You put oodles of time and love into making decorated cookies for friends, family or children, send the cookies on their merry way via snail mail, only to have them arrive in a broken mess!
Has this ever happened to you?
I don’t have a picture of the ruins to share with you, but it has unfortunately happened to me. The recipient didn’t mind – she had some sweet morsels to snack on, but I’m sure you’d agree – I’d rather the cookies all arrive in one piece!
That’s where the cute new book, Cookie Craft Christmas
, comes in. Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer have yet again written an inspiring and comprehensive book to help you create impressive cookies.
I’ve written about their first book
before because it’s one of my favorite *go-to’s* when I have a cookie question. Although this one is small, don’t be decieved by the size – it’s packed with adorable Christmas ideas and practical advice.
Some of the beneficial information includes a tested and successful way of sending decorated cookies in the mail. I’ve been given permission to share Valerie and Janice’s advice here with you. I’m going to follow their written instructions and use my own pictures:
Shipping Decorated Cookies
We’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like getting a box of delicious decorated cookies in the mail. Here’s what we’ve learned about how to minimize breakage when we send our cookies out into the world.
1. Choose sturdy shapes with a minimum of thin appendages to reduce the danger of your cookies breaking en route.
2. Use tins to keep cookies fresh and help protect them.
3. Make sure there’s plenty of packing material inside the cookie tin:
a. Place a layer of crumpled waxed paper on the bottom of the tin.
b. Place another sheet of waxed paper in the tin, as if you were putting tissue paper in a gift box, but instead of making it neat, crumple it to fit against the sides of the tin.
c. Add your first layer of cookies. If you haven’t individually wrapped them, fold each one in a small piece of waxed paper to keep them from jostling. Add small, crumpled pieces of waxed paper to any pockets of space to prevent cookie movement.
d. Place another crumpled piece of paper on top of the packaged cookies, and then add another layer of cookies. Repeat until the tin is nearly full. Make sure the cookies lie flat and apart from each other and leave at least 3/4 inch between the top layer of cookies and the top of the tin; add a fat top layer of protective padding (such as bubble cushioning or more crumpled waxed paper).
e. Cover with the lid and gently shake the tin. If you feel no movement, shake it a little harder. If you feel movement, add more padding and do the “shake” test again until you feel no movement inside the tin.
f. Attach your gift note to the top of the tin. Don’t forget!
4. Make sure there’s plenty of packing material between the tin and the box:
a. Choose a box that allows at least 2 to 3 inches of space around the tin on all sides and above and below.
b. Pad the bottom of the box with a healthy layer of packing peanuts, packing paper, or bubble cushioning.
c. Place the cookie tin in the box, and thoroughly pad the space between the tin and the sides of the box.
d. Pad the top tightly and close the box. Shake the package gently. If you feel no movement, shake it a little harder. If you feel movement, open the box and add more padding where needed, then close and seal the box, and ship.
Note: To help the environment, we reuse our packing materials — especially the nonrecyclable ones.
*Reprinted with permission from Cookie Craft Christmas, published by Storey Publishing, LLC., October 2009. Thank you to Michelle Blackley and Kevin Kennefick for providing the excerpt.
Now for the giveaway! CONTEST CLOSED
If you’d like the chance to win a copy of Valerie and Janice’s book, Cookie Craft Christmas, 
leave a comment below naming one of your favorite foods to eat at this time of the year.
Another way of entering the draw is to retweet this post on twitter. Tweets will be added to the draw! (One per twitter user please).
The draw will be held in a few days; on Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009, at 10pm EST.
Good luck!
xo,
Marian
p.s. Wouldn’t the box below be adorable to fill with cookies and give as a gift?! I found it at the Hallmark store yesterday and will be hand delivering that one. (I’m thinking you could fold the tops down and send it too though).
My Mom’s homemade German Stollen is my favorite foor to eat this time of year!
those are so cute.. my friend and i are actually making cookies to send to our friend in california tomorrow night! so what a perfect time to read all this!
my favorite thing to eat this time of year is probably home made cheese ball! but on the sweet side.. i love me some toffee! mmm!
Apparently it is cookies…
Note to self…don’t partake in an 8 dozen cookie swap next year … GROAN 🙂
I love my friend’s famous oreo cookie balls… oreo cookies and cream cheese blended together and dipped in almond bark. They are wonderful!!!
Love your blogg!
My favorite food is a typical for the swedish cristmas foos; pickled herring.
And of course all the sweets; fruitcake, gingerbread… The list can be long!
Merry Christmas!
Karin
My favorite at this time of the year of course are those cute decorated gingerbread cookies. Just by looking at it one can almost smell the magical Christmas aroma. 🙂
I love to eat my families traditional Christmas dessert. Cinnamon and sugar empanadas. yummm.
My favorite this time of year is the fudge roll. It’s a classic in these parts (high Italian population).
I just googled fudge roll and couldn’t find it, it must be something just around here!
It’s not the holiday season without Hard Apple Spiced Cider, Peppermint Bark and gingerbread cookies!
