A cookie exchange is where you make up a batch of one kind of cookie, and your friends do the same (hopefully different recipes) and you get together and divide up the cookies. Everyone goes home with 5 different kinds of cookies, or however many people are participating.

As much fun as it sounds, you have to be careful not to invite too many people, because it can be daunting to have to make 10 dozen cookies. Of course, you could cut that in half and say everyone gets only half a dozen of each kind, but that sounds a little sparse for the really good ones.

Years ago I had some friends: grandmother, mother (my co-worker) and adult daughters who tried to have a cookie exchange every year. They said we would bring the ingredients and make some of the cookies and some candy, too. The first time they invited me to join them, I had visions of some serious baking going on, but silly me, they weren't that kind of cooks. Their idea of home-made cookies leaned towards Slice 'n Bake Chocolate Chip Cookies, and it became more of a drinking party. One of them was truly a lush, and she always kept one of her kids home from grade school that day and brought him, which irritated the other sisters. I think she did it as protection from what her sisters might say to her about being sloshed all the time.

The grandma was the mother-in-law of my work friend, had lived with Judy and her husband for about 35 years, and my friend was pretty fed up with it, but tried not to let on. Granny used to work in a florist shop and her hobby was to buy vases and dishes at garage sales and then make ugly silk flower arrangements for gifts. Her contribution to the cookie thing was usually oyster crackers coated with dry Ranch dressing mix, and we all ended up bringing the exchange food all made up and swapping it, like a regular cookie exchange. I have to say I was shocked that people would think those slice and bakes were acceptable for holiday feasting.

Here are some recipes for what I would consider a traditional assortment.

I don't know if you you've noticed, but oyster crackers are really expensive, like $2.99 or sometimes $3.99 for a bag at Safeway. I found some at the Dollar Store once, so that was a bargain. Crackers made this way might be good stirred into Chex Party Mix for a change of pace.

Hidden Valley Ranch Oyster Crackers

12 to 16 ounces plain oyster crackers
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Salad Dressing mix
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 to 1 cup salad oil

Combine ranch dressing mix and oil; add dill weed, garlic powder, and lemon pepper. Pour over crackers, stir to coat. Place in a warm oven for 15 to 20 minutes and stir a couple of times.

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When I think about someone bringing a plate or tin of assorted Christmas cookies, I see something like this next one on it. It's a classic for making with children because there is no baking involved.

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies - No Bake

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup milk
6 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 to 3 cups fast cooking oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup peanut butter (optional)

Bring sugar, butter and milk to a boil. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Pour sugar mixture over. Mix well. Add vanilla and mix again. Spoon onto waxed paper and let dry.

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Now, you could make some real English toffee - that candy with the plank-like inside with chocolate painted on the outside and chopped nuts. Here is a cookie recipe that tastes a lot like it, much easier to make and fewer calories, and it's made with whole grain flour. It is one of my favorite recipes, I found it on the Hungarian Whole Wheat Flour package.

Toffee Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole wheat or graham flour
1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped almonds or chopped walnuts

Combine first 5 ingredients and blend thoroughly. Spread in an ungreased 13 by 9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Sprinkle immediately with the chips. Let stand 5 minutes; spread evenly. Sprinkle with nuts and press lightly into the chocolate with a fork. When set, remove from the pan and cut or break into pieces.

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Okay. Are you envisioning the plate? There's a little pile of those oyster crackers (I would put them in a sandwich bag tied with a piece of ribbon), and then the lumpy lumps of coconut-oatmeal-chocolate, and abstract shapes of the toffee cookies. We need some color, like some green trees. Mr. Ktales Mama makes these green Spritz trees flavored with almond and a red hot on the top for the star. If you're not into chemicals you could leave out the green color.

Christmas Tree Spritz
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Green food coloring

Cream butter and sugar well. Beat in egg and almond extract. Gradually blend in dry ingredients which have been sifted together. Tint dough with the food coloring. Fill cookie press and form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 375 degrees.

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No holiday cookie assortment is complete without those cookies coated in powdered sugar referred to as Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Wedding Cakes or even Swedish Wedding Cakes. Note the long cooking time in this particular recipe, at a low oven temperature. I haven't tried this method, so if you make it, do what you think is best.

Mexican Wedding Cakes
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup solid shortening, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup or more powdered sugar

Cream butter, shortening and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Mix in flour, pecans and salt. Stir until smooth. Chill mixture until firm, about 1 hour. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Form dough into 1 inch balls. Place on baking sheet, spacing evenly. Bake until light golden brown, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool. Place 2/3 cup powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Roll cookies in sugar to coat completely. Cool. Can be stored air tight for 4 days. Reroll in sugar before serving.

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Last of all, you need something like a candy. You can make some of that easy fudge with the marshmallow creme. Or how about some rum balls? I like this recipe made with dried fruit and served in tiny fluted cups. "Macerate" means to soak.

Apricot Delights
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped coarse
1/2 cup dried pitted prunes, chopped coarse
1/4 cup raisins, minced
3 tablespoons orange flavored liqueur
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated orange rind
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine
3/4 cup sugar

In a bowl combine the apricots, prunes, raisins, liqueur, and rind. Let macerate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, and chop fine in a food processor. In a bowl stir together the coconut, the pecans, and the fruit mixture until the mixture holds together. Shape rounded teaspoons into balls, and roll in the sugar. Store airtight, separating layers with waxed paper, in a cool dry place. Serve in little tiny cupcake papers. Will keep up to 2 weeks.

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I realize that two of these recipes call for coconut. It is not good menu planning to repeat an ingredient like that (nuts don't count), but maybe nobody will notice. I'll give you a recipe for rum balls to make up for it. You can serve them in the little fluted cups instead of the apricot sugar plums.

Bacardi Rum Balls

1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
2 cups walnuts, chopped fine
1/4 to 1/3 cup dark rum
1/4 cup honey

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Use a melon ball scoop to make small balls of uniform size. Store between layers of waxed paper for at least a few days before serving. Roll in additional nuts if desired, and serve in little cupcake papers.