How Christmas Cookies and the Gospel Brought These 10 Women Together for 40 Years (+Their Favorite Recipes)

How much love does a cookie hold? Ten friends who will celebrate their 40th year of exchanging Christmas cookies can tell you. For them, the baking, packaging, and sharing of cookies each December is a reminder that time cannot diminish the love shared by friends through a cookie! Don't forget to look through all the pages for all their favorite cookie recipes.

 In 1978, I read an article in a magazine about a Christmas cookie exchange. As I had three small children and knew of nine friends and neighbors with young families, this seemed like the perfect way to socialize and provide a variety of cookies for all of us. I invited them to a Christmas brunch and exchange of goodies, and that was the beginning of a tradition we had no idea we would still observe almost a half-century later.

"Cookie Party" from 1979–1987

Our children are grown and on their own (though we, of course, never seem to age!), and at one time we talked about just having a brunch and discontinuing the cookie exchange. We didn’t need 10 dozen cookies and their calories to share with just our husbands, and it wasn’t getting any easier to bake and package all those Christmas treats. But we decided to continue to do it because our husbands, grown children, and grandchildren still anxiously ask, “When’s the ‘Cookie Party’?” Then they meet us on our doorsteps, ready to check out this year’s stash and devour our exchanged goodies.

As we have each taken turns hosting the “Cookie Party,” we have stepped into the warmth of the home of a friend, removing ourselves from the bustle of Christmas. We continue to sit down together and share a meal and our thoughts about the paths of our lives. We have soared with joy at each other’s triumphs and have buckled in pain with each other’s burdens and heartaches. We hug and we love. We share gifts from our kitchens and our hearts. 

We’ve gone from blonde, brunette, and red-headed young mothers with 54 children between us to gray (or hidden gray)-haired grandmothers of 204 and great-grandmothers of 5.

But each of us still has dear or favorite memories of our cookie party years.

Lyn Jensen: There’s nothing better than cookies. But one of my most tender memories is standing together in a circle as we prayed for the son of one of our members to recover from a serious illness. It’s wonderful to have cherished women around you to help you grow up!

"Cookie Party" from 1988–1990

Bonnie Brinton: In recent years my favorite thing about the “Cookie Party” is that I get to see friends I only see once a year now that several of us have moved away from our original ward area. Especially poignant to me have been the times we shared experiences of heartache at the illness or death of a child or a spouse. The happiest of memories are being in each other’s homes at Christmastime and catching up on the events of each other’s lives during the past year. And of course… the cookies—the cookies are always the highlight!

Judy Cannon: When our son was so sick in 1997 that I couldn’t attend, these dear friends made sure there were cookies that Christmas season for my family. When that son, Nathan, eventually died six months later, cookies were replaced by love. What a blessing in my life! 

Margaret Pugsley: I have enjoyed so much seeing the annual photos of our group over the many years—what we looked like as young mothers and seeing how we’ve changed. My favorite photo is the one with four or five of us pregnant and in the same shirts. The cookies are the force that keep us coming each year—we have to bake the cookies in order to come (because bakery baked cookies have become most acceptable!). As the years have come and gone, the cookies seem far less important to us. It’s the friendship and memories of past years that makes it all so very worthwhile.

"Cookie Party" from 1991–1993

Julie Boyce: I have loved getting together at the end of each year with women I have known forever and sharing where our lives have taken us. It has been a long road, and we all have had a turn in lifting each other along the way.

Freda Harris: For me, it has been about the journey. As young mothers, our friendship began as neighbors who went to church together and had children of similar ages. One December, we shared a brunch and cookies we’d baked for each other’s families. In the 40 year journey of cookie sharing that has followed we have a priceless tapestry of life stories woven together in love. How grateful I am for the journey.

Cathy Steele: The “Cookie Party” is a part of what makes Christmas Christmas for me. Cookies can come to us on any given day, from a friend or neighbor to comfort us, to welcome us, to show love and care for us, but the cookies shared at our cookie exchange have brought with them, forever friends who will always be a special part of my life.

"Cookie Party" from 1994–2002

Ann Mecham: It was so much fun to stop shopping for every member of my family, go to a beautiful home, eat a delicious brunch someone else had cooked for me, and laugh together hearing stories of how no one was ready for Christmas yet. And to top it off, I got to take home nine dozen yummy cookies I hadn’t even baked!

Gayle Cannon: Our “Cookie Party” is a treasured tradition to the Cannon family and adds to wonder and excitement of Christmas. Each year as I have gathered the ingredients, prepared the dough, and baked each batch of cookies, I reflect on each individual person in our “Cookie Party” and how much she means to me in my life. 

"Cookie Party" from 2003–2011

Forty years of living have brought us from mommies in motion to empty nesters. Six of us have moved from our shared neighborhood, and each of us has faced the various triumphs and defeats that life entails. Some of our daughters have carried on the tradition with cookie exchanges of their own. Our continuing to embrace the “Cookie Party” is a testament to the love of the gospel, which brought us together in the first place. It is our shared faith and loving prayers for each other that have bonded us with a far greater sisterhood than the token of friendship our cookies represent. No longer do we all live in the same ward, but we continue to feel the love we felt for each other that began there. We are sisters…in the gospel and in our hearts.

