Let it be your turn to throw the neighborhood Christmas party this year. Give your invitees time to respond before your special event. We want the party to be a success. The more invitations you give out, the more time you can spend in the kitchen cooking until the party starts. For a large holiday party you may wish to ask guests to bring something too and make it more of a potluck.

One of the key factors of a great party is the delicious food that keep people standing around for more! Food should complement the party - not be the primary attraction. Leave the best for last and save the desserts as the  delicious end of Christmas day.  

Before coming up with a dessert menu (yes, we'll have that many desserts!), you should know who will be at your Christmas party. Sweets are tempting but if you suffer from food allergies then you should eat with caution. For instance, a person with nut allergies needs to be cautious. Be wary of the fact that many desserts contain nuts or may have been processed in environments that contain nuts.

For allergic folks, omit the nuts and add some dried or fresh fruits to your desserts. It is rare for someone to have a chocolate allergy but it does occur. An entirely new menu might be necessary. So, hopefully no one will be allergic to anything except having a bad time.

The typical Christmas party desserts consist of: brownies, cupcakes, muffins, hard candy, chocolate candy, and cookie bars. Cookie bars are great because they can be turned into a lower fat confection if the situation calls for it. Lemon bars don't have a lot of fat and are light. Pumpkin bars are just as good for a Christmas party as it is for a Thanksgiving dinner.

Eggnog is a traditional Christmas drink. This drink is based on milk and can be used in Christmas desserts as well. Eggnog lovers should consider adding a cup to their cheesecake batter to produce eggnog-flavored cheesecake. Eggnog, in its original form, has eggs in it, but you can buy it with some of the ingredients left out if you have allergies or a special diet.

Consider the types of desserts you can please your friends and family with at the next party. There is room for cakes, cookies, pies, puddings, and sweet breads to be served and enjoyed. This is a great way to take advantage of a festive occasion to introduce people to new and interesting sweets, or to put a new twist on old favorites.