Questions? and Suggestions! The Cookie Exchange Message Board is the place to ask general questions about where to find that special recipe or to inquire about specialty items, such as antique cookie cutters. I appreciate all the great emails I get regarding this section of my site, but unfortunately I cannot help most people that ask me questions about where to find specific items. Also, I receive a great many emails where people share how they host a Cookie Exchange. I think the Message Board is a good forum for people to share those types of stories and share ideas. I've had many people email or sign my guestbook to tell me that they are going to do an exchange based on the information given on these pages. I hope these Questions, Suggestions, and the answers I provide to the questions help you to give a great party! It was a years long learning curve for me. Basically, you're getting the benefit of my years of 'mistakes'. Years ago, I'd slightly alter the rules on the invitation for the following year. Now's it's down to a science. Visit the sample invitation and rules page, be sure to look at the lower half of the page where I explain the origin of all my rules. Question! I saw your invitation and it states to make 6 dozen cookies each. How many people do you typically have at yours? I had participated in an exchange with some women I used to work with a few years back and we did one dozen for each person attending. Each person walked away with one dozen of each type of cookie made. Is this how yours works? Answer: Yes HERE IS THE MOST OFT ASKED QUESTION: Does the amount to bake depend on the number attending? If not, how many does each person walk away with? I am really looking forward to doing this for our club as I think most moms would enjoy it immensely. Thanks for all the great information and I thank you in advance for anything you can provide.-Christi S. Answer: Baking Amount VS People Attending: No, it does NOT matter. Everybody comes with 6 dozen, everyone leaves with 6 dozen, that way it doesn't matter how many people actually show up: ie; 5 people bring 4 dozen, 5 people leave with 4 dozen, 15 people bring 8 dozen, 15 people leave with 8 dozen, etc. Also, it doesn't matter how many dozen you specify, as long as the the attendees bring the same amount of cookies. It always gets evenly divided. For my complete answer to the above question, See Rules on the Invitation. Suggestion! If you do an annual exchange, then email me pictures of your gathering and I'll put it up at the photo gallery. Question! Does anyone happen to know the history of the cookie exchange? I have been asked this question many times, and I have no idea what the answer is. Email me if you know! Suggestion! Darcy wrote in with a very cute idea: I just wanted to share my invitation idea that I use. Each year I choose a new Christmas Carol to "rewrite". A small portion of last year's invitation went like this: Cookie Exchange: (Sung to the tune: "Jingle Bells") Dashing through the mall in my heels --they're much too small Picking out the toys For all the girls and boys... I needed time to think Meet a friend and have a drink A thought than came to me An exchange of the cookie gingerbread, frosting too Oh! Cookie Exchange!  Cookie Exchange!....... This is the general idea. It's great fun for me to try to think of a new one each year!  Have fun! Darcy. Comment! Robin: Delightful website! This is the mental jump start I needed to start this year's cookie baking. (It's tempting to start browsing recipes on my lunch break!). Many thanks and best wishes for the holidays! -Tracy B. Suggestion! Hey, all you super-moms out there in web land. Check out Tania's Christmas Idea and give your kids the thrill of their lives! Question! Subject: Dry Cookie Mixes Hi, I'm looking for a few good dry cookie recipes. These are the kind that you only have to add the wet ingredients. I've seen some with even just adding water. If you could be of any help, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks. Ginger Caron Question! Does everyone at the cookie exchange take home six dozen different cookies, or can you split it up even more, say six cookies of 12 recipes? Also, does everyone pick by just looking, or is there enough for tasting? Thanks! Lynda Bourland, TX Answer: Everyone takes home six dozen cookies because they brought 6 dozen cookies. How many types depends on how many types people have baked. I doubt someone would like to make 12 different types, too much work and then everyone wouldn't get to try everything. I don't tell people they can't taste the cookies. But I always make enough great food, that people just trade and don't eat the cookies. They can taste them when they get home. ALSO: How would you feel if people