You can simplify your holiday baking yet still enjoy a scrumptious variety of treats by hosting a holiday cookie swap with your group of family and friends. Bonus: extra time with your inner circle of friends! Here’s what you need to know, from sending your invites to setting up your home for hosting this sweet soiree.

The Who

While cookie exchange parties can vary from large to small, depending on your inner circle and space for hosting, you’ll want to plan on enough attendees to provide a variety of treats to sample and take home. Six to twelve guests typically make a large enough party to get a nice selection of cookies, while still being manageable to host.

Invite your guests two to four weeks ahead of the party date, to give people ample time to prepare for your party during the busy holiday season.

The What

Ask each person to bring enough cookies to share, so that everyone can sample treats and take an assortment home. If you are hosting a smaller crowd, you can ask guests to bring a dozen cookies for each guest, plus an extra dozen for sampling during the party. If you plan on a larger party, ask guests to bring a half dozen of each cookie for each attendee to take home.

Each guest should also bring copies of their recipe to share, so everyone leaves with new ideas as well as treats. As the host, you can provide drinks, such as coffee, tea and cider, and some savory snacks to mix in with the sweet treats, along with your favorite cookie for the exchange. You’ll also want to provide labels that each guest can fill out with the name of their cookie, and a package for each guest to collect their treats and take home. A large tinfoil tray or a holiday themed plastic container (or several) works well for collecting cookies.

An optional idea is to let guests vote on their favorite cookie and provide a prize for the owner of the winning recipe.

The Where

While you can host guests in your living room or other living space in your home, it’s often easiest to set up the cookie exchange in your dining area. You’ll need a space for snacks and the trays of cookies dedicated for sampling during the party. A kitchen island or even a counter work great for these items. You can then have everyone place their assortment of cookies for the exchange on your dining room table, allowing people to make their way around the table and collect their cookies to take home. If you have an extension table, make sure to put in the table leafs to provide as much space as possible to display treats.

Decorate the space where you’ll be hosting guests ahead of time to help spread some holiday cheer. Hang a wreath and focus on decorating a few key areas, such as your mantle and shelves. A tabletop tree also makes a great centerpiece for your table.

The When

Choose a date that works for you and as many guests as you can accommodate between work and travel schedules. By hosting about a week before Christmas, you can have treats that will last through your celebrations, yet won’t interfere with many travel plans or family celebrations.

The Why

An obvious advantage of a cookie swap is cutting down on the amount, or at least variety, of cookies you have to bake for your family to enjoy, or even to package up and hand out as gifts. It’s all about less stress for the holidays. Plus, it’s a time to enjoy a few hours with your circle of friends. Keep things simple (hey, bringing store bought cookies to the exchange is just fine!), and focus on catching up with friends and family during the busy holiday season.