I attended a Cookie Swap a few weeks ago. Because it's my first time to attend one, I did not really know what to expect other than being ready to bake and bring 12 dozen cookies, Mish of Momma 'N Manila invited me twice in the past, but my schedule was not so cooperative both times, and I had to decline. When she invited me again this year and my schedule was free, I just knew that the stars aligned to make this happen. Hahaha!
My friend, Mish grew up in a family that loves to cook, eat and entertain. She grew up in New York and relocated to Manila almost a decade ago. When she came over to Manila, she naturally brought with her this popular US tradition. She has been hosting cookie swaps for almost 5 years now, and the older participants claimed that it just keeps getting better and better!
A Cookie Swap, while not so common in Manila, is simply a gathering of friends who love to bake. Each baker brings one kind of cookie to share. At the swap, everyone trades and ends up with a whole lot of different delicious holiday cookies. Along with new cookie recipes, too! But it's not jsut cookies and recipes that gets shared, everyone just took a short moment to share a quick background of the cookie we brought, and our experience while we were baking them.