Holiday cookie exchanges, for those not yet indoctrinated, are typically an annual gathering that happen on a designated day, where guests all come bearing platters of the most spectacular holiday cookie they can bake up. They lay them out on a table, everyone samples the goods, and takes some of everyone else’s delectable treats home in a box—thus eliminating the need for anyone to bake 25 different types of cookies to diversify their holiday jar at home.

In 1971 the tradition was raised to new heights, thanks to two friends, Wellesley’s Mary Bevilacqua and Laurel Gabel. Learn how their tradition led to the The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook in the Digital Edition of the Winter 2023/2024 Issue of WellesleyWeston Magazine.