cookie exchange

December 7, 2009 1:00 PM

Is anyone interested in an actual cookie exchange?

I clicked on this thread expecting information about some sort of MeFi (edible) Cookie Exchange that was in the works.

Needless to say, I'm a bit disappointed.

posted by chara at 8:39 AM on December 7

Poor chara! Is anyone interested in an actual cookie exchange? I'll organize.

We could model it on the mix-tape swap: you send three participents 1-2 dozen cookies. Cookies to be sent by December 21st.

Not sure what to do about people outside of North America.

posted by shothotbot to MetaFilter-Related at 1:00 PM (105 comments total)

Not sure what to do about people outside of North America.

Let them eat cake.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:07 PM on December 7, 2009 [27 favorites]

I'd love to but there's a cookie exchange at work and the only time I'll have for baking will be devoted to that. I will be making a recipe I adapted from one I got from AskMe.
posted by Kattullus at 1:08 PM on December 7, 2009

Not sure what to do about people outside of North America.

Unless you've got some new evidence you want to share we usually keep tinfoil hat conspiracies like this off Metafilter.
posted by fire&wings at 1:44 PM on December 7, 2009 [3 favorites]

Coming soon to AskMe:

Is it safe to eat cookies I got in the mail from a stranger on the internet?
posted by smackfu at 1:55 PM on December 7, 2009 [43 favorites]

I love this idea (any excuse to make and get cookies gladly accepted) but wonder if we could try to do this on a regional basis. Cookie mailing is the issue, as I'm sure we don't all want to exchange delicious crumbs.l
posted by bearwife at 1:59 PM on December 7, 2009 [1 favorite]

Apparently, MeFites are fantastic and enthusiastic cookie bakers, as Kattulus noted and as I just received in a suggestion in an AskMe. Since it seems I'll be baking a ton of cookies soon anyway, I'm definitely in and happy to ship overseas as long as there aren't import/export laws involved (as there probably are).

That said, I'm also cool with helping to organize an international exchange for those outside the US, though I'm not sure how that'll work since I'm in the US.
posted by neewom at 2:00 PM on December 7, 2009

Is anyone interested in an actual cookie exchange?


...which eventually leads to THE PERFECT MURDER!
posted by The Whelk at 2:01 PM on December 7, 2009

...which eventually leads to THE PERFECT HIGH!
posted by ericb at 2:04 PM on December 7, 2009

Fair warning: Don't eat any cookies I send you
posted by found missing at 2:25 PM on December 7, 2009 [1 favorite]

Fair warning: Don't eat any cookies I send you without being a SAFE PLACE for the next 4-6 hours.
posted by The Whelk at 2:28 PM on December 7, 2009 [17 favorites]

In theory, yes.

In practice, I'll be busy and not-home over the next couple weeks, so I'll have to sit this one out. Maybe after the holidays?
posted by Metroid Baby at 2:28 PM on December 7, 2009

Why not a simple recipe sharing thread? If it's an exchange, then both parties must have the ability to cook. The bonus of a cookie exchange would be sharing the product of your favorite recipe, and that you know the nuances of your recipe in your kitchen.

I think we could have make a RecipeFilter, wherein each post is a recipe, and people can chat about what worked and didn't about each recipe. For this, I would suggest using MonkeyFilter or MetaChat, as I don't think we'll be getting a new sub-forum on MetaFilter any time soon.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:32 PM on December 7, 2009 [6 favorites]

I really like filthy light thief's idea.
posted by mmmbacon at 3:04 PM on December 7, 2009

Why not a simple recipe sharing thread?

Why not, indeed? I would love some new recipes. Unfortunately, I would not love the pressure of actually having a deadline for baking and mailing cookies right now.
posted by EvaDestruction at 3:06 PM on December 7, 2009 [1 favorite]

I think we could have make a RecipeFilter
I still hope and dream of this.
posted by tellurian at 3:06 PM on December 7, 2009 [4 favorites]

Can we do this *after* the holidays? I've got enough pressure and deadlines at the moment, but I absolutely LOVE the idea! I'll have more time, money and patience to bake & ship after the first of the year, though.

