How to Mail Christmas Cookies: A Few Tips That May Come in Handy
Christmas cookies are a great gift for someone you love. One of the best things about them is that most holiday cookies have a long shelf life and can be mailed to friends and family who don’t live nearby. However, there are some precautions you should take to ensure your cookies arrive fresh and whole. Let us offer you a few tips on mailing Christmas cookies.
Choose the Right Type of Cookies
Christmas cookies come in many types; all of them are delicious, but only some of them can be shipped safely. You should opt for denser and sturdier cookies that are less likely to crumble in transit. Bar cookies (including brownies and blondies), biscotti, chewy cookies, drop cookies, dried fruit cookies, and shortbread are all good choices for sending in the mail. Thin and crispy cookies, such as lace cookies or wafers, are not.
You also should avoid cookies with fillings, elaborate decorations, or a dusting of powdered sugar on top. We understand that you may want to show off your cookie decoration skills, but this is not the best situation for that. Simple iced or glazed cookies can be mailed safely as long as you make sure they are completely dry before packing them.
Pack Cookies in Airtight Containers
Cookies and other baked goods require at least two containers for shipping: the inner container (or containers) for the cookies and the outer shipping box. It is best to pack cookies in airtight plastic containers or tins because they are sturdy and won’t show any butter stains. Ideally, you should pack each cookie variety in a separate tin or container to prevent flavors from mingling.
Layer the bottom of a container with crumpled paper, bubble wrap, or some other cushioning material. Wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap, parchment paper or aluminum foil (individual zip lock bags or small waxed paper bags will work, too) and carefully arrange the cookies inside the container, placing larger and heavier ones on the bottom.
If there is any free space left inside the container, fill all the gaps with cushioning material. Close the container and shake it gently to make sure the cookies are packed snugly and don’t move around too much.
Place the Containers Inside the Shipping Box
Once all containers with cookies are tightly sealed, place them inside a durable shipping box. Corrugated cardboard boxes are considered one of the best options for shipping cookies and other fragile items because they’re simultaneously sturdy and lightweight.
You already know the drill: line the bottom of the box with packing filler, arrange the containers inside, add more filler, close the box, give it a shake, add even more filler is necessary. Finally, seal the box with two layers of packing tape and clearly mark the package as “Perishable” and/or “Fragile”.
Keep in Mind that Delivery Speed Matters
There are situations when the speed of delivery doesn’t matter that much, but this is not one of them. First, even dry and sturdy cookies are perishable, so you would want them delivered as fast as possible. Second, the Christmas season is a busy time for postal and courier companies, and they impose shipping deadlines that you should take into account if you want your cookies to get delivered before Christmas.
When you’re shipping Christmas cookies, you need to check out different carriers’ shipping deadlines and choose the preferred shipping service accordingly. We recommend that you splurge a little extra for express shipping and mail your package early in the week to make sure it arrives before the weekend and won’t be left sitting in a sorting facility or post office for several days. A great way to save on express shipping is to print discounted shipping labels online; for example, with PostageMaker you can save up to 25% on shipping.