Last weekend, 85 people passed through my kitchen during the 6th Annual Drop In & Decorate Cookies for Donation.
The cookies we donated -- to two food pantries, one family emergency shelter, and six shelters for victims of domestic abuse -- were made with a whole lot of ingredients from The Perfect Pantry: 40 pounds of all-purpose flour, 17 pounds of sugar, 30 pounds of confectioners sugar, 45 ounces of meringue powder, 24 pounds of unsalted butter, pure vanilla extract, baking powder and salt, more than 3 dozen eggs and a bit of milk.
Martha Stewart, eat your heart out.
On the refrigerator door, a poster proudly displayed examples of some favorite cookies from the first five years of our cookies-for-donation tradition (which began, by the way, with six people decorating a few dozen cookies for one family shelter).
Students and chef-instructors from Johnson & Wales University took over my kitchen to make 39 batches of sugar cookie dough.
People dropped in all weekend, so you never knew who you'd meet at the decorating table...
or what they would create with pastry bags full of royal icing, colored sprinkles, and a few toothpicks.
Our cookies (more than 50 shapes) are traditional, and not-so-traditional.
The early morning wrapping crew made sure each cookie looked beautiful when it left the kitchen, on its journey to make someone happy during this holiday season.
Special thanks to everyone who wrote to tell me about a Drop In & Decorate party during the past two months. Each party was different -- some were with a few friends or family or co-workers, some were annual cookie swaps that morphed into cookie donations. You've donated to food pantries, soup kitchens, church bazaars and shelters, and every cookie was beautiful.
If you haven't yet hosted a Drop In & Decorate event, there's always time, and always a need. Agencies welcome these beautiful cookies at any time of year. I know of at least one Drop In party that's planned for Valentine's Day, and we'll be doing a Mother's Day one in my kitchen in the Spring. How about a Drop In birthday party, or workplace activity?
If you have hosted a Drop In party this year, please send a photo or two to lydia AT ninecooks DOT com, with some information about your event or a link to your own blog post. I'd love to do a bit of a round-up at the end of the month.
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This just in: Barbara in Rehoboth (MA) organized a group of her neighbors this weekend to decorate cookies for My Brother's Keeper, which delivers furniture, household items and food free of charge to those who need assistance.
Planning a Drop In & Decorate event? Please let me know (lydia AT ninecooks DOT com) so we can share the fun.
To learn more about Drop In & Decorate Cookies for Donation, including how to host your own party, visit www.ninecooks.com; then stop in at A Veggie Venture, 37 Days, Culinary Types, Nikas Culinaria, Homesick Texan, Food Blogga, The Inadvertent Gardener, Jaden's Steamy Kitchen, La Mia Cucina, One Hot Stove, The Cooking Adventures of Chef Paz, French Kitchen in America, Veronica's Test Kitchen, Kelly the Culinarian, shawnkenney.com, Thyme for Cooking: The Blog, Chew on That, Nook & Pantry, Cookthink, Tea & Cookies, Mele Cotte, Cream Puffs in Venice, startcooking.com, Shazam in the Kitchen, The Family Quilt, The Daily Tiffin, Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy, The Budget Bambino, Baking and Books, What's for Lunch, Honey?, The Pink Hobart and Fun and Food.
Thank you, Slashfood and BlogHer. Thank you, Chow.com and Goodyblog and Woman's Day.
"Thank you and all your elves, helpers, cookers, decorators, delivery people…EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!! who took part in your 6th Annual Drop In and Decorate!! The cookies are awesome, as usual, I tried to look at all the different ones (I only ate one!!) You didn’t bring any broken ones so I HAD too! So many different ones this year; so creative! I really, really appreciate all the kind thoughts and special efforts everyone goes to for this holiday “cookie treat” to be such a wonderful success!" Nancy Johnston, Director of the Foster (RI) Food Pantry
The shapes and decorations on the cookies are so eye-catching, whimsical and exuberant! I can't take my eyes off these cookies.
Posted by: Nupur | December 16, 2007 at 06:05 AM
Lydia, the photos are awesome! I love the pineapple cookie, and the ice cream cone, complete with melting icecream! And that poster is quite a work of art. Congratulations on a wonderful event that touches the community!
Posted by: T.W. Barritt | December 16, 2007 at 06:45 AM
The cookies look fabulous and everyone looks like they're having so much fun making them. This is a wonderful idea.
Posted by: Julie | December 16, 2007 at 07:19 AM
Lydia, you can't imagine how eagerly I've been awaiting this post and these photos!!!
Wow! It just keeps getting better every year! Our Drop In and Decorate at work was even more popular this year than last! Our PR person is going to send photos and a press release to the local paper - I hope we get a plug! Thank you for the beautiful photos! Looking forward to the Mothers Day Drop In - already thinking about icing colors!
Posted by: Lucia | December 16, 2007 at 08:12 AM
It was great fun once again. Lots of people have a good idea and can pull off a single event. Lydia - you have done that AND made it better 6 years in a row AND spread the fun to other groups who now share the Drop In experience. In coming years I can't wait to participate in Drop In at the log house, seeing old friends, making new friends. Also I can't wait to see pictures from Drop In gatherings across the country and around the world.
Congratulations! I wonder which lucky company will get to fully support your efforts.
Posted by: rupert | December 16, 2007 at 08:39 AM
Great job! The cookies are gorgeous, everyone seems to be having so much fun, and I'm sure the decorated cookies will bring a lot of smiles.
