Woman Frenzy

Cookies, cookies, cookies! What a wonderful thing at Christmas time. I, for one, enjoy lots of different cookies, but never seem to have the time or effort to bake them all. Having a Cookie Exchange seemed like the perfect answer to my desire for variety.

Begin by thinking of the number of people you would like to attend and ask them to bring 1/2 dozen bagged or boxed cookies for each one invited. Have them bring extra so that you serve them with punch or any other beverage you choose.

Having a different setting for each Cookie Exchange you host, always is a nice surprise for your guests. A Victorian theme always is a big hit, using magnolias, roses and beads as decorations. One year my theme was all Santa, all the time. I used Santa everywhere and it made my guests feel like kids again. Use your imagination, it keeps the party interesting.

During our evening together, my guests always look forward to some games. I supply small, inexpensive gifts as prizes and everyone goes home with a prize. One of our favorite games is trying to figure out what the Christmas song title is by only having the first letter of each word available. An example would be, JB = Jingle Bells. It looks easy, but it can be challenging if your guests aren’t up on their Christmas music. Christmas BINGO and Christmas movie trivia are always a huge hit too.

Be sure to ask your guests to bring a copy of their cookie recipe with them. I gather these recipes and make a small Cookie Cookbook each year to give everyone. This can be especially challenging for those you purchase their cookies, but hey, it’s about the social aspect of the evening and not necessarily the cookies. Okay, it’s about the cookies too!

Have fun at your Cookie Exchange. Be sure to taste everyone’s cookie, because after all, that’s the reason for having the party. Gather a friend or relative to help with the planning and set-up, sharing the “work” makes this even more fun for you. Bake your cookies, bag your cookies and share your cookies, your work will be rewarded with multiple treats for you and your family.

Learn more about Christmas Cookie Exchanges. Stop by Marion Wilkinson’s site where you can find out all about new cookie recipes.