I love the Christmas season so much – the trees,  the Christmas attractions , the decorations, the music, the family gatherings and probably most of all…the food! I always get the season going with a little Christmas baking of my own, and my annual tradition of hosting a Christmas cookie exchange with some friends.

When I was younger, my mom often hosted a cookie exchange with her friends, and so when I was old enough I started hosting one of my own. Whether back in Vancouver or here in Ottawa, I have been hosting a cookie exchange for eight straight years. I find it is a great way to get different women together, and have them socialize. Checking out what each other baked is such a good ice breaker!

I put together a small appetizer spread, and a bar stocked with plenty of rum and egg nog, wine and sangria for the evening. There was a great turn out this year, 14 women made it out. After plenty of conversation, drinks and snacking we decided it was time to lay out our baking.

Some people are very familiar with how a cookie exchange works – but for many of the moms attending my party, it was actually their first time. My cookie exchanges are always supposed to be NO PRESSURE affairs. You don’t have to make a certain amount of cookies, whether you make enough for everyone to take home one of your cookies, or a dozen – it doesn’t matter. It’s just fun to leave the party with a whole range of baking to sample.

Everyone laid out their cookies on my dining room table. This year I opted to make my Aunt Jane’s traditional shortbread. It was an easy recipe, and I made enough for everyone to leave with 5-6 of my cookies.

I had gone to the dollar store and bought everyone a Christmas platter, that way they could walk around the table and fill up their festive holiday plate.

Such a range of delicious goodies! Peanut butter cookies, peppermint whoopee pies, nanaimo bars, red velvet cookies, chocolate crinkle cookies, chai shortbread and more!

We just kept walking around that table until all the cookies had been exchanged, and everyone had an impressive Christmas baking platter to take home.

Look at that haul! I think there were a number of happy husbands and happy kids back at home who got a chance to sample everything. If you haven’t taken part in a cookie exchange before, I highly recommend hosting one for friends and family. It really is a lovely low-key and delicious Christmas tradition.