How to Host a Cookie Exchange
Cookie exchanges are a great way to get together with friends or neighbors, chat, and exchange cookies and recipes during the holiday season. I recently hosted a small neighborhood cookie exchange, which was tons of fun. So today I’m sharing some tips for hosting a cookie swap of your own.
Dress Up Your Cookie Table
Take your cookie table to the next level with a festive floral arrangement. I love this Christmas Magic flower arrangement from FTD. Red roses, carnations, and berries with greens in an ornament vase is the perfect centerpiece for a cookie exchange table. It also makes for a great hostess gift or a gift for someone who has everything.
How Many Cookies to Bake?
Base the amount of cookies to be made on the amount of guests attending and how many cookies you want everyone to go home with. So if you have 8 people attending (including yourself), and each person brings 5 dozen, that leaves each person taking home 8 cookies of each kind of cookie. But if you taste test, it’d be 7 cookies. I’d say it’s best to plan on everyone taking at least 5 cookies of each cookie home for a total of 40 cookies.
Bring An Extra Platter
If you don’t want to buy packaging materials and all of that business, have each attendee bring an extra platter with them to put the mix of cookies on to take home.
Taste Test & Vote
Totally optional but you can try out everyone’s cookie and vote for your favorite in different categories. You can be playful with this or very cut-throat and serious.
Set Up a Drink Station
This doesn’t have to be super fancy. I made a large pot of coffee with half and half and sugar. And prosecco. Because duh.
Paper Products
If you’re going to be taste testing, make sure you get some plates and napkins. And to make clean up easier, set out some drink cups.
Bring Recipe Cards
Have everyone bring recipe cards for the number of people attending. Set the recipe cards next to the cookies so people can grab a recipe card when collecting their cookies.
Just remember, with the holidays being crazy enough, this doesn’t have to be a fussy get-together. With a few special touches you can make it look and feel like a special event.
My very favorite event of the year is my neighbor’s cookie exchange. She’s been hosting one for years! She always tells everyone to bring 3 doz cookies and a container to bring home their cookies. She also has a charity each year that she selects and asks people to donate a toy (like Toys for Tots) or a gift card (for a family in need), if they wish. She puts a pot of white chicken chili on and another filled with mulled wine. And yes, there’s Prosecco. And coffee. And lots of chatting and socializing. It’s just festive and fun.
I love the paper lanterns you included. They look like giant ornaments on your table.
You totally win for best cookie exchange! You’ve thought of everything and it’s all gorgeous and those flowers add the perfect touch!