I'm *still* going thru the Ask archives for ideas to ship to family and I think I've overwhelmed myself.
posted by MuChao at 3:19 PM on December 7, 2009

Not sure what to do about people outside of North America.

Shh... they call them biscuits - if we just say "cookies" they'll have no idea what we're talking about.

Although if we want to make sure, we can always make it a "Thanksgiving cookie exchange"
posted by qvantamon at 3:19 PM on December 7, 2009 [3 favorites]

...which eventually leads to THE PERFECT MURDER!

My aunt bakes really bitchin' Danish Christmas cookies. They put those blue-tin, crinkly paper-cup things to shame.

The recipes for some of them call for a tiny bit of ammonium carbonate. They're not the same without it, even if you substitute similar stuff. Not many grocery stores around here carry it, so she used get it from her pharmacist to avoid trekking all over to check specialty stores.

The pharmacy eventually changed hands. When she asked for a teaspoon of it the new woman absolutely flipped out. "WHAT?! That's poison! You're going to KILL people with that!" Threatened to call the cops when my aunt said she'd been using it for decades, and her mother for decades before that, and countless other European/Scandinavian bakers too.

Meanwhile, a few aisles away, Buckley's, which positively reeks of the stuff, was available for sale.
posted by CKmtl at 3:28 PM on December 7, 2009 [5 favorites]

Well, hot damn!

Notshotbot, you have breathed life into my cookie-exchange dreams, and I thank you for it.

Here's the best cookie recipe I've ever tried, Crispy Salted Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies, courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.

I could list a whole slew of hyperbole-laden anecdotes attesting to the awesomeness of these cookies, but once you try them....oh man.

Usually, oatmeal cookies, yes even Little Debbie's Oatmeal Creme Pies, provoke a "GRAAWR! WHY ARE THERE HEALTHY BITS IN MY SUGARY GOODNESS?!!! *HULK SMASH*" reaction, but somehow, someway the oatmeal actually enhances the deliciousness.

I'm willing to do an actual cookie exchange too, if anyone wants to do that. Just MeMail me your address and we'll go from there.

I promise I'm not a creeper or a serial killer bent on destroying America via tasty cookies, but if you want to use your neighbors cat/dog/annoying child as a poison detector, be my guest. You'll probably regret wasting that precious little morsel of cookie, though. You can try to get it back if you want, but it loses some of its flavor during the regurgitation process, I'm just saying...
posted by chara at 3:49 PM on December 7, 2009 [8 favorites]

Shh... they call them biscuits - if we just say "cookies" they'll have no idea what we're talking about.

Quick datapoint - "biscuits" and "cookies" are both in common parlance in the UK, but they mean subtly different things. Digestives are undoubtedly biscuits, while these are cookies (Flash site, sorry. In my defence, Ben's Cookies are awesome). Essentially, if it's at least slightly squishy and/or has decent-sized chocolate chips in it, it's a cookie.

Sadly I'm a terrible cook and have very little time for baking. I'd be happy to take part in a recipe swap though, as my parents have some really rather good ones back home.
posted by ZsigE at 4:10 PM on December 7, 2009 [1 favorite]

It sounds fun, but at the same time, I fear I'd never be up to the challenge. I'm not a super-chef who writes his own recipes, or even just a clever guy who customizes his own recipes over the years to perfection. I just go to reliable sources for recipes, look them over, and cook them if they look right and aren't too complicated/weird.

Also, I favor the old, small and crunchy with a chewy center style of cookie, rather than the newer style, which is as big as a CD, crisp and dry around the very edge, and basically raw dough in the center. It's not that I don't appreciate what goes on with big cookies. It's just that it's no longer a cute light snack anymore. It becomes a dessert, which runs counter to the cookie philosophy.

