Just wondering who will be offering cookie trays this year..and what you will be charging. Care to share?

I do Italian Cookie trays during the holidays and I charge $10.00 per pound.

I do trays, but it's still the per batch price. They choose how many flavors.

I am thinking about Christmas cookies and what to put on my trays this year. I am considering whether or not to do a bread tray instead. A combination of a small loaves of different yeast and quick breads. Or a muffin tray with different kinds of muffins. Everyone does cookies and if I had a large amount of people I gifted, I would do that. What are you doing this year?

Can I just ask what kind of trays you use? Are they plastic, styrofoam? Where do you buy them?

I need 3 or 4 large cookie trays to drop off at a fundraiser, so I'm wondering where to get a few decent ones for cheap. TIA!!!

Thank you, MimiFix!!! I'll head over there today.

I am doing them for the first time this year. My plan is to make up the different cookie doughs, portion out, freeze and then bake as needed. That way I can offer lots of different cookies and not have to make a batch each time.

I am doing $25/4 doz and $50/8 doz assorted cookies.

Nope... couldn't pay me enough to muss with cookie trays for sale. I love making cookies with my kids, but the thought of doing them for sale makes me want to kick something cute... hard.

I make a pistachio/ almond/ cranberry biscotti, S cookies ( butter cookie ), rainbow cookies, amaretti, macaroons, florentines, fig cookies, and anginetti's. Most of the cookies use a generous potion of almond paste which I buy by the pound so that is the basis of my pricing, then I figure in the " fluff" and come up with my per lb. $$. All of the Italian bakeries I have been to sell their cookies by the pound so I just went with it

melanie-1221, your trays sound delicious, I want one! I'll be in Syracuse in December. Do You sell at the regional market?

I understand Melanie. I use a lot of almond paste too. I have also heard that Italian bakers charge by the pound for their cakes.

Would you be willing to share any of your cookie recipes? I've never made any type of Italian cookie before.

Melanie, YUMM, florentines! My brother-in-law introduced me to these delicious cookies! All your cookies sound fabulous!

Whoa, melanie-1221 - I can understand giving away recipes if someone bakes and gives away, or if someone only has a local business. But you posted that you, "ship via Priority Mail out of state."

So you are potentially giving competitors the keys to your business.

Okey doke, Melanie. I want the recipes, too.

Mimi, what are the varieties of cookies/bars you offer?

I'm still trying to decide whether to offer these. And if I should offer a mix & match with Christmas candies and smaller cookies. I can easily price the larger cookies per doz, but it gets tricky when adding things like macaroons, spritz cookies, peanut butter balls peanut brittle. I thought about pricing those per pound, but haven't a clue what to price because some are more time consuming than others and some are more expensive.

Anyone have suggestions?

I would love the recipes as well!! Thanks

melanie,
I would also love to receive your recipes! Thank you.
Phyllis

I'd love some recipes too. My grandmother used to make tons of italian cookies and it would bring back some memories.

dandelion, I love making trays! I make a variety of drop cookies, bars, and small colorful rolled holiday designs. I prefer using only small cookies. I looked back through my blog for pictures and helpful advice.
http://bakingfix.com/thefix/?p=915
http://bakingfix.com/thefix/?p=3168
http://bakingfix.com/thefix/?p=851
My last book, Home Baking for Profit, has more how-to instructions for putting together trays, and recipes for the poppy and cut-out cookies.

Cookie trays are very big business, especially if you go after corporate accounts.

Here are a few of my best sellers. Enjoy!

Anginetti
COOKIE
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
6 large eggs
3 teaspoons lemon extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
ICING
6 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon extract
1 tub rainbow candy sprinkles
**Preheat oven to 350°F.
For cookies: cream together sugar and shortening. Add eggs and lemon extract and beat well. Add flour, baking powder and salt; Mix well. The dough should be sticky.
Refrigerate dough for an hour ( or more ) , this will make it easier to work with.
Pinch off about a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Place onto a slightly greased cookie sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until firm and just turning golden.
Remove cookies from cookie sheet. Cool completely on wire racks.
For icing: combine confectioners' sugar, water and lemon extract and mix until smooth.
Dip the tops of cookies into the icing and place on waxed paper.
Before icing sets, dip in dish of rainbow candy sprinkles .Allow cookies to dry before stacking. Store in an airtight container. Makes approx. 48 cookies


