DENVER — The gift-giving holidays are upon us, and with that comes the annual stress of what to buy everyone. This year, my household decided to send off several batches of baked cookies from Colorado all the way to our family in Georgia.
Here are some tips on mailing baked cookies.
>> Video above: Learn to bake gingerbread cookies this holiday season
Types of cookies to ship
Not all cookies are created equal, for shipping at least. Stay away from cookies that have custard toppings, fillings, or that are cake-like in texture.
Cookies that ship well either have a hard or crunchy texture (like a shortbread), are slightly chewy (like a snickerdoodle), or are dense (like a peanut butter bar).
Here are some, but not all, of the best cookies for shipping, with recipes linked:
Make sure the royal icing is completely set before packaging decorated sugar cookies or gingerbread cookies, or the design might get squished.
Wrapping the cookies
Make sure the cookies are completely cooled. Take two cookies max and place them back to back. Wrap them with plastic wrap. Continue until all the cookies are wrapped.
Wrapping them this way keeps them solid and safe. Be mindful not to pack crispy and soft cookies together.
Packaging for shipping
To keep the cookies safe during shipping, buy a sturdy airtight or tin container for the cookies, and something to fill the box, like bubble wrap or packing peanuts. If there are layers of cookies, it's recommended to place something thin in between, like parchment or cardboard.
Do not overstuff the cookie tin.
Place bubble wrap on the bottom of the shipping box with packing peanuts, then place the tin full of baked goods into the shipping box. Put more bubble wrap on top and fill the rest with packing peanuts.
Take the box and give it a shake. If there is movement, add more cushion.
Seal the box with heavy-duty packing tape, and make sure the box is clearly labeled with its "to" and "from" address. Be sure to add a note with these details inside, in case it gets lost.
Now the cookies are ready to be sent off to their destination.
To maximize the freshness of the cookies, try to ship early enough that they don't stay in the air for more than five days.
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