WEATHER ALERT

Eat and greet

Festive dessert series begins with a good old-fashioned cookie swap

Eva Wasney Homemade Holidays
By: Eva Wasney Posted:

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The next dozen issues of the Free Press are going to be high in sugar content and sentimentality.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 01/12/2025 (222 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The next dozen issues of the Free Press are going to be high in sugar content and sentimentality.

Our annual Homemade Holidays series kicks off Tuesday and features 12 festive dessert recipes published over 12 days. The goal is to highlight family traditions, while providing readers with inspiration for their own holiday baking adventures.

Past editions have included vintage treats from the Free Press’s archives, reader-submitted recipes and staff favourites.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS The holiday baking cookie swap was sweet.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

The holiday baking cookie swap was sweet.

This year’s batch showcases the connective power of cookies.

Last month, we invited a group of subscribers, patrons and home-baking enthusiasts to the Free Press newsroom on Mountain Avenue for a community cookie swap. A delightfully wholesome morning of sharing stories and sweets ensued.

Cookie swaps were once a popular way for bakers, largely women, to gather and exchange goodies ahead of the holidays. The treats might be regifted in cookie tins, served to holiday visitors or simply enjoyed by their recipients.

If you’ve never attended a cookie swap it’s likely because the practice has waned in recent decades (a Free Press column from 1987 described the practice as “old-fashioned”). This was my first cookie swap experience and I hope it won’t be my last.

The rules are simple: guests make a big batch of their favourite holiday cookie — the exact number will depend on the number of people in attendance — and dole out a few morsels to fellow partygoers. At the end of the event, everyone leaves with a mixed box of treats and their respective recipes.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Treats and stories were shared.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Treats and stories were shared.

When we put the call out for recipe submissions we had one additional stipulation: no shortbread or sugar cookies, please.

While those holiday standards are classics for a reason, we wanted to highlight lesser-known festive desserts. And boy, did participants deliver.

Find a preview of this year’s Homemade Holiday series in the accomanying sidebar. I hope you enjoy the recipes, as well as the heartwarming stories behind them.

winnipegfreepress.com/evawasney

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS A group of subscribers, patrons and home-baking enthusiasts gather in a board room at the Free Press for the swap.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

A group of subscribers, patrons and home-baking enthusiasts gather in a board room at the Free Press for the swap.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS The treats tasted as good as they looked.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

The treats tasted as good as they looked.

photos by MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Free Press readers will get recipes for all 12 desserts from the cookie swap.

photos by MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS

Free Press readers will get recipes for all 12 desserts from the cookie swap.

Eva Wasney

Eva Wasney
Arts Reporter

Eva Wasney is a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press.

   Read full biography

Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.

Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

Homemade Holidays Schedule

Dec. 2: Boozy apricot rugelach from Harriet Zaidman

Dec. 3: Browned butter chocolate chip cookies from Patricia Conroy

Dec. 4: Cherry surprises from Donna Fontaine

Dec. 5: Chocolate chow mein clusters from Janet Sigurdson

Dec. 6: Chocolate fruit cake from Susan Shortill

Dec. 8: Four generations date-filled cookies from Heather Penno

Dec. 9: Giurgiulena (sesame seed snaps) from Erminio Caligiuri

Dec. 10: Lime-glazed cornmeal cookies from Terrie Leppky

Dec. 11: Meringue mushrooms from Carla Goldstein

Dec. 12: Mini chip butter crisps from Jaymi Derrett

Dec. 13: Our family favourite yuletide brownies from Joe and Karn Sandy

Dec. 15: Welsh cakes from Allison Bloomer

Eva Wasney

Eva Wasney
Arts Reporter

Eva Wasney is a reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press.

   Read full biography

Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.

Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

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The next dozen issues of the Free Press are going to be high in sugar content and sentimentality.

Our annual Homemade Holidays series kicks off Tuesday and features 12 festive dessert recipes published over 12 days. The goal is to highlight family traditions, while providing readers with inspiration for their own holiday baking adventures.

Past editions have included vintage treats from the Free Press’s archives, reader-submitted recipes and staff favourites.

This year’s batch showcases the connective power of cookies.

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