I'd be glad to get big cookies, but I'm afraid I'd make small ones and sorely disappoint somebody.
posted by mccarty.tim at 4:55 PM on December 7, 2009 [1 favorite]

That said, if this happens, I'm in. I love when food comes in the mail. Just something magical and risky about it, especially since "MAIL=DANGEROUS" was seared in my impressionable young mind during the anthrax scare.
posted by mccarty.tim at 5:00 PM on December 7, 2009 [1 favorite]

I'd be glad to get big cookies, but I'm afraid I'd make small ones and sorely disappoint somebody.

mccarty.tim, if I draw you, I'll make you tiny crunch-tastic cookies. We all need cookies in our lives.
posted by neewom at 5:00 PM on December 7, 2009

Make one kind of cookie, get three kinds delivered to my house? Gawd yes. A million yeses to this.
posted by 23skidoo at 5:20 PM on December 7, 2009 [2 favorites]

One issue with swapping recipes, flour and other ingredients are different in different countries. This is particularly importat for baking where, in my experience, many recipes really don't translate well without some serious conversioning going on. So you're stuck back to only swapping within your country again, or at least putting big caveats on everything. I know for sure that my best recipes don't work with American ingredients as I've had a couple of otherwise good bakers try them out, and internationally-originated recipes I've tried have always come out weird.

As for sending internationally. I once had someone send me home baked biscuits* from the US which arrived intact, tasting great but a bit soft. Customs didn't blink an eye which rather surprised me. NZ has pretty strict import laws suggesting that sending baking might not be the biosecurity issue that you'd think. Probably best to leave out the fruit and nuts of course, and choose something which keeps well since it could take a while to get there.

All of which is somewhat academic from my viewpoint as I'm already swamped with the amount of Christmas baking I have to do already. But might help someone.

* All cookies are a type of biscuit, not all biscuits get called cookies. And scones are something else entirely.
posted by shelleycat at 5:21 PM on December 7, 2009

I DEFINITELY want to be IN if a cookie exchange goes up on Mefi!

I've already started baking and freezing and testing cookies on the teenagers at their sleepover and I have lots more recipes to try, so YES on the exchange, please!

I would prefer someone in North America because of the expense of shipping, but if we can get this together quickly so we have time to send overseas, I'd be willing to send to the U.K. too.
posted by misha at 5:24 PM on December 7, 2009

I just asked about cookie recipes on AskMefi. Share with me, share, share :)
posted by SuzySmith at 6:15 PM on December 7, 2009

I'm in. Absolutely.
posted by dchrssyr at 7:36 PM on December 7, 2009

Yes! But preferably after the holidays. What about a Valentine's Day cookie exchange?
posted by exceptinsects at 8:05 PM on December 7, 2009 [1 favorite]

... as I don't think we'll be getting a new sub-forum on MetaFilter any time soon.

Just in case, I'd like to submit MeWantCookie as a possible name for such a subsite.
posted by rube goldberg at 8:15 PM on December 7, 2009 [9 favorites]

I am tempted to intentionally soil my good name by signing up for this solely to flake out and bask in the glow of hatred and ill-gotten cookies. Premeditated fraud. Premeditated cookie fraud. Premeditated INTERNET cookie fraud.

Delicious premeditated internet cookie fraud.
posted by dirtdirt at 8:59 PM on December 7, 2009 [2 favorites]

This swap stuff is getting crazy. You people are running me critically low on postage funds!


Not sure what to do about people outside of North America.

I submit that the cookies do not necessarily have to be home-made. Perhaps for the intercontinentals, your favorite local commercial confections? I'm still reeling from the wonderfulness of the riciarelli cookies _dario sent me from Italy.
posted by zennie at 9:12 PM on December 7, 2009

What about a Valentine's Day cookie exchange?

I think this is a great idea.
posted by zennie at 9:15 PM on December 7, 2009

Bookmarked as a possible if this goes on after the New Year.
posted by Night_owl at 9:29 PM on December 7, 2009

ZsigE and qvantamon, on the disgestives/cookie vs cake, I give you my current go to for all things trivial, QI (Quite Interesting) on this exact topic.
oh, all ye travelers from an arcane land ye.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 9:50 PM on December 7, 2009

Strong stuff!
posted by flabdablet at 10:35 PM on December 7, 2009

If Sydney (and surrounding areas) Mefites could see fit to get together between Christmas and New Year's sometime, I will come, and I will bring cookies. And honey bars. (Apparently I'm supposed to call them "slice" here, instead of "bars," but whatever. They're delicious.)

