Every year I spend the first week of December doing Cookie Chaos: a week-ish where I lose my sanity and bake a ton of cookies for friends and family instead of buying cheap gifts or passing the same bottle of wine back and forth. This year’s total was 41 buckets and eleven types of cookies. Total cookie count was 2,341 including gluten free and sugar free! I had to pivot from a lot of my planned cookies because work went crazy this week so I opted for some simpler cookies.
We also changed it up this year. Instead of pre-packing all the friend buckets, we invited everyone over to pack their buckets themselves. I think we’re going to try to make this a new tradition.
All the recipes are linked below. I tried to find an approximation for Funzie’s Knots since they’re a secret family recipe.
Cookies in order are:
Funzie's Knots (not the full family recipe but close enough)
Here’s some answers to some common questions from last year!
I’m a freelancer so that’s how I find the time to do this. I find that the week after Thanksgiving is usually pretty slow. This year that wasn’t the case so a lot of these were done after work instead of in the normal 12 hour blitz days.
To keep cookies fresh and make sure I have enough, I normally put all the cookies in the tins and buckets they’re being gifted in. The harder cookies that I know will last longer get made first and the chewier, softer cookies get made closer to gifting day. Buckets are frozen after being assembled if I know I’m not seeing the person for a bit.
I started with the doughs that needed to be refrigerated on December 1st, baked them later in the week and then baked or decorated a different cookie or two or three every night of the week after. Normally I can knock this out in 4-5 days but because of work it took me nearly two weeks.
Total cost this year was $263. I intentionally planned a lot of the cookies around stuff I already had in the pantry because of grocery costs. Most expensive ingredients were the Hershey Kisses and M&Ms for a whopping $43. I always ask friends for their buckets back or if they can bring them to refill to keep costs down.
No kids, just cats. And a husband who benefits every time I mess up a cookie.
Happy holidays and happy baking!!
by SmallGingerLady
43 Comments
a TRUE SUPERWOMAN cause WOW!
I salute you, miss! That had to be a ton of time and effort and the fruits of your labor look amazing! 10/10 would love to sample 🤤
This is crazy special 😻
Awesome they look great! Very thoughtful. Do you use a mixer? I do everything by hand but I figure this task would be impossible without one.
incredible! everything looks delicious 🙂
I want to be you when I grow up. Actual goals
That’s fantastic!! Extremely jealous
I want to be you when I grow up! This makes me so happy!
Amazing work! Do you have a top 3?
you’re an icon and your post last year inspired me to do my own (mini… i’m only doing 5 cookie variations for my first year 😅) variation this year for friends.
I wanna be you. But I have kids and no time. I’m so envious.
that empty platter picture is such a flex! I love christmas cookie season lol
Hi. I wanna be friends with you 👉👈☺️
This is goals. I’m borrowing this idea for when I have my own place! I think getting people to build their own bucket is such a great change – sure it gets conversations going!
And here I am struggling because I have to make 60 cookies and two batches of rice krispy treats. What a good job you’ve done. 👏🏽
They look amazing! Thank you for the recipe links. I have saved a few to my recipe folder for future use.
Every super hero needs a side kick and I see that kitchen aid in the background!
Holy hell you’re AMAZING!!!
This is incredible. Your friends are lucky
Wow this is so impressive!! How much butter do you think you went through?
SPECTACULAR!
These cookies look incredible. Nice job and I appreciate your hard work. I wish I was related to you lol
I love the idea of having people pack their own buckets! I’m a picky eater, so I’d hate to have hard work go to waste if I avoided eating cookies in my bucket that someone else would have scarfed down
Can we be friends?
Me: am a serious home baker
Also me: makes 2 dozen non-seasonal cookies in December 😭
I only did five kinds of cookies this year and I thought it would kill me lol. You have my highest admiration and respect.
I bake 6-7 Christmas cookie recipes every year and even that almost takes me out. The 12 hour blitz days are real. I know professionals are used to it but for hobby bakers the toll it takes on your body is unexpected.
Amazing! 😋
You’re an angel !
Oh my goodness, I want to give you ALL the upvotes!!
Reminds me of my mother’s bake-a-thons when I was a kid back in the 70’s. All done by hand and once I was old enough I helped. Two layer cake boxes filled to bursting, at least a dozen given as gifts to family and neighbors. Each box was probably 10 to 12 dozen of 6 or 7 different cookies dependent upon what she felt like doing that year. Me, I feel nostalgic about it, but I make a batch of chocolate cherry nut drops and a batch of sugar cookies for me and my husband but that’s it.
I need friends like you 😅🙌🏾
Wow, I am shocked that the total cost was only $263. That averages out to less than $6.50 per bucket, which is a lot less that I would have guessed.
Have you ever knocked someone off your annual cookie list? Did you invite all the packers over at the same time to fill their buckets?
You did a beautiful job.
A prime number – excellent!
Thank you for the recipes!!!
Which one is the colorful round ones that look like they have icing?
You are a baking goddess!!!
My aunt Carol has been doing this for at least 20 years and I love her to death. Not because of the cookies, but it doesn’t hurt.
All of your cookies look delicious and I think you’re badass.
SHE’S BACK!!
On her way to be a reddit legend. Wouldn’t feel like christmas without thousands-of-cookies-lady
What incredible joy! This is incredible. The cookies in the Dutch ovens especially made me smile what a fun presentation. I hope you have a wonderful (and restful!) holiday season 🎄
my mom would do this every year, one of the things I miss the most when she passed. I got to help her with her last batch (she knew it would be). and helped her put all her recipes in a cook book to share with everyone. Know you will leave a long lasting memory in all those you give to.
This is so impressive!! Also your hair is *gorgeous*
Heyyyy I REMEMBER YOU FROM LAST YEAR!!! Glad to see you going strong
I’ve tried the crème brûlée cookies twice since your post last year. They never turn out quite right for me.
As a Granma of 10, I have less time than I imagined I would and my big holiday baking has dwindled. That being said, I live vicariously through OP’s social media. This is i believe the 3rd or 4th year I’ve seen these posts and I adore you and your cookies!