Want a cookie tray with variety, but don't want to spend weeks baking? A cookie swap might be the way to go.

1. Invite guests at least two weeks in advance. Keeping the guest list to a manageable size -- say, 10 to 12 people -- will let participants take home a nice selection of cookies without forcing them to slave over the oven for days to make their own contribution. Set a definite beginning and end time for the party to help people manage their schedules during this particularly hectic period.

2. After guests respond -- and tell you what they'd like to bring, so you can avoid duplicates -- ask each participant to bring at least a half-dozen cookies for each person who will attend, plus an additional dozen for sampling at the party. For a party with 10 guests, for instance, each guest should bring at least 6 dozen cookies.

Also, ask each guest to bring a recipe card (with the recipe written on it, of course) for every other guest, so all the guests can add to their recipe collection. This also is important to protect guests who have a food allergy and can't eat certain foods such as nuts.

3. Be sure to remind guests to bring enough empty containers to transport several dozen cookies back home. They can't necessarily use the same containers they used to bring their contribution, because they will need empty containers to fill while the cookies they brought are still being collected by other guests. It's helpful to have extra containers and packing materials such as foil and plastic wrap available for guests who forget.

4. At the party, be sure to provide napkins for sampling, as well as a selection of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juices and bottled water.

5. Display the cookies together in a prominent place as they arrive and consider asking each guest to say where his or her cookie recipe came from and why he or she chose to bring it -- you're likely to unearth great details about your friends' ethnic traditions and family histories along the way.