It's become a Christmas tradition

A sweet friend of Hannah's hosts a cookie exchange each year.  

It is so festive and fun. 
From the moment you walk in the door it feels like Christmas.  The house is decorated throughout with cedar boughs and white lights, the Christmas tree is decorated beautifully, carols play behind the sound of laughter and chatting guests.

Malory knows her way around the kitchen and everything she makes is amazing.  She offers an array of snacks like baked brie in a flaky crust, hot artichoke dip with crackers,  peppermint bark, and hot spiced cider.  Isn't this the cutest gingerbread house?

This year each of the guests brought six dozen of the same kind of cookie. 
I made Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies.  Hannah made those chocolate cookies, but rather than rolling them in white sugar, she rolled some in green sprinkles, and some in red. 

Look at all the platters of cookies!  And nobody brought the same kind. 

{oops, it's blurry, but I wanted you to see all the cookies!}

I think there were 23 platters - all different.

Each of us brought a platter of cookies and also container in which to put our cookies.

There are lots of different ways to work a cookie exchange.  The most simple way would be to have each guest bring the number of dozen of cookies as there would be guests {for example, 12 guests bring 12 dozen cookies} that way the numbers work out evenly.  
There are quite a few guests at Malory's cookie exchange, and she has us each just bring only 6 dozen.  That's nice - it's usually just 1 recipe that is doubled.  That is do-able and not overwhelming at all. {you know how busy the calendar can get in December!}

This is Malory's 3rd year hosting the cookie exchange.  She has learned a few do's and don'ts from the past years.  In order for everyone to have a nice assortment and an even amount among us,  every one goes through the line choosing 2 cookies from each platter.  Once everyone has gone through, she determines how many more we can take.  We went through the line again taking two more from each platter.   And once more unto the breech....two again from each.   At this point everyone had a huge assortment to take home, but there were still some platters with cookies left on them, so she combined what was left, and we went through the line again choosing 1 more from each type that remained.  
My container was filled to the brim with an amazing assortment.

Cookie exchanges are a fun and easy way to have lots of different cookies on hand to enjoy and share.   I already know the cookie I am bringing for next year's exchange.  {Thank you, E-Wife ;-)  }