Cookie suggestions for care package to a soldier?

[MellieKay]

Hello bakers,

I hope someone can help me. I'm looking for recipes of cookies that would ship well to a US Soldier who is in the desert. I read of a woman who makes a basic recipe for chocolate chip cookies, but replaces the chocolate chips with m&m's. I would think the m&m's would still melt though. It is the desert!

I've been considering sugar cookies. They last for a while, and are easy enough to make and tasty too.

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions? If so, they are greatly appreciated!

TIA!

 

[purrfectlydevine]

We are going to experiment with a vacuum food sealer because the soldier we will be sending to wants soft sugar cakes. I would think the M&M's would be ok because of the candy coating.

 

[QSis]

I dunno about vaccum-sealing soft cookies, purrfectlydevine. I tried it on some toll house cookies which I underbaked a little so they would remain soft and chewy, and the vacuum melded them all into a glob. When the recipient of my cookies cut the seal, the cookies did not separate well, and he had to break off chunks.

Now, maybe if you laid them all down in single layers before sealing, with space in between, that would work.

Lee

 

[shannon in KS]

A friend of mine's husband has had 2 "vacations" (as he calls them), and she used to pack them back to back with a circle or parchment or wax paper between. He never complained about them being stuck or mooshed together!

 

[Constance]

When I was in college, my mom used to mail me goodies wrapped in plastic wrap and packed in popcorn.
Here's grandma's recipe for oatmeal cookies...they are delicious and keep well.

Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/4 cups flour
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup nuts, chopped
1 cup raisins

Cream together shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients, saving raisins and nuts till last. Drop spoonfuls on sprayed baking sheet and bake in preheated 350 degree oven until lightly browned. Makes a big batch.

My Aunt Velma's Soft Puffy Sugar Cookie recipe is on here someplace. I'll see if I can find them.


Our family has a young man recently back from Iraq, safe and sound, but awfully skinny. I'm doing my best to fatten him up.

My motto is "Feed'em up and Love'em up"!

 

[Constance]

Here's the sugar cookie recipe...it's a winner.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forum...15007.html?highlight=soft+puffy+sugar+cookies

 

[mboski]

I have 2 nephews in Iraq and When shipping cookies - i save pringle cans and make the cookies the size to fit the container and stack them in the can. they have arrived in one piece. They also store better then metal container where they can heat up and melt them.

 

[MellieKay]

Wow! Thank you sooo much for all of your posts. I think I'm going to go for Sugar Cookies and the yummy Oatmeal Cookie recipe from Constance and her grandma. I'll definately be re-reading this when I'm ready to pack them.

Thank you again!! I better get to baking.

 

[purrfectlydevine]

Got my vacuum sealer today. The directions say to freeze soft foods before sealing so they keep their shape.

 

[MellieKay]

That's interesting. Did you try it yet?

 

[thumpershere2]

I found out by experience that you need to freeze soft foods before using the food saver.

 

[crewsk]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Here's my peanut butter cookies. We would send these to my cousin when he was in the Marines & they shipped very well. We would line a shoe box with bubble wrap, then wrap the cookies individualy in plastic wrap, & pack them in the box pretty tightly & top it off with a layer of bubble wrap.[/FONT]



[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Peanut Butter Cookies [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1 1/4C. flour
1/4teaspoon salt
1/4teaspoon baking soda
1/2C. butter or margarine, softened
1/2C. peanut butter
1/2C. granulated sugar
1/2C. brown sugar
1 egg
Combine flour, salt, & baking soda, & set aside. In large mixing bowl, mix butter & peanut butter until well blended ; add granulated & brown sugar, mixing well, & beat in egg. Stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture until well blended. Drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet; flatten with a fork, & sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake at 375 deg. for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
[/FONT]

 

[Gerrycooks]

What about sending rice crispy treats? They seem to be indestructable.

 

[mudbug]

I would think 7-layer cookies also travel well. Good for those of you doing this.

 

[MellieKay]

Thanks for the Peanut Butter Cookie recipe (looks really yummy!) and all of the other ideas!

I thought about Rice Krispy treats too. How do you think the marshmallow would survive the heat? I don't have a lot of experience with marshmallows, so I'm clueless!

 

[purrfectlydevine]

I think we're baking this weekend, so I'll have to let you know.

 

[Constance]

My daughter used to make peanut butter Rice Krispi Treats, and they were delicious.
I'm afraid they would melt and get all gooey in that heat, though. My step-grandson, recently back from Iraq, talked about temperatures of 130 degrees.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I was a sailor for ten years and served aboard 2 seperate aircraft carriers. I received care packages from my wife. I usually gave the cookies away. The things I hoarded for myself were the peperoni sticks (usually 2 of them), and the Cadbury Candy bars, Caramello (my all time favorite), Fruit & Nut, and Milk Chocolate. I couldn't get them aboard ship. I could get cookies from the mess deck if I so desired them. Send something he loves, like well aged cheese, or his favorite candy bars, or something unique to him. Of course, if there is a special cookie that he just loves, by all means, securely wrap, and then imobilize them in packing material. My wife used to use the cheap already popped popcorn that comes in large plastic bags. It makes excellent protection against damage. But it has to fill the box completely, and surround everything.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North