Posted by: Kalyn | December 16, 2007 at 10:24 AM
What a sweet thing to do for the community-those who were the beneficiaries of the wonderful cookies and also those folks who participated in making them. I would love to do something like this in Maine. Perhaps when I have my new kitchen next year.
Posted by: Ronnie | December 16, 2007 at 12:23 PM
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL cookies!
I am inspired!
Anyone in the Boston area hosting a Drop in and Decorate party???
Posted by: Sharon | December 16, 2007 at 02:37 PM
Wonderful works of art which I bet taste good too. Incredible detail on the tree ornament. Terrific talent put to work for a great cause. Congratulations!!!!
Posted by: Diane | December 16, 2007 at 03:04 PM
i have to say- the pictures of these wonderful cookies actually brightened my day. obviously everyone put in tremendous effort, and i know it will all be well appreciated. i can't decide if the ice cream cone or the snow globe is my favorite...! congratulations to everyone who worked so hard!
Posted by: stacy | December 16, 2007 at 03:23 PM
Wow! Awesome! God bless all who participated.
Paz
Posted by: Paz | December 16, 2007 at 07:25 PM
Nupur, our goal is to make people smile when they see our cookies. Mission accomplished!
TW, we are all amateurs, though of course there are some artists, some chefs, and some experienced cookie decorators here. But for the most part we have learned from each other, and gotten better each year.
Julie, thanks. Having fun is important!
Lucia, I really enjoyed visiting your workplace Drop In & Decorate -- such good spirit, and beautiful cookies. I'm hoping to visit more Drop In events next year.
Rupert, thanks to you for everything you do to make Drop In a success. xoxo
Kalyn, the smiles are the best part -- happy people decorating cookies that will make others happy. (and it's all South Beach friendly, as long as you don't eat any!)
Ronnie, if you do host a Drop In in your new Maine kitchen, please invite me! Sounds like a wonderful way to become active in the community.
Sharon, I know of two Boston events that have taken place. If you send me your address by email, I'll be sure to invite you to my own Drop In next year. Or maybe you'll be the host in Boston, and I'll come to yours?!
Diane, I'd match our cookies against anyone's; I think they are lovely, and I'm always proud to distribute them to the agencies we serve.
Stacy, I have photos of each of the hundreds of cookies we made this year. It was so hard to choose which ones to include in this post! There will be more on my web site over the next couple of weeks (http://www.ninecooks.com/dropin.html).
Paz, thanks -- I think we are awesome, too.
Posted by: Lydia | December 16, 2007 at 10:52 PM
Oh how I love the snowglobe one!
Posted by: peabody | December 17, 2007 at 03:33 AM
wow!!!
they´re gorgeous
Posted by: lobstersquad | December 17, 2007 at 03:49 AM
Now that is a wonderful Christmas party!
Awesome folks and cookies!!
Posted by: MyKitchenInHalfCups | December 17, 2007 at 09:58 AM
Peabody, I love it too -- the trees are like a topographical map -- so tactile!
Lobstersquad, I agree!
MyKitchen, we had a great time. I wish all of my blogging friends could join us.
Posted by: Lydia | December 17, 2007 at 07:22 PM
They all look so beautiful, Lydia! I cannot pick a favorite. :)
Posted by: Patricia Scarpin | December 18, 2007 at 08:35 AM
Patricia, I had more than 500 photos of individual cookies and the trays of cookies -- it was almost impossible to choose just a few to show you!
Posted by: Lydia | December 18, 2007 at 10:22 PM
Wow! I'm impressed. It looks like you had quite a turnout. I am so bummed. I was supposed to have my Drop in & Decorate party last night. Instead, I am sitting in a house with a torn up tile floor and no running water! The main drain line in my house failed and flooded the kitchen and living room. I can't cook, bake or even shower! I'm still trying to get someone else to volunteer to host. I just hope that this can be fixed before Christmas or we'll be eating McDonalds in the driveway!
Posted by: StickyGooeyCreamyChewy | December 19, 2007 at 11:45 PM
StickyGooey, that is so unfair -- I wish I were a plumber so I could give you advice, but I'd probably just be sitting somewhere and crying. Put off your Drop In & Decorate until after the holidays; many agencies say they can use this kind of gift at any time of year, and it will be more fun for you after the house is put back together. I am sending all good energy in your direction.
Posted by: Lydia | December 20, 2007 at 08:12 AM
Lydia, Thanks for sending good wishes my way. It certainly has been frustrating. I don't even have my tree up yet. The poor naked tree is still out on the front porch! I will definitely set up a DI&D party as soon as I can. I guess there are lots of holidays coming up.
Merry Christmas to you.
Posted by: StickyGooeyCreamyChewy | December 20, 2007 at 08:27 AM
How wonderful! Beautiful cookies and lots of fun.
But I keep thinking about students and teachers taking over your kitchen....I would have had to put them in the garage!
Posted by: Katie | December 20, 2007 at 03:45 PM
StickyGooey, here's hoping everything gets put back together soon!
Katie, it was fun to have the students here. They are college students in the hospitality curriculum at Johnson & Wales (so they all want to run hotels or restaurants), and their teachers are all chefs. I just give them the recipe, and then get out of the way!
Posted by: Lydia | December 20, 2007 at 11:48 PM
These are just gorgeous! Wow!!
Posted by: Tartelette | January 04, 2008 at 03:10 PM