Last Friday I hosted a Christmas Cookie Exchange. There were 5 of us ladies total with lots of different cookies to try! This was the first time I'd hosted, or been to, an exchange. I think it turned out pretty well.
I made chocolate cookies with a peanut butter filling and toffee espresso fudge. This was my first time making either recipe. The cookies turned out great and the fudge made an excellent dip with graham crackers after I realized it was never going to solidify enough to be cut into squares! I don't know where I went wrong, but it was still delicious!
As for appetizers, I made mini shrimp and chicken calzones, cheesy wafers with jalapeno jelly, and rosemary bruschetta bites. Our cocktail was the Poinsettia Mimosa. All the unlinked recipes can be found in the BHG Appetizers Magazine 2010.
For my guests I picked up baskets at thrift stores so everyone had something to take the goodies home in. In the baskets I put a green dish towel and red rag that I got on clearance at Target. While at the thrift stores, I also picked up Christmas themed mugs and filled each mug with hot chocolate and green tea packets. My cookies were packaged in cute little boxes that I got at the dollar store. As for the fudge that I wanted to send home with everyone, I scooped up what I could and put it in plastic containers and added that to the baskets as well.
All in all, it was a great night of fun, food, cookies and girl time.
