galentine's day cookie swap
If you are not familiar with Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation, you may not know about Galentine’s Day. This fictional holiday initially aired on an episode in 2010 and celebrated the platonic love between ladyfriends. In Leslie’s words: “Every February 13, my ladyfriends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast-style. Ladies celebrating ladies. It’s like Lilith Fair, minus the angst. Plus frittatas.”
Galentine’s Day is not surprisingly right up my alley. I may even consider myself the originator. Don’t get me wrong. I am a Leslie Knope fan. Her thoughtfully curated gifts for every occasions speak directly to my heart. However, I hosted my ladyfriends over for a Valentine’s Day get together when I was in elementary school over 20 years ago. I remember these soirees usually involved a craft and a treat bag. My dad also gave us a bell to ring and was our own personal butler. I attribute these early get togethers to my love for Valentine’s Day.
This year I proposed the idea of a Galentine’s Day cookie swap to one of my co-worker and she was on board. Our goal was for a causal, themed get together with plenty of cookies. I originally read about cookie swaps on a blog and then my aunt bought me a cookbook which included instructions on how to host a cookie swap.
I realize that cookie swaps usually occur around Christmas but I find that time of year oversaturated with get togethers. I figured that everyone enjoys cookies any time of year so this was the perfect opportunity to finally host my first cookie swap. To give you the basics- everyone brings a different batch of cookies. You divide the total number of cookies by the number of attendees. This results in the number of cookies you get to take home. I love the idea because you get a variety of cookies. We left out the detail of having recipe cards but I think that would be a fun detail to add.
I can’t take credit for the decorations. My co-worker graciously hosted the event in the common room of her apartment complex. She made the space feel so cheerful with pink and red faux flowers, table cloths and balloons.
We had heavy appetizers with make your own mimosas. I used cupcake liners filled with Valentine’s Day candies to function as edible decor.
While we didn’t have a butler or treat bags, we all left with a variety of cookies after spending the afternoon catching up. There are a few tweaks I would make at my next cookie swap but overall I would say the first was a success! If you are looking for a cookie recipe that is not classic chocolate chip, here are the three that I made:
Soft Baked Funfetti Sugar Cookies by Sally’s Baking Addiction
The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Averie Cooks (I used butterscotch chips instead of chocolate)
Soft M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies by Averie Cooks
