The holiday season is prime baking and candy making time. Avid and beginning bakers alike take this time of year as a chance to make delicious and festive Christmas treats. There is even a type of Christmas party called a “Cookie Exchange.” Traditionally this type of Christmas party is done with a small group of people who agree to bring a batch of cookies to swap with each other.
Each guest brings cookies and comes home with a wide variety of Christmas treats for their own cookie jars. There are many great holiday treats that work well for this kind of party. Not all of them are cookies. Here are some classic cookie exchange treats that can put a little holiday cheer in your pantry.
Shortbread Cookies
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This versatile cookie is a butter based cookie that can be rolled out and cut into Christmas shapes like Christmas trees and angels. Or the dough can be pushed through a cookie press to make wreath shapes. Decorative sprinkles and colored sugars make these cookies pretty and enticing.
Lebkuchens
A lebkuchen is a traditional German cookie. It is usually baked at Christmas time and is a mix between a fruitcake and a gingerbread cookie. They are a rich combination of classic holiday spices like cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. They can be a challenge to make, so be sure your measurements are exact!
Sugar Cookies
This classic Christmas cookie comes in all shapes and sizes. Normally bakers like to roll this dough out and cut it with Christmas cookie cutters. But the dough can be flattened with the bottom of a glass, or dropped as is on the cookie sheet. Break out the food coloring, the sprinkles, icing, and colored sugar to make some fun and tasty treats. In the Christmas cookie handbook, sugar cookies are the blank canvas for many a young baker and their parents.
Snickerdoodles
A snickerdoodle is a buttery cookie that is rolled in sugar and cinnamon before you bake them. They are a Christmas favorite and perfect to leave with a glass of milk for Santa.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
An oldie, but goodie, the classic Chocolate Chip Cookie is one of Santa’s favorites. This popular cookie is baked all year round, but no cookie exchange is complete without them. These cookies are always a crowd pleaser and the one Santa’s Little Helpers will always reach for first.
Other Christmas Treats Worth Swapping
If you want to be a part of a cookie swap, but can’t bake, then consider these holiday sweets as an alternative.
- Almond Bark Dipped Pretzels, Oreos, and Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches
- Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudge
- Rice Cereal Marshmallow Treats
- Peanut Clusters
Another option is beautifully wrapped chocolate boxes and gift sets. So whether you’re handy with the oven timer or not, there is a way for everyone to enjoy the fun of a Christmas Sweets Swap.
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