pretasted the cookies, and decided they didn't like yours and skipped over them during the swap? Unfortunately some cookies don't turn out well. I think it's better for people to make that decision (of whether like a cookie or not) in their own home. I always invite new people and people that say they've never baked before. If you have a tried and true set of great baking friends that you can count on, then go ahead and do it. It doesn't bother me in the least if you don't follow my rules. I just go with what works for my situation. Question! Subject: Cookies in a jar I am looking for recipes for creating the "cookies in a jar". The dry ingredients are layered in decorated jars with the Cookie/bread/brownie recipe attached and given as gifts. Any of these recipes in your kitchen of ideas? Your assistance is appreciated. Amber Crane Suggestion! Here is a little game you can play with your guests. Question! Robin, I think your web page is delightful. I can see you've had a lot of experience with cookie exchanges. My friend and I were wondering what ideas you might have about getting people to put a little more thought into the cookie recipes they choose for the exchange. Out first year was real good, but last year the cookies were pretty plain and not nearly as interesting and tasty. We don't want to put people off from attending, but would like to see a little more creativity from all involved. Any ideas? - Dianne Smith Answer: For one thing, some exchanges yield better results than others, but you won't notice the ebb and flow until you've hosted a few. Maybe you could give an award for the most creative recipe? By the way, the worst cookies are the ones where people make up their own cookie recipe. I encourage people to experiment, just don't do it for my party! Use a real tried and true recipe. Less problems that way, let me guarantee you. These people are looking for specific recipes. Can you help them? Subject: Peppermint cookies I am wondering if you could help me find a recipe, I think it is called 'peppermint surprise'...it has cream cheese in the middle and you roll them in crushed candy canes after they are baked. They are my husbands favourite and I have lost my recipe. Thank you, JJ Subject: Ginger Snap cookie My mom used to have a wonderful gingersnap cookie recipe. It was not a rolled cookie, but we formed spoonful into balls and baked them that way. It contained vinegar, which my mom said made the cookies crack really nice on top. She's in a nursing home now and I don't know what happened to her recipes. Do you have a similar one? Kathy Topczewski Phoenix, Arizona Hi Robin, I just hosted my first cookie exchange last night and it was so much fun. Of course not all cookies were as beautiful or well thought out as I would have hoped, but in the end it was a great success for our first year and the majority followed all of the rules. Thank you so much for such a great website, I borrowed all of your rules and ideas and I know I would have been just lost as to the best way to go about the cookie exchange without it. Also, I just wanted to send you a little funny list of 10 rules for Cookie Exchanges that my dad (quite the goof-ball) made up when he heard about how structured and organized these things can be. I thought you might enjoy! Sincerely, Jolanda R. Calgary, Alberta Canada From: Ron L Sent: Thursday, December 08, 2005 9:38 AM To: Jolanda R Subject: 10 Rules for Cookie Exchanges Just a little something I came up with. Dad The 10 Rules for Hosting a Successful Cookie Exchange 1. No cookies shall be decorated nicer than those of the hostess. 2. If a guest arrives wearing the same outfit as the hostess, she must immediately leave and change her attire before returning. 3. All cookies must elicit admiring oohs and ahs even if they're the most pathetic cookies ever created. 4. No men are to be present. If the hostess' husband is home, he must be sequestered in the most remote corner of the house. 5. If a male should accidentally stumble upon the festivities, absolutely no scratching of body parts or rude noises are to be tolerated. 6. Cookie batches must contain 12 cookies; no more, no less. One giant cookie with the word "mega" etched in icing does not count. 7. Cookies must not have any tofu or other soy products as one of the ingredients. 8. The gumdrop/cookie ratio must be no more than 20%. A crappy cookie is a crappy cookie and no amount of decorating can help. 9. Cookies absolutely must reflect the theme of the season. Old orange colored Halloween cookies with red and green sprinkles just won't cut it. 10. All cookies must leave the premises at the end of the evening. Undesirable 'treasures' are not to be left in the hostess' bathroom, front lawn or exterior flower pots and planters.