Cranberry Almond Pistachio Biscotti
INGREDIENTS
1 lb unsalted butter, softened
4 cups granulated sugar
8 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (1 oz) bottle almond extract
1 cup slivered almond
8 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups dried cranberries
2 cups pistachio nuts
***Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl mix the first 7 ingredients until well blended. Stir in the flour one cup at a time.
When blended, mix in cranberries & pistachios.
Pat the dough into a smooth log .Cut it into quarters. Shape each section into a seamless loaf about 2 inches thick and to whatever width you would like the biscotti to be. Place two of the loaves on a parchment covered baking sheet.
Bake loaves for 45 minutes, check often. If they are spreading too much, pull them out and reshape with a spatula.
Remove loaves from the oven & allow them to cool. When cool, cut each loaf into 1" slices .Place the slices back on the baking sheet, standing up and then bake them for another 10 minutes or so.
Remove biscotti from the oven & cool them completely. Store them in an air tight container.



Italian Wedding Cookies (aka Rainbow Cookies )
1 pound almond paste
3 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
8 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
green food coloring
yellow food coloring
red food coloring
2 (12 ounce) jars seedless raspberry jam
2 (12 ounce) packages semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Crumble almond paste into a large mixing bowl, and beat in butter, sugar, eggs, and almond extract until light and fluffy. Mix in in the flour and salt. Separate batter into three equal portions, mix green food coloring into 1, yellow in another, and red in the last. Make cure colors are pretty dark. Spread each portion out to 1/4 inch thickness into the bottom of parchment lines jelly roll pan. ***I use the disposable aluminum baking sheets .
Bake each layer for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Allow to cool.
On a cookie sheet stack the cakes, spreading jam on top of the green layer, stack the yellow on top of the green layer, cover with jam, then top with the red layer. Spread melted chocolate over top of the third layer. Chill until jam and chocolate are firm. Slice into small rectangles
Makes approximately 72 cookies


Italian S Cookies

1 ½ cups Butter Flavor Crisco
1 ½ cups sugar
6 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
6 cups flour
6 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Blend Eggs and sugar, add shortening.
Sift flower, baking powder and salt together. Add to wet ingredients.
Mix with a spoon and knead with your hands until well blended.
Fill a cookie press fitted with a large star tip and press out in an S shape on a parchment lined cookie sheet. I make my Ss about 2 inches tall.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes until golden.
Cookies should be soft, not crispy. Sprinkle with granulated sugar while they are still hot.
Makes 7-8 dozen.






Florentines
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup ground pecans
1 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips


*** Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, pulse the pecans until they resemble fine crumbs. Do not to over grind you will end up with paste.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and the corn syrup. Bring to boil.
Remove from the heat and add the ground pecans, and flour. Mix well.
Drop teaspoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until brown around the edges and lace-like in appearance.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Transfer to wire rack.
Place chocolate chips in a small plastic bag. Immerse the bag into barely simmering water until the chips melt. Once the chips are melted, snip a small corner off the bag. Pipe a chocolate squiggle onto each cookie.
Allow chocolate to harden before storing cookies
Makes approx. 24 cookies





Amaretti Cookies
8 ounces almond paste
1 cup superfine or castor sugar
2 large egg whites
Confectioners sugar for dusting cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F . Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Break the almond paste into small pieces and place in bowl with the sugar. Mix on low speed until very fine. Add the egg whites in three additions, mixing well after each addition. Continue mixing the dough until very smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Fill the pastry bag, fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tip ,with the almond mixture.
Pipe 1 1/2 inch mounds onto the parchment paper, spacing about 1 inch apart.
With a damp paper towel and lightly press the top of each cookie to press in the piping tail and smooth out the surface
Bake for 12 minutes, or until they have risen, are golden and have tiny cracks.
Remove from the oven and place baking pan on a rack to cool. When cool gently peel cookies from parchment.
Dust with confectioners sugar.
Makes about 40 cookies

That was so awesome of you to share!!!!! I am so excited!!! I still don't know how you bust out all those trays by yourself.

I mix a couple days ahead of time and refrigerate the dough ( the ones I am able to ) then pull it out and bake non stop sun up to sun down for 4 days to get them all done.

Melanie ~ Thanks so much for sharing your recipes! I live in the south and have never had any of these cookies. I may have to try a couple!