I do not think I could afford to mail cookies anywhere with Australian shipping rates being what they are, and anyway it takes like 2 weeks for stuff to get to California from where I am, and I think that's just too long for cookies.

This is, however, a fabulous idea, and I am fully in support of it. Yay for cookies! I also think Valentines would be seriously fun, and I could definitely send stuff for that (though not cookies).
posted by po at 4:06 AM on December 8, 2009

I'm in. What do I have to do? Who can I send some cookies to? I make a mean, mean homemade 'nilla wafer.
posted by slogger at 7:36 AM on December 8, 2009

One issue with swapping recipes, flour and other ingredients are different in different countries. This is particularly importat for baking where, in my experience, many recipes really don't translate well without some serious conversioning going on.

One way I've seen to combat this is to put all of the dry ingredients in a container of some sort, with a tag attached showing the recipe and necessary extra ingredients that weren't included. I also think that eating cookies while they are still warm is 1000% better than eating them later, so that would be one plus for baking them yourself. I don't have any awesome cookie recipes either though, so I wouldn't be able to participate regardless.

Off-topic and I know it's been mentioned before, but I would be all for a beer exchange.
posted by burnmp3s at 7:53 AM on December 8, 2009

A post holiday swap sounds like a great idea, but if I may make a suggestion; in addition to the cookies themselves, include an ingredient list. This will help to prevent any unexpected allergy related issues from cropping up.

Also, it will inform people that my cookies may include both dark matter and the souls of the innocent. You know... for flavor.
posted by quin at 8:00 AM on December 8, 2009

Can we do a "child for cookie" exchange?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:22 AM on December 8, 2009

If someone else didn't post this I was going to. I was still busy thinking what I wanted the rules to be though.

I think 1-2 dozen each is too many; it means one might suddenly get 6 dozen cookies in the mail, and if they made any extras themselves, that's a LOT of cookies to get through. So I'd suggest making it 4-8 cookies and 5 or 6 other people in the swap set. More people in the swap set makes it less bad when someone inevitably flakes out. Plus more variety is more better!
posted by aubilenon at 10:00 AM on December 8, 2009

I like the idea of this.

Tell me who to send cookies to.
posted by Lord_Pall at 10:33 AM on December 8, 2009

I would like to do this as well. Boston area? I'd even consider hosting a physical exchange at my place, provided no creeps agreed to show.
posted by mr. remy at 11:03 AM on December 8, 2009

Best MeTa ever! Holidays+mefites= kindness overload!!
posted by wheelieman at 12:00 PM on December 8, 2009

I kinda like the idea of sending some sort of regional/local food which may or may not be cookies. Especially if we can do it internationally. Customs might be a PITA, though.
posted by empath at 12:09 PM on December 8, 2009

I will bake you any and every kind of cookie if you ask nicely (or send me some in exchange).
posted by Partario at 12:31 PM on December 8, 2009

I INVENTED THE COOKIE EXCHANGE.

I demand my royalties. In the form of cookies.
posted by absalom at 2:20 PM on December 8, 2009

We could model it on the mix-tape swap: you send three participents 1-2 dozen cookies. Cookies to be sent by December 21st.

Okay, I am definitely in, and will ship cookies, but I would like to make two suggestions/changes/pony requests:

We send each participant 6 cookies..
Easier to ship, and easier to plan for--when I am doing all my holiday baking, it is much easier to take 6 cookies out from each batch and set them aside to ship than two dozen. In this way, I could send 6 sugar cookies to one person, 6 chocolate chip to another, and so on, without really adding to the holiday stress.

So, first suggestion, 6 cookies to each person.

I would recommend NO MORE than 6 people, as three dozen cookies total seems reasonable to me.

