10 easy holiday recipes you can send in the mail

Holiday travel used to be as easy as jumping on a plane or packing up the family car. This year, a lot of us will be missing the family and friends we would be visiting if not for the pandemic. Staying home for the holidays is certainly a big change for many, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to create new traditions, like sending a box full of cheer packed to the brim with the things you wish you could be enjoying together. Whether you’re shipping goodies to grandma a few counties over or your best friend in another state, here’s what to make and how to package it.

Send your loved ones all the essentials for a nice, long Zoom coffee date: biscotti, flavored coffee syrups and beans. The cookies are best stacked tightly in tall cellophane bags or in decorative holiday boxes. The tighter you can stack them together, the less likely they are to break in transit. Gift any non-perishable liquids like these flavored extracts in large, clear bottles with a tight seal, and make sure to include a favorite local coffee like the Disco Inferno espresso blend from Stringbean Coffee Co.

Click below for recipes:

• Cranberry-Orange Biscotti
• Brown Sugar-Cinnamon Coffee Syrup
• Vanilla Coffee Syrup
• Peppermint Coffee Syrup

Send family and friends this mulled wine kit and blue cheese “cookies” for a post-holiday deep breath. Tie the jar of wine-mulling spices with ribbon and attach a gift tag with these instructions: “Combine a bottle of your favorite red wine and this mulling spice mix in a pot. Heat on medium until nearly boiling, but DO NOT boil. Heat 30 minutes, then strain the mulled wine and return it to the pot. Add an optional ¼ cup dark rum, if desired, and serve!” Nothing beats a cozy fire and perfect nibbles with warm, spicy wine.

Click below for recipes:

• Mulled Wine Kit
• Blue Cheese “Cookies”

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SHIPPING TIPS
Perfectly packed and properly shipped, your treats will be welcomed with opened arms — and mouths.

1. Before packing, make sure jams, syrups or other non-perishable liquids are tightly sealed in sturdy jars or bottles. Place each in a gift bag and tie with a ribbon, then wrap the bottles or jars in bubble wrap and seal inside an air-filled, zip-top bag.

2. Separate crisp cookies or crackers from moist baked goods to maintain their texture. Wrap cookies or crackers in airtight plastic or in zip-top plastic bags with crumpled wax paper in between. To prevent them from breaking, create a cushion on the bottom of the container with crumpled wax paper or parchment, and then layer the packaged cookies.

3. Always use sturdy, unused corrugated shipping boxes and line them with plastic wrap or a large garbage bag. Pack heavier items at the bottom of the box, making sure there is cushioning between and two to three inches of packing material on all sides of the box. Fill in the box with additional crumpled newspaper, bubble wrap, foam peanuts or air-popped popcorn and leave no empty space at the top, or items may shift.

4. Be sure to include a note on the best way to handle the food once it arrives, along with any holiday wishes. Use packing tape to securely close the box. Fill out your labels with a waterproof pen. Mark the carton “perishable” and ship it via the fastest means possible.

Savory-sweet bacon jam paired with rich, buttery crackers and the crunch of mixed nuts is a match made in cocktail snack heaven. Use parchment paper envelopes or sturdy bakery bags to package the crackers and nuts. Be sure to avoid overfilling, since the crackers will break if too tightly packed. Spoon the bacon jam into a glass jar, pop in a clear gift bag and tie with a cute ribbon. All that’s missing is the dirty martini!

Click below for recipes:

• Hazelnut-Gruyere Crackers
• Bacon Jam
• Spiced and Sweet Mixed Nuts

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Finally, the sweet finish – these precious chocolate-covered cherries should be reserved for those who made the good list this year.

Click below for recipe:

• Chocolate-Covered Luxardo Cherries