For the past 15 years, Ellen Thomison has hosted a cookie exchange. It grows in popularity since this type of party - where guests bring their favorite cookies to share with others - is a trend that is experiencing a renaissance.
Before she started her own, Thomison attended another.
Anne Braly"It was a lot of fun, and I wanted to do one for my friends," she says. "It's just a fun twist on a party, and people enjoy getting their Christmas cookie recipes out to make, and some just enjoy eating yummy cookies."
Cookie swaps haven't changed much in the century since women started hosting them. Most require guests to bake three to six dozen of their favorite cookies, then exchange them so everyone leaves with a large assortment of home-baked goods.
Thomison's cookie swap has no rules. She hosts hers in the weeks before Christmas, which she realizes is a busy time for all.
"The last thing I want to do is cause someone to fret about a cookie party," she says. "I tell people to just come and bring cookies - homemade or store-bought - or don't bring any at all. I have friends that do both. Some just come and some bring cookies; some bring a large amount and others a small sampling. We always have a huge assortment, so it is no problem to walk in empty-handed. I just want friends to have fun and stay as long or as short a time as they want."
Daphne Poe, however, sets some guidelines for her cookie swap.
"I usually invite about 20 women - sometimes more - and ask them to bring at least four dozen cookies in a tin. Then I provide trays for them to spread their cookies out on, so all they are left with is an empty tin. Then, in between glasses of wine, we go around the room and fill our empty tins with other people's cookies."
This year, she'll be asking her friends to also provide recipes.
Thomison never knows how many will come.
"I have mine in the middle of the day, so it's a come-and-go type party during lunchtime," she says. "I normally have a couple of soups going, so guests can grab a Christmas mug and sip on soup. This helps if you haven't had lunch yet, and it also breaks the sugar buzz from all the cookies.
"It usually starts off slow, then within 30 minutes there's a crowd. The next thing I know, my kitchen and dining room are both chock-full of people."
After more than a decade of cookie swaps in her home, Thomison's party continues to evolve.
"I think it would be fun to have a decorating table for children to ice or decorate their own cookies," she says.
Here's one of Thomison's treasured cookie recipes passed down from her grandmother, and it's as beautiful in its simplicity as it is in its taste.
Sand Tarts
1 1/2 sticks butter
5 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream butter and sugar; add water and flour alternately. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Shape dough into small balls. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Roll cookies in powdered sugar. Store in covered container.
TEN YEARS AND COUNTING
In celebration of its 10th year serving some of the best burgers and beers in town, Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike, will have a two-day party, Dec. 9-10, offering beer and food specials and door prizes starting at 11:30 a.m. and lasting till close both days. Live music begins at 8:30 both evenings.
Tremont's popularity has increased since it opened. Proof can be found in its accolades; it has been voted as the 2016 Times Free Press Best Burger and was a finalist as the Best Place To Have a Cold Beer. It was also featured in Garden & Gun's "Best Burgers in the South," Foodiehub's "Top 50 Feasts in North America" and is among Urbanspoon's "Most Popular U.S. Restaurants and Bars."
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.