Mailing Baked Goodies

[email hidden] (Kat) pleas, in part:

Quoted message said:

I want to mail some festive baked goods to people across the country. In the past I've stuck to
dense things like chocolate decadence brownies and date bars. I want to try some different things.
Any suggestions?

I've never sent these breads anywhere, rather I have transported them to work where the Marines
beg for more. Their consistency and baking container tells me they certainly should withstand
mailing, though.

Crosse & Blackwell's Date Nut Bread (Delicious sliced with cream cheese atop, keeps very well at
room temperature, and freezes just as well. See picky notes.) About 1 lb. pitted, chopped dates 2
tsp. baking soda 2 Tbsp. butter 2 cups hot tap water 1 tsp. salt 2 large eggs 2 cups granulated
sugar 4 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350F and grease well 8 (15 oz.) cans with tops removed. Mix dates, baking soda,
butter and water together in a large bowl; let cool a bit. Add remaining ingredients. Fill cans
halfway. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for one hour; check with a wooden pick at 50 minutes
because ovens vary so much. Leave in cans at least ten minutes before "shaking" out. Finish cooling
on racks. PickyNotes: The original recipe does call for 8 cans, but when I make it with the exact
same ingredients, it only needs six cans. Last I was determined to make these for my Marines already
promised to, I learned too late for a shopping trip that the dates I was sure I had were nowhere to
be found. Instead, I chopped up a small package of dried apricots, then added in a small bag of
cherry flavored "Cranaisens" along with about half a bag of dark raisens. This mixture blended up
perfectly for using only four of the larger cans sliced peaches come in, and it was equally as good
as the original dates-only fruit mixture, though it did bake up much darker. It keeps quite well counter-
top for over a week, and refrigerated it can be good for two. I've never freezed it, but would not
hesitate should I need to.

=A0=A0=A0Picky ~JA~

[email hidden] (Kat) pleas, in part:

Quoted message said:

I want to mail some festive baked goods to people across the country. In the past I've stuck to
dense things like chocolate decadence brownies and date bars. I want to try some different things.
Any suggestions?

I've never sent these breads anywhere, rather I have transported them to work where the Marines
beg for more. Their consistency and baking container tells me they certainly should withstand
mailing, though.

Crosse & Blackwell's Date Nut Bread (Delicious sliced with cream cheese atop, keeps very well at
room temperature, and freezes just as well. See picky notes.) About 1 lb. pitted, chopped dates 2
tsp. baking soda 2 Tbsp. butter 2 cups hot tap water 1 tsp. salt 2 large eggs 2 cups granulated
sugar 4 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350F and grease well 8 (15 oz.) cans with tops removed. Mix dates, baking soda,
butter and water together in a large bowl; let cool a bit. Add remaining ingredients. Fill cans
halfway. Place on a large baking sheet and bake for one hour; check with a wooden pick at 50 minutes
because ovens vary so much. Leave in cans at least ten minutes before "shaking" out. Finish cooling
on racks. PickyNotes: The original recipe does call for 8 cans, but when I make it with the exact
same ingredients, it only needs six cans. Last I was determined to make these for my Marines already
promised to, I learned too late for a shopping trip that the dates I was sure I had were nowhere to
be found. Instead, I chopped up a small package of dried apricots, then added in a small bag of
cherry flavored "Cranaisens" along with about half a bag of dark raisens. This mixture blended up
perfectly for using only four of the larger cans sliced peaches come in, and it was equally as good
as the original dates-only fruit mixture, though it did bake up much darker. It keeps quite well counter-
top for over a week, and refrigerated it can be good for two. I've never freezed it, but would not
hesitate should I need to.

=A0=A0=A0Picky ~JA~

Kat said:

I have been lurking in this group for a while, and now I have a question! I want to mail some
festive baked goods to people across the country. In the past I've stuck to dense things like
chocolate decadence brownies and date bars. I want to try some different things. Any suggestions?
Anything spiffy that you've tried that's worked well? The baklava thread is making my mouth water!
It's something that not many people make for themselves, so it'd make a nice little gift. Can
Baklava mail ok? How? The only bar thing that I really want and don't have is a good recipe for
traditional German Lebkuchen. A few years ago i tried the lebkuchen in Joy of Cooking and it
turned out too dense and hard to chew. I liked the taste, but nobody else could eat it. Any
recipes? Thanks much! Kat

Biscotti and pfefferneuse (sp?) ship well.

Best regards, Bob