Cellar Cookie Exchange Experiment

lumberjim • Jan 23, 2009 11:15 pm
so....how do we do this?
morethanpretty • Jan 23, 2009 11:16 pm
Microwave.
lumberjim • Jan 23, 2009 11:17 pm
this is inspired by morthanpretty's cookie mix microwave weirdness in friday night chat.
zippyt • Jan 23, 2009 11:24 pm
this IS a Doable thing !
zippyt • Jan 23, 2009 11:52 pm
Carol Just Bailed on the bakeing Part
zippyt • Jan 23, 2009 11:55 pm
so I guess it'll be Zippyt baked cookies
bluecuracao • Jan 24, 2009 3:51 am
Well, zippy failed to mention this in Saturday early AM chat, so I'm just now learning about it. But yeah, it's doable!

There are non-bake cookies...anyone who did 4-H club knows that...
Shawnee123 • Jan 24, 2009 10:30 am
Christmas before this last one I didn't have a lot of cash, so I decided to go through my late grandma's recipe file and make some of her cookies and candies which were famous to us.

The oatmeal cookies were great. I put them on the pan, into the oven, and checked later and it was one gooey gelatinous sticky form that covered the top of the baking sheet. I had put in everything but the flour. The flour.

I wrapped it up and gave it to my family at Christmas. It was solidified, like amber had been poured over the pan. After a short speech that I acted like what I was about to bestow on them had a lot of meaning to me, to all of us. I choked up and told brother "just open it."

They laughed so hard they were all crying, once I told the story.

So, yeah, you probably don't want me in a cookie exchange. If we're having a Nacho exchange I might be interested.

:)
LabRat • Jan 24, 2009 11:18 am
Shawnee, you could buy some of my daughter's girl scout cookies, then rewrap 'em... ;)

I wasn't in chat but with more info, I'd be in :)
Juniper • Jan 24, 2009 11:30 am
I know someone selling GS cookies too. ;)
limey • Jan 24, 2009 1:14 pm
Post cookie recipes here, allocate them to volunteers who bake them then eat/photograph/describe the results?
Pico and ME • Jan 24, 2009 2:38 pm
I would love to be a part of this.
SteveDallas • Jan 24, 2009 3:39 pm
lumberjim;525819 wrote:
this is inspired by morthanpretty's cookie mix microwave weirdness in friday night chat.


I missed it... what, was she slathering cookie batter all over her body?
Chocolatl • Jan 24, 2009 4:08 pm
morethanpretty was wishing she had some "cookie mix" -- a dry mix that, with a little added water and a trip to the microwave, somehow turns into actual cookies.

To the group's consternation, our collective championing of real ingredients, a good ol' fashioned oven, and honest physical labor -- or even some refridgerated tube cookie dough! -- was met with disapproval.

How "fresh" cookies can come from a box I will never know. Brownies and cakes, I'll grant you, but even little kids can make chocolate chip cookies from scratch.

(For the record, other chatters were guilty of such attrocities as trying to cook eggs in the microwave or toasting Pop Tarts with the foil still on. But nothing as bad as cookie mix.)
Clodfobble • Jan 24, 2009 4:17 pm
Chocolatl wrote:
such attrocities as trying to cook eggs in the microwave


Hey, you can totally do that! You just have to crack it into a very tiny dish, cover it with saran wrap (with a pin prick for venting,) and break the yolk so that it doesn't explode. Instant Egg McMuffin shape.
Chocolatl • Jan 24, 2009 4:22 pm
Here's how I would do the cookie exchange:

-Organizer collects participant names and addresses. Participants state how many people they'd like to bake for.
-Organizer scrambles all the entries up at random. Each participant gets a dozen cookies for every dozen they send out.
-Each participant mails out a dozen of their signature cookie by the given date.
-All parties eat, enjoy, and take pictures.

So, for example, if I feel like baking three dozen cookies, I might send out cookies to lumberjim, Zippyt, and LabRat, and receive cookies from Pico, blue, and Shawnee.

(Clod, my eggs always stuck to the bowl. What's the secret for Egg McMuffin shape?) :)
jinx • Jan 24, 2009 4:36 pm
I'm in. I make kick-ass oatmeal choco chips...
lumberjim • Jan 24, 2009 4:47 pm
Chocolatl;526027 wrote:
Here's how I would do the cookie exchange:

-Organizer collects participant names and addresses. Participants state how many people they'd like to bake for.
-Organizer scrambles all the entries up at random. Each participant gets a dozen cookies for every dozen they send out.
-Each participant mails out a dozen of their signature cookie by the given date.
-All parties eat, enjoy, and take pictures.

So, for example, if I feel like baking three dozen cookies, I might send out cookies to lumberjim, Zippyt, and LabRat, and receive cookies from Pico, blue, and Shawnee.

