Fatties, tis the season for the office cookie exchange. Met with equal parts glee and dread, this festive tradition can be a huge bust if people are lazy. Here are a few tips to make sure your office cookie exchange is a buttery, delicious, festive hit.
1. Require participants to make their own cookies, from scratch. If we wanted prefab cookies, we could go to the grocery store ourselves. Leave laziness in your pantry and really think about giving well to those you work with. Don’t half ass it.

image: giphy.com
2. Get the numbers right. People are going to munch all day and still want cookies to take to the gremlins at home (partners, kids, roommates… they’re all gremlins). Budget about a dozen of your cookies per person.

image: wilton.com
3. Make sure everyone has a tupperware of their own to transport cookies home. Short of magically carrying your cookies in without a tray, this shouldn’t be hard.
4. Make it an office event. Take 30-45 mins out of your day to sit together and enjoy sampling each others’ cookies. Bring hot cocoa or some good coffee to your cookie date. Add a splash or accidentally large spill of Bailey’s. Use some festive trays to put out some cookies for eating at the office. We’d also suggest having a couple savory snacks so no one is overwhelmed by the sweetness.
Cookies from scratch are a must, right? Right. If you’re a newb try something simple like a snickerdoodle, shortbread or a simple chocolate chip cookie with peppermint bark instead of chips. If you’re looking to show off a bit try detailed icing on sugar cookies, bars or macarons.

image: marthastewart.com
Last but not least, be sure to Instagram all your goodies so we can drool along.