Ready, Set, Swap!

Baking and socializing are two of our favorite holiday pursuits. But as the season progresses and schedules get squeezed, it becomes just a bit challenging (face it: downright daunting!) to play hostess. That’s why we love the cookie swap, an easy and rewarding way to combine baking, fun, and gift giving.

At a cookie swap, or exchange, you and each of your guests bake one kind of cookie—a classic, a family favorite, a holiday–themed treat, or a tempting new recipe—in quantities sufficient to share with everyone else. Each guest leaves the party with a dozen of each cookie offering, ready to share right away or to freeze and enjoy later in the season.

Baker's Profile

Sandra Ventura

This year marks the 24th consecutive holiday season that Sandra Ventura will open her Pico Rivera, California, home to friends and family for her famous cookie exchange. The coffee and conversation are always warm and inviting, but the guests will tell you it’s the competitive spirit that keeps them coming back.

In the News

Bake with America’s Best—Win a Bay Area Vacation!

Imagine taking a private baking class with a noted Italian chef and then enjoying a few days’ vacation in San Francisco after the busy holiday season.
You may be in luck! C&H Sugar and Land O’ Lakes have teamed up to sponsor a new sweepstakes, “Bake with America’s Best for the Holidays.” The winner will receive a trip for four to San Francisco, a private class with celebrity chef Nick Stellino, and $1,000 in spending money. The entry form is just a few clicks away, and you can enter once a week through the end of 2007. Official rules are on the Land O’Lakes website.