(Clod, my eggs always stuck to the bowl. What's the secret for Egg McMuffin shape?) :)

how'd you like to be the organizer?
Chocolatl • Jan 24, 2009 4:50 pm
Sure! I'll do it, if everyone's comfortable sending me their info.
Wickedly_Tasteful • Jan 24, 2009 6:01 pm
i wanna participate. I make some stellar peanut butter and chocolate cookies
lumberjim • Jan 24, 2009 6:16 pm
dibs on the toll house cookies
Chocolatl • Jan 24, 2009 6:24 pm
Okay, how's this for a suggested timeline:

If you'd like to participate, drop me your contact info and how many people you'd like to bake for in a PM by Monday, Feb. 2nd. That gives everybody a week to see the thread and decide if they want to participate.

I'll send everyone their cookiecipient information by Friday, Feb. 6th, and we'll try to have cookies mailed by March 1st.
Juniper • Jan 24, 2009 7:07 pm
Chocolatl;526027 wrote:


(Clod, my eggs always stuck to the bowl. What's the secret for Egg McMuffin shape?) :)


You put a very thin coating of oil in the bowl first.

I like to nuke eggs in a square microwave dish. Perfect shape for a sandwich!
Cloud • Jan 24, 2009 7:51 pm
my oven's not working. :(
monster • Jan 24, 2009 8:27 pm
Cloud;526074 wrote:
my oven's not working. :(


you need mtp's microwave recipe....
monster • Jan 24, 2009 8:32 pm
In an IRL cookie exchange, you only generally get 1-3 of each type (in my experience), and mailing 12 cookies several times over is going to be pretty costly, so few people will be able to sample more than one or two cookies baked by other people....

So how about 3-4 addresses per dozen you want to bake? Should be less than $1 for each mailing and so you can get lots of different types in return.... ?
Chocolatl • Jan 24, 2009 10:14 pm
Yeah, I wasn't sure how much it'd be for shipping. I haven't sent a package in a while!

How about 2-3 addresses per dozen, so that if the recipient really likes the cookie they'll be able to have a second serving? :)
dar512 • Jan 25, 2009 1:13 pm
Has anyone ever managed to mail cookies that didn't arrive as crumbs? I've had bad luck with this.
limey • Jan 25, 2009 2:42 pm
Cookies posted from Abroad may be stale on arrival :(
Sundae • Jan 25, 2009 2:50 pm
I'd be tempted if it wasn't for the overseas thang.
Also, I'm not sposed to be eating cookies (biscuits).

Please include descriptions and photos in this experiment so we can participate too!
Chocolatl • Jan 25, 2009 3:11 pm
dar512;526283 wrote:
Has anyone ever managed to mail cookies that didn't arrive as crumbs? I've had bad luck with this.


Part of it is just having sturdy cookies. For mailing, I usually line the sides of a tupperware container with paper towel. Layer the cookies in and put layers of paper towel or wax/parchment paper between cookie layers. Then the tupperware goes in either bubblewrap or a box with packaging peanuts.
Jaydaan • Jan 25, 2009 4:54 pm
What about sending the dry ingredients only, with the rest of the recipe? So the receiving person just has to add the butter and eggs. No stale cookies that way, and less costly to mail. That way everyone could get a full batch??

I am in, but sending to the States is pricey..... it would be good if we had a few in Canada that wanted to do this as well :)

Edit: also, what about the UK people doing one, and the Australians as well... it would be cheaper, and they could still be part of it. Its a bit more work for the organizer... but... maybe more people would join in.
zippyt • Jan 25, 2009 5:10 pm
Sorry . but I haz to Bail on this , Zip Grills , Not Bakes :(
Shawnee123 • Jan 25, 2009 5:17 pm
Rib exchange anyone? Here's how it works:

1) zippy sends me scrumptious ribs
2) I eat them


That's it. Who's in?

:P
Sundae • Jan 25, 2009 5:23 pm
Oh I thought it worked this way:

- Send Sundae "cookies" (bizarre American food)
- Sundae eats, shares with family, reviews and takes photos
- Posts the above on Cellar
- Teh End

Substitute grits, cheesesteaks, chili, home fries and repeat.
Shawnee123 • Jan 25, 2009 5:25 pm
Grits. I haven't even had grits!

I could send you some Rocky Mountain oysters. ;)
Chocolatl • Jan 25, 2009 6:14 pm
Jaydaan;526332 wrote:
What about sending the dry ingredients only, with the rest of the recipe?


That seems more like a recipe swap, since flour is going to be flour regardless of where you get it. I'd like to be able to do a full, finished cookie, especially since cookies can change depending on the baker.
morethanpretty • Jan 25, 2009 8:49 pm
Shawnee123;526345 wrote:
Grits. I haven't even had grits!

I could send you some Rocky Mountain oysters. ;)


Say no to them Sundae. Trust me on this. They aren't what you're thinking. Oh and don't go for the "Rocky Mountain oysters" either. :yelsick: