Mailing Baked Goods During The Holidays Auburn, Dec. 7---Because of the events of Sept. 11 and the anthrax problems with the mail, sending baked holiday goodies through the mail this year may take longer and be more difficult. There is a proper way to pack cookies and other holiday goodies for shipping. Improper packing often results in broken or crumbled cookies. Don't send tender, fragile cookies because they often crumble when shipped. Bar, drop and fruit cookies are the best types to mail, says Jean Weese, a food scientist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. It's probably not a good idea to send anything with powdered sugar on it this year, unless it is sealed tightly in a plastic bag. Mail or packages with any white substance showing will probably be stopped. When shipping baked goods, use a heavy cardboard or styrofoam box or an empty coffee can as a mailing container. Line the container with aluminum foil or plastic food wrap. Then, wrap four to six cookies of the same size in foil or plastic food wrap, and place them in a plastic food bag and seal securely. Don't over fill the plastic bag. Place the heaviest cookies at the bottom of the container. Use crumpled paper towels or newspaper between layers of wrapped cookies. Top with crumpled newspaper or styrofoam kernals. Seal the container with freezer, plastic or adhesive tape. If you use a coffee can, you can pad the cookies even more by placing the can in a small box. Place the coffee can in the middle of the box and tightly stuff sides with crumpled or torn newspaper or fill with styrofoam packing kernals to prevent the can from sliding around in the box. Next, wrap the box with an outer paper wrapper and mark "Perishable Food" on it to ensure rapid delivery and careful handling. Source: Dr. Jean Weese, Food Scientist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334) 844-3269