Making cookies for deployed husband...?

Question

Okay, so my hubby is in Iraq and constantly asks for cookies. I am sending out a couple packages this Saturday and I am making him chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies. I have these cookie cutters that are heart shaped that I want to use, for Valentine's Day.

How do I use cookie cutters with the chocolate chip cookie dough? Should I cut them after I bake them? Or should I mold the dough into the cookie cutter and bake them that way? I am more or less worried how they will turn out if I don't bake them properly.

Thanks!

I have already sent him many many cookies, and they haven't arrived melted yet! But he hasn't been there during a "hot" month yet..he says it's been cold!

Answer 1

I think what would work best is to bake them as bar cookies in a jelly roll pan, and then cut the heart shapes while they're still warm from the oven. They will be thick, so you may have to use a knife to finish cutting them. You'll have leftover edges, but those could be for you to munch on, good as ice cream toppings too.

Here's a recipe from cooks.com:

TOLL HOUSE PAN COOKIES
2 1/2 c. unsifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 (6 oz.) pkg. Nestle semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In large bowl, combine butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Gradually add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in Nestle semi-sweet chocolate morsels (and nuts). Spread into greased 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan (jelly roll pan).
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool and cut in 2-inch squares, or cut with cookie cutters while still warm.

Good luck, and best wishes to your husband too!

Answer 2

Perhaps roll it out onto a pan and then cut it with the cookie cutters? Kind of like how they do when they make cookie cakes. I'm thinking it's just going to be a trial and error process here. I would think that the dough wouldn't be uniform enough to hold together all that well. A good tip is to cook them on parchment paper so the bottoms don't get burned.

Also, when sending them to him, IF YOU CAN, try to put them in a pringles can. They will be less likely to get all smashed up. Also, send them along with a couple of slices of bread. I never sent cookies when my husband was deployed, but many of my army wife friends swear by this method to keep the cookies fresh.

Good luck and have fun. and hope your hubby comes home safe :)

Answer 3

OK, easy - you've seen those HUGE cookie cakes in the cookie shops in the malls. What they do is mold the cookie dough using a cut out directly onto the parchment paper on the cookie sheet - so that it's about 1/4 if an inch thick. Then bake the cookie as directed. You'll need to use parchment or silicone on your cookie sheet. If you use parchment, the cookie will not come up easily. Don't attempt to get the cookie off. Flip it over once it's cooled completely. Don't worry - the cookies won't fall off if. Just peel back the parchment, and you're good to go. Silicone, the cookies should lift up.

Some of the cookie places will trim up the outer edge, to get rid of the crunchy part, but I don't suggest doing that if you're shipping them. Just ship as is. If you can get some dry ice to place in the shipping box - I'd suggest doing that - if they'll allow you to ship like that, and ship as close to "over night" as you can. Only ship on Monday or Tues - if you can. You'll reduce the risk of your cookies staying in transit - stuck in a warehouse over the weekend or something.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Just roll out the dough as you normally would and use your cookie cutters prior to baking. I served in Kuwait for a year and eveytime I received choclate chip cookies the choclate was all melted and messy. Consider switching choclate chips with M&M minis. The candy coating will prevent the chocolate from melting all over the packaging.

Answer 5

What a good wife you are!

If you roll out the chocolate chip cookie dough to use cookie cutters... just put some wax paper between the roller and the cookie dough. (Hey! maybe if you put it in the fridge for a while to solidify it a bit) It will kind of stick a bit just kind of test it out... Or you can just place the cookie cutter on the cookie sheet and sort of press it in there (like you said already)... either way, it is going to be a bit of a messy project... with chocolate chip dough being so soft. But Hey! It's worth it for your very special guy. (My thoughts and prayers are with you and your husband).

Just remember to give them enough room since they spread as they bake.

Just some ideas... I hope one of them works!

Good luck!

Answer 6

PLEASE THANK YOUR HUSBAND FOR KEEPING MY FAMILY SAFE. HE IS IN MY PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR TODAY.

You will want to chill the dough, cut with your cookie cutter, then chill again before baking.
The following recipe is what I'll make this year, it's shortbread dipped in dark chocolate. Enjoy!

SHORTBREAD HEARTS
Galelah Dowell, Fairland, Okla.
Melt-in-your-mouth shortbread dipped in chocolate coating -- Mmm!
•2 cups flour
•1/2 cup sugar
•Dash salt
•1 cup cold butter
•1 tablespoon cold water
•1 teaspoon almond extract
•1/2 pound dark chocolate candy coating, melted
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water and almond extract until mixture forms a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place 1-inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Bake for 13 to 16 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
Dip one side of cookies in candy coating; place on waxed paper until set.
Makes about 2 dozen.

Answer 7

Bake him some selfmade cookies. something like Snickerdoodles, Pecan Shortbread, or sugar cookies, and not something with chocolate which will soften. Wrap tightly in foil whilst thoroughly cool, then slip into zipper luggage, possibly even double luggage. Mail on a Monday, so there is far less threat of the kit sitting around a PO on the weekend. different stable stuff I"ve despatched till now: Altoids, any style Chiclets gum hard candy (atomic fireballs, jawbreakers, peppermints, lemon drops, etc.) infant wipes powder Desitin anti-perspirant hotel length shampoos and cleansing soap bars toothpaste, clean the enamel brush, floss in actuality, in case you deliver him in my opinion-wrapped hard candies, you ought to use it as nesting and packaging components to maintain the cookies stable. placed the cookies interior a small container, seal it, then droop that container between different candies on all 6 factors of that container.