How to Host a Cookie Exchange

One of my favorite parties to throw during the year, is a cookie exchange.  Baking is one of my love languages and is a holiday tradition in so many homes. When you share a recipe that is dear to you and your family, you share more than just a homemade treat, you share a piece of your heart. Hosting a cookie exchange is a wonderful way to spread that love with your friends.  Cookie exchanges are a fun and fairly easy party to throw.  Today I’ll show you my tips on how to host a fabulous cookie exchange for your friends.

How to Host a Cookie Exchange

1. Create a list of guests
2. Make invitations & send them out 2 weeks before the part {Make sure to include in the invitation for guests bring 2 dozen cookies and 2 dozen copies of their recipe} I found my invitations on Zazzle and then made a little gingerbread boy inserts to remind the guests to bring 24 copies of their recipes.
3. Set up a place for guests to display their cookies when they arrive.

I like to put out all of my white cake plates and platters so it looks polished.  Guests can transfer their cookies onto one of the spaces when they arrive.  I store their platters in my pantry.

Fresh flowers always add a special touch to any party and make an easy center piece.  A silver ice bucket serves as the vase.  For a little pop, nestle large jingle bells and small ornaments around the table.

Have guests write their name and the cookie they brought on a piece of paper to be displayed next to their treat for others to see.

It is a nice touch to have a mint tray for your guests to freshen their breath throughout the party. Grab a large plate or platter, and several small dishes. Fill the dishes with different mints and embellish with jingle bells or fresh flowers.

Since the party was in the evening after dinner,  a hot cocoa and milk bar seemed like the perfect match to go with the cookies.

You can make the hot cocoa ahead of time and have it warming on the stove until the guests arrive. I served mine in my dutch oven pans {red and white}, and tied red and white striped tea towels to them.  You could use red and white striped ribbon or fabric.

Serve in insulated cups with lids.  Have a gold sharpie on hand so they can write their name on their cup.

After the guest fill their cups, they can flavor their cocoa with Torani syrups. One or two squirts or your favorite syrup flavors your cocoa to perfection! It’s fun to experiment with different flavor combinations.  My favorite is raspberry and coconut!

A cupcake tin with tiny spoons makes a great serving spot for mints and marshmallows to add to the cocoa.

Tea cups hold mint sticks to stir cocoa.

For those who didn’t want cocoa, there were glass milk bottles tied with jingle bells and red and white twine.

Gold polka dot wrapping paper covered my island instead of a tablecloth. With paper, you don’t have to worry about spills or messes.

For some fun and excitement, I had my guests write their name on a piece of paper for a drawing, who doesn’t love a drawing?!!!  The timer was set every 5 minutes. When the timer went off,  a name was drawn and the winner chose a prize.  The prizes were, a cocoa mix, a polka dot tea cup, chocolates, striped goodie boxes, a cupcake kit, and the grand prize was a Southern Living Design / Cookbook.  This was a fun way to have a “game” and still allow everyone to visit.

When it came time to divide up the cookies, each guest grabbed a take out box and filled it with 2 dozen cookies.  I had more than 24 guests, so we didn’t get to try every single cookie.  They also took home 24 recipes.

I hope you feel inspired to have your own cookie exchange!  Valentine’s Day is right around the corner… who says cookie exchanges have to be at Christmas?!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

xoxo,

Randi