Absolutely the BEST Cookies to Ship to Iraq

Suzanne asked about the best cookies to ship to Iraq, and I wanted to go ahead and devote a post to the recipes.

Chris/Kyrie: Leave 2006

You see, my son leaves for his second tour of Iraq in a month. From there he will head to an Asian country for two years. I understand the heart of someone who wants to send some “home” to someone they love. I understand praying that the cookies make it and that somehow they will miraculously create comfort and warmth in the heart of the receiver. And I know, too, that cookies do exactly that.

I know it because once upon a time, many eons ago, in the dark ages, I was in the military too. And I know what it is to close your eyes, stick your face in the box, and smell that amazing scent of “home”. For a moment, you are there.

So, again, when Suzanne asked, I decided to not just email her, but to check my WW2 cookbooks to see what THOSE women sent overseas. And then I checked for the best, the very best, packing instructions. These cookies are guaranteed to get there fresh, delicious, and in no more than two pieces…I can’t do better than that…I have been subjected to military shipping myself, remember.

Packing:

1. Use a vacuum sealer. Seal the bag and then place the sealed bag into a bag that you blow up like a balloon. Just place to original bag in, zip all but one edge, blow it up like you were inflating a party balloon and finish zipping.

2. Pack the inflated bags in popcorn.

3.Another thing to do is to be sure to use a label on each package. For example:

4 doz. chocolate chip cookies

Baked 1/23/08

4. Add a packing list to the inside of the package, with the recipient’s address as well as your own.

O.k…so now that that is out of the way…which cookies are best to send?

Remember the 40 Best Cookie Recipes for Shipping? Well any of those are great. But OF those there are a few that are the absolute best.

Basically good candidates for shipping are not crispy cookies, but cookies that are chewy. Dried fruits in the recipes will help the cookie stay moist and fresh longer. Cookies with eggs in the recipe are by far better travelers than cookies without eggs.

• Molasses Crinkles
• Ranger Cookies
• Quaker Famous Oatmeal
• Chocolate Pixie cookies
• Sugar Cookies
• Chocolate Intrigue Cookies
• The Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever
  
• Almond & Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Peanut Butter Kisses
• White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies

And remember to pack some pictures and some prayers…Because those are the things that keep you going when the cookies are long gone.

If you are serving, thank you so much. If you have a loved one serving, again, thank you so much. My prayers are with you, always.

This is me in 1979: Marc in 1979 Chris in Iraq 2006