Mr. Whipped has been wondering, if not slightly perturbed, why one of our kitchen cupboards has been accumulating empty oatmeal containers throughout the year.
A few years ago, I wrapped some pretty paper around an oatmeal container and shipped some oatmeal chocolate chips along to a friend. With a parchment liner and some padding if needed, an oatmeal container makes a perfect cookie carrier! This year, my creative friend Ebony of Snow & Graham has applied her touch and taken cookie gifting to a new level (above photo compliments of Ebony.) She wrapped her delightful holiday wrap around the cylindar, added a handwritten label atop and included one of her best cookie recipes on her new recipe cards. (Not only is she a wildly talented designer, that girl can bake!)
When filling the cookie containers, I think it is best to stick with traditional round, flat cookies that are just under the size of the oatmeal cylinder. This may take a practice batch because different recipes will flatten more than others so I can’t give an exact dough amount for each cookie. Mixing a bunch of different sized cookies doesn’t work as well as they move and bump and break. But, smaller cookies that are all the same can be loaded inside in a friendly heap with a touch of bubble padding on top and bottom if needed.
MAKING YOUR COOKIE CONTAINER
What you need:
small oatmeal cylinder or similar container
wrapper paper
scissors
double stick tape (preferred) or glue stick
parchment paper (preferred or wax paper)
ribbon, round labels or other adornment (optional)
1. If you don’t have oatmeal containers, you can always buy a few and empty oatmeal into ziplocks for future use. Grits and cornmeal also come in similar size containers. Consider oatmeal cookies to immediately get rid of some of your supply!
2. Lay a sheet of your favorite paper on a table. Put the cylindar on the side with the seam down. Mark the top and bottom of the container to measure height of paper needed. Roll the container along the paper until you get to the seam again. Add a few inches and mark the paper. Cut your rectangle.
3. Wrap the paper around the cylinder and make any adjustments to the size. Adhere the paper around the container with double stick tape or a glue stick.
4. Line the inside with parchment paper either folding to fit or measuring the same way you did the decorative paper. If you are shipping cookies, you may want to consider a layer of small bubble wrap first and then the parchment.
5. Fill container with cookies (see ideas below). Add parchment and if needed, padding at top. Replace oatmeal container lid.
6. Use a round label on top or a decorative circle of paper. Use ribbon or other adornments to decorate the tube of cookies.
Need cookie recipe ideas? Some of my favorites:
“Neiman Marcus” Oatmeal Chocolate Chip - sturdy and they ship pretty well too.
Giant Ginger Snaps – These fit perfectly in the containers!
The Best White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
Spiders – These are sturdy so a heap of them does well inside the container.
Snicker Doodles – These are delicate so better for hand delivery versus shipping.
Kourabiethes, Greek Butter Cookies – These also do better hand delivered as they get a bit messy with the sugar.
RECIPE CARD GIVEAWAY
Last but most certainly not least, (I am sure that some of you have scanned the entire post looking for this information after reading the title) Ebony has generously offered to send one lucky Whipped reader a package of her adorable recipe cards. To win, just leave a comment on this post before end of day this Friday, December 10th. A winner will be randomly selected.
Happy Holiday Baking!
December 7th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
This is such a great idea – so cute!
December 7th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Love the cookie shipping idea! (And those recipe cards are awesome!)
December 7th, 2010 at 6:46 pm
Yay recipe cards!
December 7th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
SO cute!
December 7th, 2010 at 7:25 pm
love this idea! It’s in the nick of time since we have a client that wants to make cookies and chocolates at their event and package them as little gifts. if they go with this idea, we’ll give you props for sure…
December 7th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
So adorable. LOVE the recipe cards (and your cookie packaging technique…patent it!)
December 7th, 2010 at 8:34 pm
She’s a crafting genius! I never think twice about those types of containers before tossing them away. I’ll definitely start saving them… in hopes I can craft like that some day!
Cheers,
*Heather*
December 7th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Hmm, I’m probably not eligible for this contest ;)
But very cute!
December 7th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
I love those cards! So cute!
December 7th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Such a simple, genius idea!
December 7th, 2010 at 11:11 pm
Such a cute and low-cost gift!
December 8th, 2010 at 12:03 am
[...] Cookie Gifting & Recipe Card Giveaway 2. Lay a sheet of your favorite paper on a table Put the cylindar on the side with the seam down. Mark the top and bottom of the container to measure height of paper needed. Roll the container along the paper until you get to the seam . [...]
December 8th, 2010 at 1:43 am
What a cute idea! I will definitely remember that one…thanks for doing this great giveaway!
December 8th, 2010 at 2:20 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mike Blankenship, Alltop Food. Alltop Food said: Cookie Gifting & Recipe Card Giveaway http://bit.ly/i27Gsz [...]
December 8th, 2010 at 3:39 am
[...] Cookie Gifting & Recipe Card Giveaway [...]
December 8th, 2010 at 5:10 am
I love recipe cards!
The oatmeal container is a good idea. My friend usually uses the rubbermaid containers (the one’s that are/aren’t disposable) because she knows everybody can always use another container! But they’re not very pretty…
December 8th, 2010 at 5:21 am
[...] Cookie Gifting & Recipe Card Giveaway [...]
December 8th, 2010 at 9:51 am
This is genius! Too bad I don’t have a stash of oatmeal containers to match my stash of egg cartons and TP tubes. Maybe I can send little cookies in the egg cartons? :)
December 8th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
I never would have thought to use an oatmeal container, how perfect – thanks!
December 8th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
What a PERFECT idea!
December 8th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Great idea! Now I know how I’m sending my nieces and nephews their Christmas cookies. Thanks!
December 8th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
I wish I’d been saving oatmeal containers to put my little third grade elves to work on!!!
MUST try the greek butter cookies asap!!! At least after I work out on elliptical :/
December 8th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Love this idea! And I will be trying out the ginger cookie recipe!
December 8th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
Love the recipe cards they are just perfect.
December 8th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
So cute, I want to win!!!
December 9th, 2010 at 10:38 am
I need some cute ones for myself! I am always using 3×5 index cards!
December 9th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Awesome recipe cards! The tubes for gifting bottles of wine work well for shipping cookies, too.
December 9th, 2010 at 5:33 pm
I really like how the container was made. It’s so pretty and it looks easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
December 9th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
That is an absolutely adorable gift! So creative and pretty :)
December 10th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
hooray! :D
December 10th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Love, LOVE this idea!
December 11th, 2010 at 3:33 pm
Very cute recipe cards. :)
December 11th, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Great idea…I am definitely going to do it! The kitchen recipe cards would be perfect!
December 14th, 2010 at 1:07 am
Shoot, missed my chance to comment, but then again, I can’t eat a cookie for two months. I’m being tortured!!!
February 8th, 2012 at 6:23 am
Professioneller Coach werden…
[...]Cookie Gifting & Recipe Card Giveaway[...]…