Second suggestion: can we mail cookies by the 18th?
I leave town on the 21st for a family Christmas, and I am sure I am not the only one traveling for the holidays. If we bake cookies this weekend, let them sit a couple days (ideally, three days to let them settle according to what I have read for shipping guidelines) and then send, we should have time to do this.
posted by misha at 2:28 PM on December 8, 2009

Best MeTa ever! Holidays+mefites= kindness overload!!

I agree. Still, it's been my (admittedly limited) experience that, whatever the season and whatever the disagreements, most MeFites are pretty damn kind. If not kind, then respectful (usually). Anyway, I love this idea. If we're baking anyway, would anyone be open to the idea of getting bars *and* cookies rather than just cookies?
posted by neewom at 2:30 PM on December 8, 2009

Oh, and I recommend that anyone actually interested in doing this for Christmas Mefimail their info to shothotbot so we can get this going!

If you want to wait until Valentine's Day, we could try another swap then, or if it looks like this won't go through, shothotbot can let us know in-thread that there weren't enough responses and we can set something up for Valentine's instead.
posted by misha at 2:32 PM on December 8, 2009

I also sent out mail to the mods to see if we can get this sidebarred to the main site, since not everyone looks over here on the grey.
posted by misha at 2:36 PM on December 8, 2009

hey, i'm really into sending cookies but i _don't_ want to end up eating hash brownies (something about drug testing at work, etc.), so can we straight-up agree that this is majorly uncool except if, like contracted between mutually consenting parties?

–– also, i'm not being THAT paranoid: accidental dosing-by-cookie actually to my buddy brion last year, and he's got a weird thing about bakeries, now --
posted by mr. remy at 2:57 PM on December 8, 2009

accidental dosing-by-cookie actually to my buddy brion last year

He accidentally the whole cookie?
posted by qvantamon at 3:04 PM on December 8, 2009

OK, misha and mr. remy plus me officially equals a groundswell. Lets say, MeMail me by Sunday night, I will draw and MeMail back three address each, cookies supposed to be mailed by Monday the 21st. How does that sound? An unspecified but respectable number of cookies.

Should we post our recipes as requested? Before or after sending?

Oh, and if everyone gets instructions to send cookies to me that would be some sort of weird fluke, right?
posted by shothotbot at 3:04 PM on December 8, 2009

hey, i'm really into sending cookies but i _don't_ want to end up eating hash brownies

Fer reals. Better put any special requests (no nuts, no pot) in your sign up email too.

(We are just going to assume no pot.)
posted by shothotbot at 3:06 PM on December 8, 2009

I'm fine with hash cookies. However, I'm too irresponsible. I love a Fox News blazecock pileon, even if it's on my very bestest friends. If I got drugged cookies in the mail, I know what I'd do.

Glenn Beck: "Nation, back under Ronald Reagan, we learned the danger of addiction. Some people are addicted to alcohol. Some people are addicted to pot. Lord knows I was addicted to both. Some people are addicted to government.

Reagan, the great paternal figure that he was, weaned an aching nation off of those harmful substances, leading to a brighter, clearer era.

But it seems those days are over. Obama's gotten the people back on the government handout heroin teat, and now LIBERALS are spreading even harder stuff because of his example.

That's right. Left-leaning community hate group... Meter-Filter, hmm, is now spreading drugs in cookies sent via the GOVERNMENT mail system. Cookies any child could eat. Now I don't know where you stand on legalization, but when Obama's groupies are giving hard drugs to children, isn't it time to say enough is enough?

(tears up) My 'friends' gave me drugs when I was going through a hard time, much like how Obama gave the banks money when they were struggling, and like how Metricfilter is poisoning your kids. At the time, I felt like they were doing the best thing in the world for me. But instead I was just becoming a slave to my dealer, like how GM thought they could take bailout funds, but then ended up becoming Government Motors.

Joining me now is proud patriot young American Tim McCarty, a mole inside the MetalFilter extremist group..."
posted by mccarty.tim at 3:11 PM on December 8, 2009 [3 favorites]

I'm in -- if people are still working this angle. I live in Canada, so, er, legal cookies only please.

