Help my cookies make it cross-country without crumbling!

July 12, 2006 1:04 PM

What's the best way to ship mostly semi-dry desserts like cookies, cakes, and brownies around the country? There's

I want to bake a friend some cookies for his birthday- chocolate chip cookies, to be precise, and probably some of Alton Brown's fudge brownies.

Only problem is- he lives in Oregon, I live in South Carolina. Plus, they're softer and more cake-like than standard chocolate chip cookies. (I think I added too much butter.)

What's the best way to package and ship these sweet treats so they get there intact and fresh?

posted by Glitter Ninja to food & drink (6 comments total)

In a sturdy box. Encase the cookies in plastic - a plastic bag works, but a rubbermaid / tupperware container is better. Put layers of wax paper between layers of cookies.
posted by jacquilynne at 1:20 PM on July 12, 2006

Friend of mine does this and he plastic wraps the cookies (ginger bread) to cardboard (that is, wraps them and the board around and around tightly in good kitchen plastic wrap) and then FedEx's them (in their standard boxes). They (about 2 doz) always arrive whole. For the soft ones, use a small box and attach that to cardboard and then into a shipping box. FedEx means they'll be there fresh.
posted by johngumbo at 1:22 PM on July 12, 2006

I have read that putting a slice of bread in the container keeps it fresh. Not sure why.
posted by necessitas at 1:47 PM on July 12, 2006

What worked for me (when I was living in PDX and mailing to Buffalo, NY) - If you can, get them out as soon as they're cool. Put them in plastic or wrap with wax/parchment paper, then pack them in a mailing box as though they were glass (tissue paper, bubblewrap, whatever) Make sure to pack it tight so that there is absolutely ~no~ movement (This way the cookies are ~much~ less likely to crumble).

Good luck! I bet they're delicious. :)
posted by Meep! Eek! at 2:09 PM on July 12, 2006

Tip from my mom: Ship them in a plastic container like others said, but wrap the entire wax-paper cookie bundle in paper towel. The towel wicks, holds, and releases moisture as needed, helping keep the cookies from getting soggy or drying out.

If they're too dry when your friend gets them, tell them to put a few slices of white bread with cookies in a sealed container.
posted by nathan_teske at 2:36 PM on July 12, 2006

The bread and the papertowel both serve similar purposes - to be regulate the hydration in the box and keep the cookies from drying out or getting soggy.

Generally, I've found neither of them very helpful in mailing things across country - the temperature and humidity ranges between the various sorting plants and modes of transport are simply too great. On the other hand, throwing a slice of apple in with too dry cookies once they get where they're going definitely helps.
posted by jacquilynne at 2:59 PM on July 12, 2006