On Saturday night I attended my friend Tara’s Tacky Christmas Cookie Swap for the third year in a row. I really considered entering a new category this year – the best store bought cookie – but remember how fun it was making tasting treats the last two years I decided against it.  (In 2013 I made Peppermint Oreo Balls and in 2014 I whipped up Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles). 

You may have seen on social media or Monday’s blog post that I swam in a meet on Saturday morning and I knew making cookies before 7pm was going to be extremely difficult, therefore I went for an option I had saved to Pinterest, 3-Ingredient Buttery Shortbread Cookies. 

[yumprint-recipe id=’16’] 

Cookies in tow I headed to the 5th annual Tara & Kate’s Tacky Christmas Cookie Swap at Slainte, a bar in the East Village.  When I arrived the cookie table was filled with delicious looking options and while mine turned out quite well I was over topped by adorable red velvet and Santa strawberry options.  Of the 20+ entries in this years swap the red velvet cookies, strawberry cheesecake bites, and s’mores cookie dough balls were my favorite. After enjoying more cookies that I am willing to admit I actually signed up for a gym class while at the bar sipping on Pinot Grigio. #priorities 

I had a great evening hanging out with girls I see on the regular and acquaintances I only see at a few parties a year. And yes, that is One Direction wrapping paper covering half a dozen tables at the bar.  My friends even went so far as to put reindeer stickers over Zayn Malik’s face as he is out of the band.  Casual and very adult of us. 

I also had fun documenting the night on Snapchat. If you do not follow along, you should, you can find me at @kellydonlin, and shout out to Snapchat for the very, very fitting filter on Saturday night.