by Amy Gross
photograph by Christine Carrasco
How to host a holiday cookie exchange
Snickerdoodles? Iced sugar cookies? Biscochitos? You know you have that one cookie you bake better than anyone else—the one friends and family clamor for every holiday season and that you love to share. If you’ve thought about hosting a holiday get-together but can’t quite fit a cocktails-and-dinner party into your busy end of year schedule—or your budget—a cookie exchange, or cookie swap, is a fun and easy way to catch up with old friends and make new ones, and best of all, quickly, inexpensively, and deliciously increase the baked goods factor in your holiday home. Here’s how to host.
• Plan to swap a half dozen cookies with each guest. Send out invitations early (online is easy to manage and eco-friendly), with a firm RSVP date at least two weeks ahead of your swap. (Remember that a half dozen cookies times 10 guests is 60 cookies, so consider carefully how many cookies you and your guests may be willing to bake. Ten to 15 guests is a fun and manageable swap.) • When your RSVPs are firm, count the total guests, including yourself, and let each guest know how many cookies to bake, at a half dozen per guest, plus an extra dozen for unexpected guests and party nibbling. (Tip: Cutting the extra cookies in halves or quarters lets everyone taste everything without getting too full.) Ask each guest to write or type out their recipe and print out enough copies for all guests to take home.
• Time to pick your best cookie recipe! Stock up on the ingredients you’ll need, as well as coffee, tea, wine, and other beverages; a big box of plastic sandwich-sized baggies; colorful index cards; and large bakery boxes in which guests can transport their take-home cookies.
• The day before the exchange, do your baking, setting aside the extra dozen for the party.
• At the swap, clear a large table or counter area where guests can present their take-home cookies, their “nibbling” cookies, and their recipes. Give each guest an index card to write out the name of their cookie and any dietary specifications (e.g., gluten-free). Place a pile of baggies at each cookie/recipe station, pour the wine or coffee, and let the fun begin!
