Host a Holiday Cookie Exchange with a Twist: Open House in Nov, Swap in Dec!

[Jenni]

I was thinking about hosting an open house for the holidays... Invite everyone the first week of Nov make stuff out of the new holiday cook book, hopefully people will order. Then everyone who is interested that attended the open house signs up to meet back up the first week of Dec to do a cookie swap. They will have already gotten there new tools they ordered at the open house. The second party will not be a selling party just a good time... with a few giveaways and good food.
Anyone ever done anything that included a cookie swap?

 

[floccies]

I haven't done one -- but it sounds like a great idea.

The second party shouldn't be viewed as "no sales". View as "Christmas shopping the easy way".

 

[christinaspc]

I had done a cookie swap before as my show and made different cookies and it went well I am thinking that it would go over fine. Best luck people enjoy it too. I just looked in the files for "cookie exchange" and there are some good files there. That might help you.

 

[pampcheflisa]

My neighborhood does a cookie exchange every year and it's a BLAST!!! In fact, I can't decide this year if I am going to do the new Peppermint Fudge cookie sandwiches or one of the new "treats" from the holiday cookbook. The one we do is not really PC-related though, just the neighborhood, but I always do a PC recipe!!!

Great idea!!!

 

[raebates]

My friends and I have done a cookie exchange for years. Here's how we do ours:Each person brings a dozen cookies for everyone coming, i.e. if there are 12 in attendance, everyone brings 12 dozen cookies. Each dozen is wrapped separately for easy transport, so everyone takes home a dozen of each kind. The last dozen of each (you don't need one for yourself) is opened for all of us to share. We have something available to drink (usually one hot drink and one cold drink). We sometimes play holiday word games. We usually have a white elephant exchange.It's a lot of fun. I'm thinking of doing the Peppermint Fudge Sandwich Cookies this year. They're just so easy and they're a big hit.

 

[Jenni]

My friends and I have done a cookie exchange for years. Here's how we do ours:

Each person brings a dozen cookies for everyone coming, i.e. if there are 12 in attendance, everyone brings 12 dozen cookies. Each dozen is wrapped separately for easy transport, so everyone takes home a dozen of each kind. The last dozen of each (you don't need one for yourself) is opened for all of us to share. We have something available to drink (usually one hot drink and one cold drink). We sometimes play holiday word games. We usually have a white elephant exchange.

It's a lot of fun. I'm thinking of doing the Peppermint Fudge Sandwich Cookies this year. They're just so easy and they're a big hit.

What I want cookies...lol :love:

 

[raebates]

Don't worry, you get a dozen of everyone else's cookies. If you're like me, you have another dozen or two of your own left at home.

 

[Jenni]

lol... I'm slow :indif: I thought you were saying for me to give all my 12 dozen up! You were suggesting I bake a little extra to serve. Duhhhh

 

[pampchefsarah]

lol... I'm slow :indif: I thought you were saying for me to give all my 12 dozen up! You were suggesting I bake a little extra to serve. Duhhhh

I think I get it. You're making a dozen per attendee, so if you make 12 dozen, you made one for yourself as well - which would be true of each person. But, each person wouldn't need a dozen of their own, so you'll have 12 dozen cookies sitting there to snack on. Each person would take home 11 dozen (based on an attendance of 12).

Sarah

 

[Jenni]

I think I get it. You're making a dozen per attendee, so if you make 12 dozen, you made one for yourself as well - which would be true of each person. But, each person wouldn't need a dozen of their own, so you'll have 12 dozen cookies sitting there to snack on. Each person would take home 11 dozen (based on an attendance of 12).

Sarah

Sarah... thank you for explaining that. Man do I feel slow... duh

 

[pampcheflisa]

We do ours the same, but instead of doing a dozen per person attending, we group ours in 4's, so each baggie will have 4 cookies rather than a dozen. We also include a copy of the recipe, so that everyone gets to take home the recipe and a sample of the cookies. Last year, we had about 17 people there, so I am not sure I could have handled making 17 dozen cookies!! But, I made 6 dozen and that was managable!!

 

[cwinter474]

http://www.chefsuccess.com/attachments/f20/9584-cookie-show-invitation-cookie-exchange-dec-2007.doc


Found this in the "Files" It works well. I've made one on VistaPrint, but am having issues posting pictures today. Will post it ASAP

Thanks

 

[Jenni]

http://www.chefsuccess.com/attachments/f20/9584-cookie-show-invitation-cookie-exchange-dec-2007.doc


Found this in the "Files" It works well. I've made one on VistaPrint, but am having issues posting pictures today. Will post it ASAP

Thanks

Cute snowflakes.. thanks for sharing!

 

[raebates]

You figured it out, Sarah. It always takes us a few minutes to explain it to newbies. LOL!The packages of 4 wouldn't work for us. We all use the cookies for entertaining over the next few days.

 

[Jenni]

You figured it out, Sarah. It always takes us a few minutes to explain it to newbies. LOL!

The packages of 4 wouldn't work for us. We all use the cookies for entertaining over the next few days.

Four wouldn't be enough for me either. I wrap them up pretty and gift them to coworkers, neighbors,and teachers... and so on!

 

[raebates]

A few times we've had people who wanted to contribute but didn't want to take oodles of cookies home to tempt them or a family member. Those times we put together care packages for a few local shut-ins, then took the rest to an assisted living facility.