I like the "more people in cluster, fewer cookies per person" angle proposed above, but I'm pretty easy-going. (Honestly, it's my wife that loves the idea, so it's more her bag than mine, but I'm the one with a MeFi account).
posted by Shepherd at 5:47 PM on December 8, 2009

I am definitely in for the swap. I love cookies.
posted by sulaine at 5:50 PM on December 8, 2009

mm. Cookies. Not in for 2009, but early 2010 is good by me.
posted by nat at 6:04 PM on December 8, 2009

Okay, so.. is there a coordinator and signup email yet? When do we have to have signed up by? When will we be notified of our groups???
posted by hippybear at 6:45 PM on December 8, 2009

Okay, so.. is there a coordinator and signup email yet? When do we have to have signed up by? When will we be notified of our groups???

Here is what I proposed above:

MeMail me by Sunday night [the 13th], I will draw and MeMail back three address each, cookies supposed to be mailed by Monday the 21st. How does that sound? An unspecified but respectable number of cookies. Also email any food restrictions which the cookie exchange staff will attempt to accommodate.

No pot in the cookies.
posted by shothotbot at 7:12 PM on December 8, 2009

I love baking season! I will definitely participate.
posted by bibliophibianj at 7:50 PM on December 8, 2009

I added a link to this to the sidebar. Expect a few more stragglers.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:19 PM on December 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

There should be cakes too. It's AskMefi's 6th birthday today.
posted by tellurian at 10:20 PM on December 8, 2009

Let them eat cake.

ironically, that's precisely what we eat here in Japan. fluffy white cake decorated with santas and reindeers...I have tried to convince my students that going to a bakery and spending $30-50 bucks on a white cake is *not* a holiday tradition, but since few homes have ovens for mass cookie production I don't really want to rob them of their sweets.

too grinch-like.
posted by squasha at 10:45 PM on December 8, 2009

Cookies cookies cookies. I wasn't going to bake this year, but the allure of MeFi-baked goods is just too strong.
posted by booknerd at 11:37 AM on December 9, 2009

There is a special call for UK/Continental cookie/biscuits/biscotti so if you are considering joining up, please do.
posted by shothotbot at 12:40 PM on December 9, 2009

No pot in the cookies.

So... That's the only restriction then?
posted by Sys Rq at 8:51 PM on December 9, 2009

No. I do not want any cookies.
posted by bingo at 9:52 PM on December 9, 2009 [1 favorite]

So... That's the only restriction then?
Any other restrictions will be noted with your cookie-ee's address (there really arent many, and I will try to coordinate them)

Of course cookies must be delicious. That's another restriction.

No. I do not want any cookies.
Oh, you're getting cookies and you're going to like them mister.
posted by shothotbot at 6:24 AM on December 10, 2009

Tears dripping into your flour? Longing looks at the vanilla extract bottle? It's not too late to join the coookie swap for a little holiday cheer. Deadline is the kickoff of the new york football giants game: 8:20 eastern, Sunday december 13th.
posted by shothotbot at 9:20 AM on December 12, 2009

When can we expect the addresses, and do we have a firm deadline for sending them? I know this isn't rocket science, but I think it'd be nice if we all sent them at roughly the same time.

I'm trying, with all my heart, to not overthink this plate of cookies.
posted by mccarty.tim at 11:21 AM on December 13, 2009

When can we expect the addresses

I am sending out the addresses tonight and I am saying: try to get them in mail this week? Weekend? I am planning on sending mine out this week, anyway.
posted by shothotbot at 3:36 PM on December 13, 2009

I'll be getting mine out before this next weekend, as I hope to receive mine before 12/ 21. We are traveling for the holidays and that's the day we leave.
posted by misha at 7:36 PM on December 13, 2009

Cookie assignments are out! Any questions here or MeMail me.

