Bake and Wrap

Photography by Sarifka Photography

Homemade goodies are fun and easy to make .They also afford you the exciting opportunity to use your creativity to design your own custom packaging. One favorite Erev Purim memory of mine, is standing in the kitchen with my children packaging piles of freshly baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. These memories and the warm feelings  last long after the last cookies are gone. Over the years working for Family First Magazine, I’ve prepared many packaging ideas using home baked items. Here are a couple of ideas. 

HOT OFF THE PRESS BABKA

 Photography by Hudi Greenberger

You will need:

• Babka 
• Loaf Pan (also available at dollar store)
• Metal knife (also available at dollar store)
• Ribbon 
• Piece of newspaper

Directions:

Bake the babka on a piece of parchment paper. (Kirkland is my favorite)

(Note: It is not necessary to use parchment paper for this recipe, I used it here because I didn’t want the babka to touch the newspaper.)

 After the babka cools, remove babka from pan and place the piece of newspaper under the parchment paper.

For a finishing touch tie a knife onto the cake with a personalized bow.

 

CHECKERBOARD CHALLAH

 

Photography by Hudi Greenberger

Delicious, and simple to make, this two tone challah adds a new  "twist " to a classic mishloach manos item. Though it can be paired with practically anything, I used a hard salami as my second item.

You will need:

• Use your favorite challah recipe.
• Caramel coloring (available at baking supply stores)
• Cutting Board  (also available at discount stores)
• Hard Salami
• Checkerboard challah (baked in a square pan)
• Shrink wrap and a blow dryer
• Ribbon

For the darker color just add 2 Tbsp caramel coloring per 2 ½ lbs of challah dough.

Tip: To keep the 2 colors uniform in size, weigh the dough on a food scale.

MUFFINS IN A BOX 

Photography by Hudi Greenberger

You will need:

•  Muffin box With Insert
•  Chocolate Bar
• Ribbon
• 4 Muffins
• Custom Printed Wrapper or Scrapbooking Paper

Directions:

Remove outer chocolate wrapper and replace with your own wrapper.

Place muffins in box, wrap ribbon around and tape down the chocolate.

 

 

MUFFINS WRAPPED WITH BUTTON AND TWINE

 

Photography by Hudi Greenberger

You Will Need:

• Muffin box with insert
• Twine
• Muffins
• Labels
• Button

 

Directions:

Place muffins in box and wrap with button, twine and labels

 

COOKIES WITH BAG TOPPERS

 

Bag toppers are a really affordable, simple, and neat, approach to packaging. 

To create a topper you will need to cut cardstock paper the same width as your cellophane bag. The height will depend on how large you would like the topper to be. So figure out your width, then determine how high you would like your topper to be and multiply the height by 2 (so you have the back flap as well)

Bag toppers are versatile and invite creativity!

You can give them a personal touch and do them by hand with any creative tools - markers, punchers, stickers, stamps, ribbons etc 

or you can have a more professional look creating your topper  with graphic design.

 Whichever method you choose, before you begin designing, determine the halfway mark (that divides the front flap from the back) so you can center things accordingly. 

Tip - If you choose to do any design or text on the back flap- make sure it is upside down so when folded it will be in the right direction.

Supplies:

3 ½” cookie

4”  wide cellophane bag

5” high x 4” wide bag topper-this will be folded in half. You will end up with a topper that is 21/2”high x 4”wide

4” x 7” piece of cardstock for backing the cookie

Directions:   

Trim the cellophane bag to approx 7” in height

Place the 4 x 7 piece of card stock behind the cookie - (either in the bag / or staple to outside of bag to prevent any visible grease)

Using a glue gun, glue the topper to the top of the bag.

 

Recipe for Rainbow Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 cup cocoa

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¾  cup oil

3 extra large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Choice of 1 cup of colorful, mint, cappachino  or nougat chips…

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place all ingredients, besides for the chips  in the bowl of your mixer. Mix well.

Add chips in. You can either mix the chips into the dough or neatly place them on the cookies after they are formed.

Decide what size cookies you would like to make and choose an appropriate size metal ice cream scoop  to form uniform cookies. Flatten cookies slightly before baking.

Bake 12-13 minutes

 

 All Labels were designed by OMG Designs - omgdesign@aol.com

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