The Men's Cookie Exchange, 2005 Arbor Heights Elementary School Seattle, Washington Earlier exchanges: 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998

On December 15, 2005 we celebrated our ninth annual exchange at Arbor Heights.  We missed having long-time baker Robert with us this year (hope he's spreading the tradition at his new school!), but it was great welcoming Vern into the fold!  Below are glimpses of a few moments we hope will brighten your holidays.  Happy New Year! - Keith, Mark, Dave, and Vern! 

Find info on our 2003 appearance on the Food Network here!

Report from Discovery Elementary in Mukilteo, WA:
We just celebrated our 5^th annual men’s cookie exchange at Discovery Elementary.  All four of us have turned into cookie baking regulars.  Check out the attached pictures.  Shawn’s personalized toolboxes would have to win the award for best presentation (if we had such an award).  Each year, I choose from something from my mother’s cookie recipes, most of which her mother made.  It was at my mother’s urging that my grandmother put the ingredients in those recipes into standard measurements, instead of handfuls, pinches, and so on.  As I was debating what to bake this year, my mom mentioned that there was another recipe that my grandmother never wrote down, but that she had come across those same cookies in an old cookbook.  So, I made Christmas stars and brought some family heritage back to life. - Thom Garrard

Our Recipes!

Directions:

1. Find out how many men want to bake cookies.  This is important!  The bakers need to know how many to bake for.

2. Decide on a date and time for the exchange.

3. Bake your cookies! Make one dozen for each guy in the exchange.  Be careful about how you count!  You only need to bake for the other guys, so  don't count yourself.

4. Presentation, presentation, presentation... Arrange your cookies on nice, festive-looking plates. Colored plastic wrap and ribbon are optional here, but fun. 

5. When the day arrives, arrange to meet and share your creations!  You'll be going home with lots of great cookies!

• Bars are also just fine.

• Make copies of your recipe to share with the other bakers.

• Don't skimp on ingredients - use butter, for goodness sake.

• Spouses and significant others are NOT allowed to do your baking!

• Obviously, no Chips Ahoy, Slice 'n Bake, etc.

• Try to avoid recipes by famous women bakers.

• Each guy bring an extra dozen to leave out for the rest of the staff to enjoy.

Article in the Seattle Times, 12/21/01

Here's a real nice page of recipes from Derry Lyons of the Kent School District.  Thanks, Derry!

www.menbakebetter.com