Happy Baking
posted by shothotbot at 9:40 PM on December 13, 2009

Well, I totally want to do this, but the timing is just plain BAD for me right now. Will there be another cookie exchange in the near future? I saw something about Valentine's Day mentioned -- that might fit better into my budget and life than this very last-minute Winter Holiday exchange...
posted by hippybear at 8:21 AM on December 15, 2009

Mine are made and mailed. Anticipating yummy mail ...
posted by darsh at 8:55 AM on December 15, 2009

hippybear, I suspect the answer to your question at this point is "yes, if someone remembers to organize it." I'm in for it, but with my schedule (and unreliable memory for amorphous future plans), I know it's not realistic for me to agree to be the point person for a later cookie exchange right now.
posted by EvaDestruction at 10:51 AM on December 15, 2009

I sent out my cookies today!

Ideally, I would have sent more to each person, and given you all different kinds, and dressed it all up better for the holidays, but I thought you might actually like them in time for Christmas so you can chow down and enjoy them! I tried to include some crunchy and some chewy in each batch, so at least you will be half-satisfied, whatever your preference.

I look forward to (hopefully) doing this again in the Spring (Valentine's Day, maybe), and taking some more time with each mailing.

And I think I could step up and organize if we need someone then. I'm not nearly so busy the rest of the year.
posted by misha at 12:00 PM on December 16, 2009

I sent mine and got some today - thanks darsh, they're delicious!

I sent hazelnut almond "biscotti" which look like biscotti but are actually mere cookies along with some home made caramels, my aunt's recipe which always reminds me of Christmas.
posted by shothotbot at 4:41 PM on December 16, 2009

I would totally sign up for the Valentine's exchange. Or any exchange, really, that involves baked goods and isn't timed around December holiday season.
posted by spinturtle at 6:21 AM on December 17, 2009

I second the spinturtle and would love to participate!
posted by feistycakes at 10:37 AM on December 17, 2009

Thanks, Darsh! I got my almond chocolate macaroons today, and I'm nomnomnoming one right now. The Christmas card was a thoughtful added touch, too!
posted by misha at 12:31 PM on December 17, 2009

My cookies are made and wrapped up securely (I hope!) and ready to be shipped out tomorrow AM when the post office opens.
posted by which_chick at 7:18 PM on December 17, 2009

This is the greatest thing in the history of Ever.
posted by chara at 3:44 PM on December 18, 2009

Got your cookies today, misha. I love coconut, yum!
posted by shothotbot at 12:17 PM on December 19, 2009

I sent out my cookies on Thursday via Priority Mail. Hopefully they arrive soon!

Now I need to go post a question on AskMeFi...

"CanIEatThisFilter: I got some cookies in the mail today from some random Internet person named aspo. They look delicious. Can I eat them?"

Hopefully the answer is YES, 'cause I already ate them. Om nom nom. Watching Avatar and eating Internet cookies in the movie theater? AWESOME. MeFi is the bee's knees.
posted by ElectricBlue at 2:05 PM on December 19, 2009

aspo makes a great cookie! I love them! Received them today.

Mine were sent out Thursday afternoon.
posted by 6:1 at 3:51 PM on December 19, 2009

Well, I just wrapped up and sent my cookies yesterday. Sorry I took so long, everyone. All the cookies I got were great!
posted by mccarty.tim at 3:52 PM on December 19, 2009

I just got some awesome persimmon cookies from mccarty.tim. My mom loves persimmons and I think will dig these.
posted by shothotbot at 11:07 AM on December 21, 2009

I sent my cookies out on Friday, with tracking! Yes, that's right. Tracking cookies.

The fun part is checking in every so often to see where my cookies are. Apparently one person's received some and they're a hit.

I believe I have nearly finished off my own stash of them, which is a shame because they are very crack-like.

In a totally unrelated incident, this past Saturday me, my wife and around 4-5 others braved (okay, so I didn't brave really as I actually had a native drive me up there; I'm either enough or not enough of a man that I can admit that there are some weather conditions I can't drive in) blizzard conditions to visit a friend for a long-planned cookie-making party. The cookie making party was awesome and included savory cookies, biscochos, chocolate crackles, and whoopie pies (which I wouldn't classify as cookies myself, but they made the grade nonetheless).

