Tips from a Seasoned Cookie Exchanger

Our house has been doing a cookie exchange long before it was popular.  We've done it in huge groups of nearly a hundred and small groups of under 10.  I thought I'd share some tips.

• Check to see if anyone has allergies and how best to notify them not to eat a certain cookie.  For instance, it they can't have nuts, tell exchangers to either avoid making cookies with nuts or indicate whether there are nuts in their cookie.
• Ask your exchangers to try making homemade cookies.  It makes the exchange more interesting and unique.
• If some exchangers can't make homemade - don't sweat it, no reason to get upset.  It'll spoil the fun.
• Layout cookies on a long table.  The spread looks impressive.  We had an exchange at a school once and laid out the cookies down the hallway.
• In small groups, have everyone one at least one cookie for each member exchanging.  When you have under 10 people.  My minimum is a dozen.

Leftover from this weekend's cookie exchange

In large groups: 

• It's not unreasonable to ask to make 2 dozen cookies - I've even made 3 dozen in one exchange.  Not everyone will get a sample of each cookie but there are enough cookies for everyone to choose from.
• Set a number of cookies that each exchanger may take.  If they brought a dozen have them take a dozen cookies.  Then if there are cookies left over, they can take more.  This also allows for everyone to have their pick of the cookies.
• If you are dealing with kids, have the kids go in shifts, random number/animal/letter from a hat when they hand in their cookies.  You can have 10 rabbits in a group and announce that it's the rabbit group turn to pick out cookies.

All in all, I've never been to a cookie exchange where the exchangers didn't behave nor didn't have a good time.  Of course, next year my kids wants to do a cupcake exchange.  :)  Happy holidays!