Bake sale tips?

[Penguin_ie 6,001]

Need some tips and suggestions from those with bake sale experience...

The playschool the kids attend two mornings a week is having a bake sale, and I've signed up to bake cookies. My husband warned me not to make chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies, rice crispie treats or brownies as everyone else will be making those. Is that true? I was thinking of making pumpkin snickerdoodles (bake sale is before Halloween) and black-and-white rice crispie treats, or maybe Swiss hazlenut sticks...

When nothing is specificed as to packaging, amount etc... what is "normal" to bring? I was thinking of making 2 dozen cookies, and put them 3 to a bag (have some small plastic goodie bags with pumpkins on it). But I don't know if that is considered too little/ too much, or whether I am suppose to package them...

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Bake sale ideas Look at the decoration techniques remember it is the kids that will be whining the most for this or that so make things that have kid appeal Look at the pumpkins under the cookie pops I think they would sell well. Edited October 9, 2011 by NigeriaorBust

[Kathryn41 3,205]

ooo - I'd buy pumpkin snickerdoodles! Putting them into baggies with pumpkins on them is a great idea. How many parents are baking cookies? You might want to add another dozen or two if there aren't a lot involved. Making two different varieties is sufficient. Not sure about black and white rice krispie squares . . are they checkerboard or striped or what - and what makes them black?

I think it would probably be helpful to the sale if you do package them but let them decide on the pricing so 3 cookies in a bag is probably fine. (I'm thinking back to the bake sales I've patronized this past year - yeah, I stop for bake sales ) 3 to 4 cookies, depending on their size, is usual, although I have also seen 2 BIG cookies in a package or 5 tiny ones.

Don't know about other parents but every bake sale I've seen does have lots of oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Now, I like all of those so that isn't a problem for me - but I think Pumpkin Snickerdoodles are a perfect offering just before Hallowe-en.

Maybe you can even post the recipe ( )?

(One hint - however you decorate your cookies, I don't recommend this for the school bake sale - although I think they're great! They would probably sell like hotcakes, too http://4.bp.blogspot...es+and+bras.jpg )

Edited October 9, 2011 by Kathryn41

[Penguin_ie 6,001]

Lol- this is a church playschool so yeah, those cookies would`not be suitable. The black-and-white rice crispie treats are simply made one batch with dark chocolate and coco crisps and one batch with white chocolate, then layer on top of eachother. I could maybe add some of these new candy corn M&Ms for colour....

Pumpkin snickerdoodles:

You need:

2 cups unbleached flour

1 small tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

large pinch. salt

1/2 cup margerine (I am sure unsalted butter would work too), very soft.

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup pumpkin (mashed fresh if you are carving pumkins anway like we did or canned would probably work too, but often has extra sugar)

1 large egg (or 1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 2-3 Tbsp water if making vegan)

1 vanilla pod scraped, or 2 tups of InBru vannilla coffee flavouring

For the topping (optional):

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Optional additions: ½ tsp. ground ginger; finely chopped nuts; allspice or nutmeg

How to make:

Beat together margerine and sugar until it forms bubbles. Blend in the pumpkin mash. Beat in the egg and vanilla until mixed well. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg gently. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Make little balls, about one heaped tablespoon worth of dough (this should mean the mixture makes about 25 cookies), put on baking tray lined with parchement paper about 2 inches apart, then flatten slightly with flat hand or bottom of a glass. Kids can help with this! Add topping if you like. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Thank you - those sound wonderful!

[Ban Hammer 14,352]

i really think penguin should send us all a batch for test analysis first before they go on sale