Christmas Cookie Exchange
The holiday season is the perfect time to gather friends and family for a cozy, sweet-filled celebration. And what better way to share the joy (and deliciousness!) of the season than with a Christmas Cookie Exchange party?
Not only does a cookie exchange bring people together, but it also lets everyone showcase their favorite & possibly famous Christmas cookie recipes. Here’s everything you need to know to host a beautiful, memorable cookie exchange — with custom touches that make it truly unique and budget-friendly!
Create a Custom Christmas Life Logo Design for Your Party
Every great party starts with a theme, and for a Christmas Cookie Exchange, a personalized Christmas Life Logo design can set the tone for the entire event. A custom Life Logo adds a special flair that makes your party feel cohesive and thoughtfully planned. You can use this logo across various elements of your party, from invitations to decor, tying everything together with a festive and personalized touch.
How to Use Your Custom Christmas Logo:
Invitations : Send out invitations with your Christmas Life Logo to set the stage for the theme. Let your guests know that they’re invited to bring a batch of their favorite homemade Christmas cookies.
Recipe Cards : Include a cute, coordinated recipe card with the invitation. This allows guests to write down their recipe to share with others — the perfect keepsake for cookie lovers!
Decorations : Turn the elements from your Christmas Life Logo design into a pattern that can be used as tray liners, table runners, napkins, and more!
Elevate Your Decor with Simple Display Ideas
Once your guests arrive, you’ll want to display their cookie creations in a way that’s both visually appealing and functional. A great way to do this is by arranging trays of different sizes and heights to create a dynamic setup. The layered look not only allows each person’s cookies to stand out, but it also makes it easier for everyone to sample and enjoy the spread.
Tips for Your Cookie Display:
Use Cake Stands and Trays of Different Heights : Elevating some trays gives the table a beautiful, varied look. Try placing trays on upturned bowls or cake stands to add height without extra expense.
Add Seasonal Decor : Scatter a few ornaments, table top Christmas trees, nutcrackers and gingerbread men.
Personalized Labels : Use your Christmas Life Logo to create custom labels for each batch of cookies. This adds a personal touch and helps everyone know who brought each batch of treats.
Send Guests Home with Sweet Memories
One of the best parts of a cookie exchange is taking home a variety of treats to enjoy after the party! Set up a small station with boxes or bags for guests to pack up leftovers. Adding custom tags featuring your Christmas Life Logo to these take-home boxes creates a polished look, so your guests leave with both cookies and fond memories of the party.
Take-Home Tips:
Cookie Boxes with Tags : Prep boxes ahead of time and attach a custom tag with your Christmas logo. You can also include a festive ribbon to tie it all together.
Extra Recipe Cards : Place blank recipe cards on the take-home table, so guests can write down new favorites they discovered during the exchange!
Watson Family Sugar Cookie Recipe
I cannot take credit for creating this recipe but I have altered it slightly for a few reasons. I do not love when sugar cookies have the almond taste so I have eliminated that ingredient.
If you want to check out the original recipe you can visit it here (Southern Living Vanilla Bean Dough Recipe)
Vanilla Bean Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring
- 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat powdered sugar, butter, and granulated sugar with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed just until combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-low; beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Beat in egg, and vanilla flavoring, until combined, 15 to 30 seconds.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat just until dough comes together, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
- Divide dough in half; shape each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days before using.
- Roll half of Vanilla Bean Dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to 1/4-inch thickness. Remove top piece of parchment paper. Cut dough using a lightly floured 4-inch snowflake cookie cutter; do not remove scraps. Transfer dough on parchment paper to a baking sheet, and freeze until firm, about 5 minutes. Place cut dough shapes at least 3/4 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Reroll, cut, and chill dough scraps as needed. Repeat process with remaining dough half.
- Bake in preheated oven, 1 pan at a time, until edges are set, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes; transfer cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
Once the cookies are baked & ready to decorate you can use either royal icing or buttercream icing to decorate with!
Conclusion
A Christmas Cookie Exchange is all about connection and creativity, and these simple, custom details can make your party feel special without breaking the bank. From the Christmas Life Logo design to the layered tray displays and personalized take-home tags, each element adds a thoughtful, unique touch. So gather your best cookie recipes, invite friends and family, and get ready to celebrate the season in the sweetest way possible!
Happy hosting, and Merry Christmas to all!