It’s that time of year again, when thoughts of holiday baking dance around in my head! I love to bake and I love to entertain, so what better way to combine my two loves of the season than with a Cookie Exchange. Here are a few tips if you are thinking of hosting your own Cookie Exchange this year:
Come up with a set of guidelines for the cookies – i.e.: all flour based, holiday only, or anything!
Your invite list……Keep in mind you don’t want to have a HUGE group, because the number of cookies can be daunting for some. Limit numbers to 8-12 participants.
Set a date early in the month, before holiday things get too chaotic. And decide what day of the week might be possibly less busy than others
Will your evening be open to the whole family or will this be a ladies only night?
Let your guests know well in advance what date you are planning for your party. This will allow them to get it on their calendar, and start thinking of their recipe choice. (I usually send an email out mid October with the date.) I usually pick a Wednesday night, it seems as the holidays near, the weekends get really busy.
Invitations
This is always the fun, creative part! And if you are unlike me, and super creative, you can create your own. I however, choose to utilize online sites for my invitation creation (this year I ordered from TinyPrints.com). Mailing your invitations 4-6 weeks in advance is best, giving the participants ample time to RSVP.
RSVP
Included with the invitation, I attach a small note, giving the participant more in depth information on how and when to RSVP and any recipe guidelines. Recipe selection RSVP’s are crucial. This ensures that there are no duplicate recipes – no one wants 5 dozen sugar cookies.
Follow Up Email
This email is a very important part of the planning process. After you have received all of the RSVP and recipe selections, you need to decide on the number of cookies each participant will bring. My gatherings are typically on the large side – with 10-12 ladies in attendance. As not to overwhelm anyone, I will scale down to half dozen batches. (This means if you have 12 participants, they will need to bring 1/2 dozen of their recipe for each participant = 6 dozen cookies) . I also like to include a reminder that along with the cookies, they need to bring lots of containers to take home all their goodies, and enough copies of their recipe to share with everyone.
Decorations and Food
My favorite part! This is your chance to showcase your holiday home to all your friends. I even decorate a tree in the kitchen with mini cookie cutters. And of course – what will you serve? Some years I have gone all out and served soups, with breads. This year, I am going to simply serve holiday cookies and candy. Be sure to check out all the great recipes we will be debuting this week for your holiday baking, as you make your cookies remember to enter the Show Us Your Cookies Photo Contest and join us for the Once a Month Mom Virtual “Show Us Your Cookies” Christmas Party! If you are looking for some great cookie ideas beyond what we have in store for you this week, you can also visit our Cookies Pinterest Board. **My great friend Mary has a great ebook for party planning, How to Plan a Party {Without losing your mind} as well. So much great information about throwing a themed party, from cookie exchanges to birthday parties.
