eat at my place and will make extra cookies.
So the plan is to bring 6 cookies per person , please only bring cookies if you are willing to provide a recipe along with copies for everybody.
Final RSVP is to by by November 24.
To the gentelmen in the forum, you are all welcome. (This is not a women's only event.) See you all December 1, at 2PM.
Please e-mail me for address and directions.