The great December cookie craze (+ boozy beverage recipes for hosting)
Hosting a cookie swap, NYT's Cookie Week commentary, and three recipes for my favorite boozy winter-themed beverages.
Move over, white elephant: there’s a new holiday party in town, and it’s getting a facelift in favor of a cozier, food-focused soirée. The cookie swap (“exchange” also used interchangeably) is the perfect excuse to gather anyone and everyone who likes to show off their bakes, drink some boozy sangria, and sink into a sugar coma. The concept of the cookie swap is nostalgic through and through: from 1950s butter cookie tins, to coveted family recipes and "swapping" goods, it embraces the spirit of sharing, simplicity, and community. Plus, it feels like there's something for everyone: chocolate lovers, seasonal flavor fanatics, nut-lovers, and dare I say, undercover raisin fans.
Cookies have always been in, but the spike in content and craze these past few years is noticeable (and I get it). The cookie is the perfect “blank slate” dessert; once you have the basics down, you can experiment with just about any flavor profile, texture, or method. The New York Times launched their annual Cookie Week tradition in December of 2020, when all there was to do was learn to feed sourdough starter, and apparently, bake ten-dozen cookies. The recipes are "dropped" in a similar fashion to a product launch or Spotify wrapped, giving the foodies of the world something to fixate on for the month of December. For avid bakers, this is their Super Bowl. It's a goldmine of inspiration and in some ways, a challenge to churn out all seven recipes. My TikTok feed is infatuated with these sagas, as well as some creators doing their own rendition of "12 Days of Christmas Cookies" (my favorite at the moment is @constellationinspiration on TikTok), all of which are wildly creative and skillful. I can only imagine how many sticks of butter they're going through. Luckily, if you don’t feel like churning out cookies like one of Santa’s elves, a cookie swap is your fix. You’ll be able to try a handful of different recipes, but save yourself a few days of baking.
In the spirit of this cookie craze, I decided to host my first annual cookie swap. The participant instructions were simple: bake and bring two-dozen or so, of any cookie you desire. I handled the rest; acquiring the butcher paper, cookie bags and boxes, pre-batching sangria, yada yada. Dare I say, it was a hit. This would not only be fun with a group of friends, but it’s perfect for family gatherings, office parties, and just about any setting that feels potluck-appropriate.
Here are my tips and tricks for hosting your own cookie swap, plus, some bonus recipes for some delicious (and strong) seasonal spirits.
Cookie Swap Set-up
Setting up the swap is half the battle. Once you gather the materials, your guests can fill in the blanks (literally). Here’s a few methods to setting up the swap:
Butcher paper and sharpies. The easiest way to prepare the swapping table is by laying out butcher paper, and allowing guests to place their cookies in sectioned piles on the paper. I provided guests with sharpies to write the name of their cookie on the butcher paper, next to their bakes.
Assorted plates, stands, boards, and index cards. Alternatively, if you do not have access to butcher paper, you can setup cake-stands, plates, and cheeseboards in place of the butcher paper. To label, folded index cards or labels with picks work great.
Cookie vessels: tins, boxes, or cellophane bags. My initial method was to provide guests with 6x6 pastry boxes to fill with an assortment of cookies. I ordered off of Amazon, and ended up with a bootleg version of what I thought I was receiving, so I had to pivot. Enter: cellophane with ribbon. This worked wonderfully, and guests were able to stack the cookies and fill their bags, then tie them off with red ribbons. If you’re able to locate an assortment of vintage looking butter cookie tins, these would be my number one pick. They work well lined with a parchment or tissue paper.
Beverage Station
You’ll need to wash down all those cookies. Here’s are some favorite festive drinks that you can batch ahead.
The Hot Nut. My boyfriend’s mother introduced me to my favorite holiday drink of all time, and yes, it’s called a Hot Nut. It’s so simple that the main ingredient, believe it or not, is hot water. The assembly sequence, in a large glass or mug, follows as such: hot water + Disaronno Amaretto + freshly whipped cream + shaved nutmeg. The cream melts into the hot liqueur, and it’s heaven. This should not be batched; for 1 serving or glass:
6oz boiling water
1.5oz Disaronno Amaretto (or other almond liqueur)
Hearty dollop of fresh whipped cream
Grated nutmeg, for topping
Spiced Lambrusco Sangria. I used Avaline Lambrusco, but most red wines will do. In the spirit of the season I added mulling spices for a pop of flavor. Combine everything in a pitcher, chill in the fridge, and pour over ice. To batch 8 servings:
2 bottles Lambrusco (or red wine)
1 cup Brandy or spiced Rum
1/2 cup orange liqueur (Cointreau or Grand Mariner)
1 sachet of mulling spices
1 navel orange, sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, sliced
Frozen cranberries (optional)
Boozy Hot Egg Nog. One of my favorite Trader Joe’s products of all-time is their “O’Nog” oat-milk based egg nog beverage. Add a little bourbon, a hearty helping of nutmeg, and you’re golden. I like to heat up the nog on the stove, then add my bourbon, cinnamon, and freshly ground nutmeg. Optionally, you can top with whipped cream and grate extra nutmeg on top. To batch 8 servings:
2 32oz cartons of egg nog (or O’Nog for lactose-free alternative)
3 cups bourbon
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg (+ extra for topping)
The Cookies
There is no question that you’ll want to prepare your dough ahead of time (perhaps a day before), then pop the portioned dough balls into the fridge or freezer overnight. Then, baking will be no fuss, and they’ll still come out of the oven gooey and warm. My guests came with a wonderful variety of cookies. We had everything from the classic chocolate chip, to trending flavors (Pistachio Cream Filled Cookies, Lemon Cake Cookies, Miso Caramel), and seasonal delights (Chai Spiced Oatmeal, Snickerdoodle, Peppermint Cocoa), and even a coveted Swedish family recipe! If you’re looking for a last-minute recipe for your gathering, here are some of my favorites of all time–seriously, they’ve never failed me. They are guaranteed to win over hearts and tastebuds:
Brown Butter Toffee Chocolate Chip (RageBake)
Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies (Gimme Some Oven)
Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies (Williams-Sonoma)
Happy Cookie Swapping!