"Cookie Party" from 2012–2017

“Isn’t it amazing how much love a cookie holds”!

*Author's note:  We don’t have a picture of our first “Cookie Party”…but we haven’t missed in the 38 years that have followed. If we aren’t in the picture, we: A) took it, B) were late and missed it, or C) in the case of Judy and Margaret were out of the country serving church missions)

Go to the next page to find these friends' favorite cookie recipes from over the years! 

All images courtesy of Claudia Scalley

JULIE BOYCE

1 1/2 cups flour, sifted

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups shortening

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed firm

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. hot water

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups instant rolled oats

1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts

Sift flour, then sift again with salt and soda. Next, cream shortening and add sugars. Beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add water and vanilla. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Bake on cookie sheets sprayed with cooking spray at 375° F for 8–10 minutes.

BONNIE BRINTON

Crust:

2 cups flour

2 cubes butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup cornstarch

Mix together and press in large cookie sheet. Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Filling:

4 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

4 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 (14 oz.) pkg. shredded coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

Spread over crust and bake at 350° F for 10 minutes until golden brown.

Frosting:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1 cube butter, softened

4–5 cups powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients and spread over cooked coconut bars.

GAYLE CANNON

Cookie:

1/2 lb. butter

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup corn starch

1 cup flour

Roll in hands to make round cookie (1 tsp.-size balls). Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350° F for 8–10 minutes. Cool.

Frosting:

2–4 cups powdered sugar

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

½ cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients together and spread on cooled cookies.

JUDY CANNON

My mother-in-law gave me this crispy sugar cookie recipe that now is a favorite of my daughter’s as well.

1 cube butter

1 cube margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. each baking soda 

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. On a cookie sheet, form balls about the size of a golf ball. Moisten a flat-bottomed drinking class with water. Dip in sugar then smash cookie dough flat. (This works best if the dough is chilled). To give the cookie a more festive look, use colored sugar.

Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes or until edges are light brown.

FREDA HARRIS

1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature

1/2 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3 Tbsp. sugar

48 milk chocolate candy kisses

In medium bowl blend together butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt until light and fluffy. Add flour and baking soda. Beat until blended. Shape dough into 48 teaspoon-sized balls. Bake at 375° F for 8–10 minutes or until golden brown. Place kiss in center of each cookie and press down.

LYN JENSEN

Sift together:

3 ¼ cups flour

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

Mix together in large separate bowl:

½ cup butter

1 unbeaten egg

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Add 1/2 cup sour cream before blending wet mixture into flour mixture. Roll out to 1/4-inch on floured surface and cut out cookies with cookie cutters. Bake at 425° F for 8–12 minutes. Makes two and a half dozen cookies.

ANN MECHAM

2 cups almonds

1 cup sugar

½ cup water

3 Tbsp. rose water (purchase at pharmacy)

In large frying pan, add water and sugar. Dissolve and bring to boil until it is the thickness of thin Karo syrup. Add almonds. As mixture thickens to a thicker-like Karo, add the rosewater. Stir constantly until mixture becomes sugary and starts to cover the nuts. When most of the nuts are coated with sugar, pour onto a bread board or counter top. Don’t cook the mixture too long or the sugar will not adhere to the nuts (if this happens, turn the heat down and stir. This should help the sugar should stick to the nuts).

MARGARET PUGSLEY

Raisin Mixture: 

¼ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup water

2 cups raisins

Dough:

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups oats

1 Tbsp. water

Topping: 

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. milk

Boil raisin mixture ingredients until clear. In separate bowl, cream the margarine, sugar, flour, soda, salt, oats and water. Firmly spread ½ of mixture into a 9x13 pan. Spread raisin mixture on top. Bake at 350° F for 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Mix together ingredients for the topping and drizzle over finished bars.

CLAUDIA SCALLEY

Cookies: 

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup flour            

1/2 tsp. baking soda        

1/2 cup cocoa            

1/2 tsp. salt            

1/2 cup milk            

12–16 marshmallows, cut in half

Frosting:

1/4 lb. butter

2–4 Tbsp. cocoa

1/3 cup milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk. Drop by spoonsful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° F for about 7 minutes. Place 1/2 marshmallow on top of each cookie and return to oven until marshmallows puff. Remove from oven and cool, then frost.

For frosting, bring to a boil butter, cocoa, and milk. Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Spread while still warm. Makes 30–36 cookies.

CATHY STEELE

1 cup softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup almond paste (not filling or marzipan)

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Powdered sugar

1 cup red raspberry jam (seedless)

Beat butter, sugar, and egg until smooth. Crumble in almond paste and beat until well blended. Gradually add flour, blending thoroughly, and stir in lemon rind. Place dough in plastic wrap. Mixture will be sticky. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Divide chilled dough in half. Roll out between sheets of lightly floured parchment paper to 1/8 of an inch. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut out with a 4-inch, floured, star-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Roll out remaining half of dough and cut star shapes. Then cut out the centers of the stars with ½-inch round cutter. Put those on cookie sheet. Bake at 350° F for 8 minutes. Cool thoroughly. Sift powdered sugar over the cut out cookies. Spread the solid cookies with a thin layer of jam. Place cut out cookie on top of solid cookies to make a sandwich.