Christmas: Baking & Sending Cookies
Source of Recipe
Grandpoohbah
Recipe Introduction
12 Days of Christmas Baking Tips/2002 . . . Day 2
Recipe Link: messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-fdcooking&msg=3823.1
Make-Your-Own Cookie Sprinkles
Instead of buying expensive colored sugar, just pour granulated sugar into a bowl and then add several drops of food coloring and mix well. Keep stirring until it's all blended. You can easily create the colors your kids will love.
Cookie Sheets and Parchment Paper: Preventing the "flat cookie" syndrome.
Air cushion baking sheets are quickly becoming a must for baking cookies. Dual layered sheets allow air to better circulate under the cookie-baking surface. This reduces hotspots and results in perfect cookies all across the sheet not just in the middle.
There are some issues to note when using these sheets. Although you get consistent heat throughout the sheet you might not get hot enough heat. This would cause refrigerated cookies to cook a little slower and thus spread out. Drop cookies may not get as crisp as you would like around the edges. This makes it important to know your oven and its heating quirks. You may want to run your oven a few degrees hotter when using these sheets, but give them a first run at the temperature indicated in the recipe. Then adjust if necessary.
Parchment Paper, non-stick liner or baking parchment? Call it what you will but the results are the same - great cookies with easy clean up! This paper is coated on each side, usually with silicone, and comes on a roll like wax paper. Just tear off a strip of parchment and place it on the baking sheet. Your baked cookies will lift off the parchment with ease. Also, you can reuse a sheet several times when you are making multiple batches of cookies. The best part is you have no greasy, charred dough-encrusted baking sheet to scrub. This leaves more time to eat those scrumptious cookies!
Everyone loves to receive packages in the mail, especially the edible variety. Make sure you get cheers, not jeers, when you mail your elegant eatables.
No, no, no! Certain cookies tend to ship better than others do. We recommend that you do not mail cookies with custard or custard-like fillings or toppings, including Cheesecake Bars or Nanaimo bars. The custard could spoil, making a very unwelcome gift. For that matter, any cookie that requires refrigeration is not a good candidate for the mail. Another type of cookie that doesn't hold up well for mailing is one with a delicate, cake-like texture such as Madeleines. And now, on to the kinds of cookies that loved to be mailed all over the world.
Yes, yes, yes! Cookies that have a crunchy or hard texture such as Biscotti, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Crisps, Springerele, and Shortbreads make excellent choices for mail delivery. They tend to be fairly sturdy, so you don't have to worry too much about breakage. And since they already have a fairly dry texture, drying out isn't much of an issue.
Cookies that have a slightly chewy texture, like Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal-Raisin, Snickerdoodles, and White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies also ship well. These cookies will tend to dry out if they are in the mail for more than a week, so if their destination is a long way off, you might want to ship them by express to ensure that they arrive just as tasty as when they left.
Macaroons and Pignoli mail beautifully. Their chewy, moist textures only seem to improve after they've aged a few days. Who wouldn't want to receive a single, perfect chocolate-dipped coconut macaroon as a special treat? Dense bar cookies such as Fudge Brownies, Blondies, or Peanut Butter Bars are delightful to receive in the mail. Just be sure to individually wrap each one with plastic wrap to keep that moist, gooey, dense texture from drying out.
Good things come in secure packages Once you've baked and cooled your cookies, you're ready for the next step: packing them.
There are a few guidelines you should follow when it comes to preparing cookies to be mailed. Follow these and your special packages should arrive fresh, in one piece, and great tasting.
Don't pack crisp and soft cookies together. The moisture from the soft cookies will seep into the crisp cookies, making them lose their delightful crunch.
Don't overstuff your container. Your cookies may be damaged. Likewise, don't under-pack your container. The cookies should fit snugly. If you have too much space, crumple up a bit of tissue paper to fill the holes.
Pack cookies in a sturdy tin or airtight container. On the bottom of the container place a piece of bubble wrap, then line the container with parchment paper or cellophane, leaving enough to tuck over the top once the container is fully packed. Place one layer of cookies in the container. Cover with parchment paper. Arrange another layer of cookies, followed with more parchment paper, and continue this layering until the container is full. Tuck the cellophane or parchment paper over the top, then place another piece of bubble wrap on top, and seal your container.
You now need to pack your tin or container in a heavy-duty cardboard box that's large enough to allow a two- to three-inch cushion between the tin and the wall of the outside box. Place a layer of shipping peanuts, air-popped popcorn, or crumpled paper on the bottom of your shipping box. Set your cookie tin on this bottom layer. Then fill in the sides and top with more shipping materials. Seal the shipping box with two-inch-wide shipping tape. Place a mailing label on the box, and you're ready to send those treats on their way. Rest assured you won't be seeing any "Return to Sender" messages coming your way!
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