I like at this time of the year the most hot chestnuts. On all the christmas markest it’s a must to have hot spiced wine and hot chestnuts 🙂
I love all foods for this time of year! Warm foods like stews and soups, and of course the sweets like gingerbread and anything chocolate and mint 🙂
Thanks for sharing these tips! I love the gingerbread box!
I am seriously IN-LOVE with peppermint bark! I just made the most deliciously peppermint bark brownies last night! 🙂 PS I love your gingerbread cookies-too cute!
S’mores ! We usually have bbq during festive seasons and s’mores are my fave!
My homemade cinnamon rolls!
Oh my gosh I love rum cake!!! With tons of nuts in the batter!!! I too love peppermint bark!
Your cookies are always so adorable!! I have “Cookie Craft” and refer to it often and I’m thrilled that they have a Christmas version out. Ooooohhh what fun!
My favorite Christmas cookies are decorated sugar cookies (duh!) and fudge. 🙂
Merry Christmas to you!
This time of year I like eating anything with gingerbread or peppermint flavors, especially cookies!
Forgotten Cookies. We’ve had these every Christmas since we were kids. My Aunt Jo was a school teacher, and her best friend (also a teacher) always gave her these “cookies” for Christmas. Aunt Jo, of course, would share with us all. Thankfully, the friend was willing to share the recipe. My Aunt Jo passed away 11 years ago, and I think of her especially at Christmas when I make these cookies.
Thanks for the ideas! I’ve been wanting to send some of my far-away friends cookies and such, but never have because I figured they’d all be broken by the time they got there. 🙁 Now, I’ll definitely try. 🙂
Anyway, I’d have to say my favorite “Christmas” food is my Memere’s chicken and dumplings. She always made it for us on Christmas Eve, but now that she’s gone, my brother has taken over the tradition. 🙂
You truly inspire me, Sweetopia! I am hoping to one day start a cookie business so I love to visit your site for new ideas and tips.
My favorite Christmas treat is pizzelles, the italian anise-flavored cookie. I always have fond memories of childhood when I eat these…
Oh, those cookies are absolutely PRECIOUS. I love them.
Also, my favorite thing to eat during this season is my moms famous Crescent Cookies. Gosh, I love them.
anything with pumpkin! ;0)
i tweeted:
“@MamaSkates giveaway on Sweetopia https://www.sweetopia.net/2009/12/how-to-ship-decorated-cookies-and-cookie-craft-giveaway/“
This time of year I cannot get enough of my family’s home made breads and nut rolls. I can’t decide if it’s the tradition or if it’s the yummy taste. It brings a smile to my face, heart and tummy to be with the family and eat all the goodies 🙂
I live on hot chocolate and cookies this time of year. Thanks to all of your tips, my cookies are looking much better these days, which makes them even more fun to eat.
I love hot, spiced cider and buckeye candies. (Not necessarily together.) Happy holidays!
Oh, I just love holiday treats! This year, I’m loving sugar cookies most of all! They’re just the perfect little sweet treats! YUM. I love coming here to get amazing ideas, tips, and tricks!
Cookies, cookies and more cookies. I can’t get enough of them this time of year. And, something about the holidays makes it okay to forget the diet for a while and indulge.
My favorite is a peppermint cookie that has a hershey kiss in the middle! Its absolutely delicious! Anything with a little peppermint extract can be yummy!
But really any cookie is great! The good ol decorated sugar cookie is the prettiest!
I love to make coconut balls and homemade marshmallows. I also always make gingerbread cookies!
I love our peanut butter balls and I always make spinach artichoke dip for Christmas Eve. Yum!
Your cookies are so nice. I love the butter tarts.. yum!
Since it’s so hot here I love icecreams and fruit desserts for Christmas. Loved your cookies!
Gingerbread … hands down. I am completely addicted this year!
My favorite is just a regular old fashioned sugar cookie, I prefer my granny’s recipe with nutmeg in it. That is Christmas to me!
Michelle
I really love ‘speculaas’ the soft version with almonds. Speculaas is a local speciality and is related to your gingerbread.
One of my favorite things to eat this time of yr is Gingersnaps. Also homemade choc.chip cookies with hot chocolate on a cold day. I also love pecan pie.
favorite foods? chocolate……. anything….. oh wait maybe my mom’s ham!!
All the sweets! I love cookies and breads and anything with sugar 😉
hmm..my favorite holiday food would have to be the chocolate chip cookies my brother and I make. we make them every year. its tradition lol.
My favorite is buckeyes – chocolate covered peanut butter balls.
Gingerbread cookies…they taste like Christmas!
Ham is the best! So good!
There’s a long list, but I definitely love fruit cakes a lot!
Desserts are the best. My two daughters bake non-stop especially when they are off from school.
I’ve always liked yule logs. I’m going to try making it for the first time this year. Exciting!
Cookies, for sure! Especially decorated cookies actually. Thanks for the giveaway! It looks like a really good book.
I also tweeted!
http://twitter.com/corynnchan/status/6917982145