How to Send Cookies to a Friend
In recognition of a birthday, job promotion or other special event, friends can send a congratulatory batch of homemade or store-bought cookies. Rather than a simple tray of cookies, consider adding a little bit of decoration to the gift by turning the ordinary cookies into a bouquet of cookies decorated with icing or any other topping the recipient may enjoy. Make the cookies from a favorite sugar cookie recipe or add a little bit of extra flavor by using chocolate chip cookies or peanut butter cookies.
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Things You'll Need
- Cookie dough
- Thin wooden dowels
- Royal icing (or a soft icing)
- Cookie decorations (sprinkles, candies, coconut)
- Cellophane wrap
- ½-inch ribbon
- Plastic vase
- Styrofoam or floral foam
- Thick bubble wrapping
- Cardboard box
- Clear tape
Instructions
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Making the Cookies
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Prepare the batter for the cookies and then allow it to cool in the refrigerator for one to two hours. Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface when making sugar cookies. Use a single cookie cutter to cut shapes from the sugar cookie dough. When using a batter for a chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie bouquet, do not try to roll out the dough. Instead, form tablespoonfuls of cookie batter into a ball and flatten each ball out into a circular shape on a baking sheet.
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Insert a thin, heat-resistant wooden dowel into one end of each cookie so that it looks like a cookie lollipop. Bake the cookies according to the recipe's instructions and allow them to cool at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes, or until completely cool to the touch.
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Prepare some royal icing in two or three different bowls and add a different food coloring to each bowl. Mix in the food coloring until the preferred color is reached. You can also use store-bought cookie icing if you prefer.
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Spread a layer of the royal icing onto each cookie. Decorate the cookies with the royal icing right after preparing the icing because it will harden relatively quickly. For a softer icing, use bowls of tinted buttercream icing instead. Add other decorations to the cookies, such as sprinkles, candies and coconut, before the icing hardens.
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Wrap each cookie with a square of cellophane wrap. Tie the cellophane wrap closed with a ribbon that coordinates with the cookies' icing colors. Place the cookies into a nonbreakable vase stuffed with Styrofoam or floral foam or tie them all together with a large ribbon.
Sending the Cookies
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Place the cookie bouquet in the freezer for a few hours before shipping to help keep it cool during transport. Consider adding gel ice packs to the shipment to keep the cookies cool. Wrap the cookie bouquet in a thick, plastic bubble-wrap and tape the wrap closed.
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Place the bubble-wrap cookie bouquet in a sufficient size box. For a small vase, take the cookie bouquet to a postal service outlet to obtain a medium flat-rate box for purchase. Larger boxes are available for a larger cookie bouquet. Fill any empty spaces in the box with Styrofoam or newspaper. Secure the box closed tightly with a wide, clear tape.
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Fill out the shipping label and write "perishable" and "fragile" on the box. Verify with the postal service outlet that the item can be sent to the destination. Some countries have restrictions on mailing perishable goods.
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Send the cookies through an overnight delivery service so the recipient receives the parcel as quickly as possible. Priority two- to three-day service is also available for a lesser fee. It is best to send the package during the week, rather than the weekend, because most carrier services are offered only during the business week and will take longer to arrive at the recipient's address when shipped on the weekend.
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Add a special handling feature, if offered by the service you choose, to the mailing options so postal workers will take care when transporting and delivery the parcel. If the box also must be situated a certain way, write on the box "This end up" with an arrow pointing in the correct direction.
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References
- Cookie Recipes: How To Make Your Own Cookie Bouquets / Homemade Cookie Bouquets
- All Recipes: Cookie Bouquets
- Baking 911: Mail Baked Goods
- United States Postal Service: Back to School Mailing Tips from the Postal Service
- United States Postal Service: Special Handling
- UPS: The UPS Store Gives Tips on Shipping Your Favorite Treats
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