The lessons are that a cookie party is pretty difficult to avoid even with the prospect of potentially being snowed in at someone else's house (we made it back just fine), and that you can eat a remarkable amount of cookies without feeling sick provided they are freshly baked and of sufficient variety.
posted by Deathalicious at 11:52 AM on December 21, 2009

I just sent mine out today, no tracking, but Priority Mail since Parcel post was a nickel cheaper.

The postal worker asked the usual questions explosive/liquid/dangerous/perishable. I answered "cookies".

She gave me the total and said "those are expensive cookies". I just nodded and picked up my two packages. Can't wait to try them at home.

Dethalicious: do you have to accept cookies to track your cookies?
posted by lysdexic at 2:20 PM on December 21, 2009

Deathalicious, the cookies were delicious.
posted by josher71 at 3:18 PM on December 21, 2009 [1 favorite]

electricblue sent me a MeFi cookie! It's so pretty!
posted by 6:1 at 4:50 PM on December 21, 2009

I'm hoping I will come home to some delicious cookies, as we are now away and won't be back home until the 28th.
posted by misha at 10:10 AM on December 23, 2009

I got one delicious box of cookies, but the other two never materialized. Drats.
posted by booknerd at 9:19 AM on December 29, 2009

I received only two out of my three swappers: damn you, hungry postal workers!
posted by Deathalicious at 12:35 AM on December 30, 2009

Deathalicious, you got mine? (Sand tarts and moravian spice cookies) I only got two as well -- yours was one of 'em. :)
posted by which_chick at 4:01 AM on December 30, 2009

Third set of cookies arrived in the mail today, somewhat the worse for wear via postal handling. The crumbs were still very tasty. Thanks, everyone! This was fun.
posted by which_chick at 9:07 AM on December 31, 2009

I got all three of my cookie swappers' cookies, and they were delicious! Most unusual were the tasty fuyu persimmon cookies (moist, cakelike and reminiscent of spice cookies in taste). They made me feel like I was eating healthy cookies somehow, because of all the fresh, natural ingredients. By a strange twist of fate, I also ended up gifted with both chocolate almond cookies and almond biscotti (and we love almonds around here), the latter with *homemade*(!) caramels. I NEED THAT CARAMEL RECIPE.

This was AWESOME. Would sign up again. A+++++
posted by misha at 3:56 PM on December 31, 2009

My aunt would make these every christmas and I just started to try last year. I branched out to pate de fruit this year, but not in time for the swap. The caramels are not a bad place to start candy making, basically one step and pretty impressive. Pay up for your candy thermometer. Here is the recipe from the family cookbook:

Lightly butter a 9x13 inch pan. Combine in a heavy saucepan:
2 cups sugar 1 cup light brown sugar 1 cup corn syrup 2 cups light cream 3/4 cup butter
cook over medium heat, stirring often, until temperature reaches 248&deg , firm ball stage. Remove from fire and add:
1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp salt
pour into buttered pan. When cool, cut into 1 inch squares and wrap in wax paper.

I think the caramels I sent out were cooked a few degrees hotter than called for in the recipe - say 250-252 (I know the thermometer I was using was 2 degrees off at 212) and a second batch I cooked to 248 was very soft and hard to work with. Also, as usual I doubled the vanilla and think it could actually use a bit more.
posted by shothotbot at 4:36 PM on January 1, 2010 [2 favorites]

in preview the ingredients list above rendered very nicely. Sorry about that.
posted by shothotbot at 4:37 PM on January 1, 2010

Deathalicious, you got mine? (Sand tarts and moravian spice cookies) I only got two as well -- yours was one of 'em. :)

Uh, no. You'd better send another package of your delicious cookies to my address. Make that two packages, just to be safe.




Yes, I received your scrumptious and too quickly consumed cookies.
posted by Deathalicious at 10:51 PM on January 2, 2010

Sorry for the broken and late cookies ya'll.
posted by josher71 at 7:56 AM on January 3, 2010