Mailing Treats
Sending or giving away cookies, squares or other treats is a good way to share your holiday traditions or treat someone special. We have some tips to help your treats arrive safely and look good. Make and package them early enough, especially if they are going by mail.
A sturdy cardboard box, heavy plastic container or metal tin with lid is ideal for packaging. Line with foil or plastic wrap to make it food safe. Place a cushioning layer of crumpled wax paper, bubble wrap, popped popcorn or styrofoam chips on the bottom.
Follow instructions below and then fill open spaces in corners, along top and edges with more cushioning so there is no movement inside the box.
Attach the lid securely. Overwrap the box with an outer paper or gift wrap layer and tape all edges securely. Do not use gift wrap as the outer layer if sending by mail.
If mailing, print the mailing and return address on box. Check at your post office how to mark the package as “Fragile” and what level of service you should use to ensure the treats arrive as fresh as possible.
You may want to let the gift receiver know that there is food in the package so it can be kept away from hot areas, small children and pets.
Try These:
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EasySprinkle Ring Cookies
These cookies are not only fun to eat, but fun to make. With their rainbow sprinkles you can’t help but smile as you enjoy every bite down to the last crumb.
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EasyAlmond Toffee Squares
These tasty no-bake squares are shockingly simple, you won’t believe how effortless they are to make. Graham wafers serve as a base for a quick toffee, melted chocolate and slivered almonds — it doesn’t get any easier!
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Cookies
- Choose firm crisp cookies like gingersnaps or thicker sugar cookies. Fragile tender cookies will tend to break and crumble. Soft cookies will go stale or crumble and may mould.
- Soft frosting on cookies will not still look inviting; a glaze or royal icing that hardens or decorative sugars are better choices.
- Wrap two cookies at a time, bottoms together in wax paper or plastic wrap. Place wrapped cookies, standing sideways, in a layer. Place a cushioning layer on top and another layer of cookies; continue until box is filled. Be sure to have a cushioning layer on the top.
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Squares
- Squares are even easier to send by mail or package up. The very best way is to bake in disposable paper bakeware. You may need to adjust the baking pan size or use more than one to fit your recipe. Do not cut the squares and they will arrive picture perfect!
- If you bake and then put squares into another container, cut them to fit exactly in the other container with no room to move around.
- Do not choose squares with perishable parts, such as cream cheese icing. Do not use a recipe that needs to be kept refrigerated for safety or quality reasons.
- A shelf-stable icing can be used but may be squashed or smeared by the wrapping; a glaze that hardens would be a better choice. In some cases, like brownies, you can split the square into 2 layers and put a thin layer of a firm, non-perishable icing between the layers.
- Wrap with plastic wrap or a close-fitting freezer bag. If putting more than one layer of squares, or adding cookies on top, put a cushioning layer between them.