How to Host a Cookie Swap
I hosted my first cookie swap party this weekend and I think it went pretty well. Some tips I have come up with are:
- Send out invitations early-the holiday time is busy for everyone.
- Decide how many cookies each person will bring. 1 dozen for each person is traditional
- Decide how many people you want to invite. I kept it to 5 couples so we only ended up with 5 dozen cookies. Since it’s just us, we didn’t think we could handle any more!
- Have lots of snacks. I made: spinach rolls, spinach-artichoke dip, hummus, peppermint bark, peppermint marshmallows, hot chocolate and had a lot of pita, celery and carrots and tortilla chips. Some of the guests also brought snacks so we had more than enough.
- Have tons of beverages on hand, we drank way more than we expected.
- Have a table set up to put all of the arriving cookies on. Even with just 5 of us swapping, we filled a whole table with plates and tins.
- Have everyone package their cookies on plates or in tins at home so they are ready to go.
- Have everyone bring a copy of the recipe they used to go along with the cookies.
- Try to be prepared. I made everything we served ahead of time. I even had cut the carrot and celery up and had it in water in the refrigerator. The day of the event, all I had to do was heat up the dip, roll up the spinach rolls (they baked at the same time/temperature) and set out the food.
- Have fun!
Such fun – will have to get organized a plan one for next year!
Looks like you had a good one. You cookies are adorable.
We participated in our first cookie swap this year, it was loads of fun!
Sounds like everyone had a good time. I’m going to have to remember your tips. Perhaps next year…
Happy Holidays and New Year!
Best,
Paz
My cookie swap included non-bakers who were allowed to bring cookies that were purchased from local bakeries. The gals who baked their cookies were just as pleased with those bought. We also had homemade candy as part of the swap. Yummy fudge and barks were a big hit.