Chocolate brownie crack cookies to die for - and how to ship a food gift.

Ok, I may have edited the name of the cookie but it got you reading this, didn't it?  They are actually called Chocolate brownie crackle cookies due to the lovely little cracks that form when the cookies rise and bake in the oven.


I found the recipe for these by searching for a dessert that can be easily packaged and shipped without spoiling or breaking, because I wanted to send something yummy to my friend, Tina while she studies for the bar exam.  The soft, chewy interior of the cookie makes it a good candidate.  And I found such a genius way to package and ship that I want to share with you!

I took an empty Trader Joe's coffee can and took a sheet of bubble wrap, cut it to the height of the can and wrapped the inside of the can with it.  I cut out a little circle of bubble wrap and placed it in the bottom.

Then, I cut a piece of parchment paper (one my favorite things on earth) and wrapped that layer on top of the bubble wrap.

Finally, I stacked about a dozen or so cookies in the narrow column left in the center of the can.  I placed another round of bubble wrap on top and sealed the can with the plastic top.  I am lucky that the cookies were just the right size for the center column that was formed in the can.

To ship it, I wrapped the outside of the can with more bubble wrap and placed in a box that was padded with scrunched up newspapers.  I should have taken pictures but hopefully you get the idea.  The great thing is that the can is very lightweight and doesn't add a lot more weight to the gift.

I am happy to say that Tina received the cookies and she and her family enjoyed them.  Not one was broken and the flavor was great.  They did very well over a three day journey from LA to Orlando.

Do you have a favorite treat to give and/or send as gifts?  Any other hints for packaging perishable food items?  If so, I'd love to hear about it here!  Feel free to share with my readers.

Chow for now! :)
http://www.chowfornowchef.com