Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >,
> Julia Altshuler > wrote:
>
>> Melba's Jammin' wrote:
>>
>>> <cough> I quit going to neighborhood cookie exchanges after coming
>>> home from one with chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, and peanut
>>> butter cookies; and my contribution to the exchange (a dozen for each
>>> participant) had been highly decorated cut-outs. The ones that jazz up
>>> a cookie plate. I want CC, PB, and oatmeal, I'll make my own, thanks.
>>> Allow me to suggest that you deep six the CCs unless you know the
>>> recipient never turns the oven on. No offense intended. Just my humble
>>> opinion.
>>
>> Here's the way to organize cookie exchanges or dessert potlucks. On one
>> side of the page, put the following list: chocolate, nuts, lemon or
>> orange, raspberry or apricot jam, spice such as cinamon and ginger. On
>> the 2nd list, put: drop cookies, cut-outs, bars, crust with something on
>> top, pressed. Then you make sure everyone chooses a flavor idea from the
>> first list and a cookie type from the second (cross off each as it is
>> taken). For example, chocolate could be chocolate chip (drop), a rolled
>> cookie cut into rounds, congo bars, a shortbread crust with chocolate
>> chips on top, or a pressed cookie with cocoa. That way you get variety.
>> I use similar reasoning when putting together a tin of cookies for a gift.
>>
>>
>> --Lia
>
> Nice plan. But if I had to sign up for anything, be it flavor or type,
> I'd take a pass. Ixnay. If I've only got two dazzling holiday cookie
> recipes, you'll get one of those--even if they fit a category someone
> else 'claimed'. I do think, however, that people should take a sworn
> oath that they won't bring CCC, Oatmeal, or PBC.


I lean more towards the Holiday baking of bars and squares...A Favorite
is that Pecan Pie bar Wayne posted last year. The only change I made to
it was using brown sugar in the shortbread crust...It is a winner.