One of the most requested posts! Special occasions, thank you's and 'just because'. There's nothing more special than receiving a thoughtful, homemade gift in the post - and even better when it's edible. Here's a full break down of all the equipment I use, the measurements and the methods. I've added in information on what my favourite bakes are to send - nationally and internationally - and answered every possible question or scenario that came to mind.
What you'll need
Mailing box, I use these ones
Measuring tape
Baking/greaseproof paper
Tissue paper
Bubble wrap or any protective padding
Sharpie pen
Poly-envelope, I use these ones (optional, but waterproof)
Method
Bake, measure & slice
Bake your brownies as usual. All of my brownie/blondie recipes online use a 13 x 9" baking tin. Wait until your brownies have completely cooled and store them in the fridge until you're ready to slice and box them up. Slicing them when they're cold will help keep sharp, clean lines
Assemble your mailing box. Measure its length, width and depth and make a note of this. The ones I use and have linked are 11" x 7" x 2.5"
To calculate the size of brownie you can post, minus 1" off of the length and width. So for example, I need a brownie slab which is (11" - 1") x (7" - 1") = 10" x 6". The extra inch will be taken up with wrapping and padding to keep the brownies snug and safe
Calculate the size of your slices. I like to make 2" slices, so for my brownie slab that's the length (10") divided by the slice size (2") = 5 slices along each length, and the same for the width (6"/2") = 3 slices along the width. The total number of slices in each box will be 5 x 3 = 15 slices
Remove brownies from the fridge. I trim off the crusts and then measure the 10" x 6" slab that I'll be posting, slice to size
Use a tape measure to measure 2" increments along both the lengths and widths, use a sharp knife to mark these into the brownies. Then, use a large, sharp knife to match the measured increments up and then slice
To keep slices clean and neat, run your knife blade under hot running water and then wipe dry with a towel in-between each cut
Wrap
Once measured and sliced, lay out a clean strip of baking paper. Slide your brownies onto this (in the same order) and as if you're wrapping a book, measure and cut the greaseproof paper and gently wrap your brownies up, tightly tucking any extra paper from the sides underneath
Next, use any fancy wrapping paper or tissue to wrap around the baking paper. You can use string/ribbon/clear tape to neatly hold edges in
Open your mailing box and line the base and sides with bubble wrap, padded foam or protective material. Slide the wrapped brownies onto a thin chopping board and then use this to slide them gently into the padded box. This makes them easier to pick up in one piece
Once in their box, place any card or gift note in and then fold extra bubble wrap over the top. Use extra padding material (bubble wrap, scrunched tissue paper, shredded paper) to make sure the brownies are packed in snuggly. We don't want any spare room in the box for the brownies to shake or move around in, so use padded materials to fill this space
Close the box and either wrap in nice gifting paper or use masking tape to tape along the box width and length, making sure you cover any holes into the box. I then place this box into a thin poly-envelope. This is an extra step but keeps the box waterproof (especially if parcels are left outside)
Tape the envelope snuggly round the box, write on the address and I also put on the envelope 'Fragile, please handle with care' and arrows saying 'this way up'. Use a sharpie pen that doesn't run or smudge. Keep the wrapped parcel in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, no need to refrigerate (unless it's very hot)
Posting
I post my brownies the day after I've baked them. So if I make them on a Monday evening, I'll leave them to cool over-night in the fridge, slice and package them on Tuesday morning. Head to the post office and post them 1st class, to be delivered on Wednesday
1st class mail is usually delivered the following working day. If they're really important, I'll either make sure I post them a day early, or you can post them with Royal Mail Signed for or Guaranteed 1pm Delivery
I always mention to the post office that I want these to be left in a 'safe space', if someone isn't there to sign for them
Postage pricing
(This is based on using the linked size mail boxes (small parcel) and final parcel weight being <1kg. They're usually around 900g)
Regular 1st class post £3.85
Royal Mail Signed For £4.85
Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm £8.95
Types of bakes to post
The most popular things I post are brownies and blondies, following the methods above. The brownie recipes last for up to 1 week, so even once they've been delivered, they'll be good for a few days!
I don't recommend posting any frosted brownies or bakes
Consider the weather. The UK is usually fine all seasons round. As a rule, if it melts at room temperature in your kitchen, it will melt in transit. Brownies/blondies don't need to be refrigerated to store. I keep them in the fridge to make slicing easier
Other homebakes items that are good to post include:
(nationally, in temperatures under 18C)
I recommend wrapping these in gifting snack bags rather than baking paper, sealing them securely and posting in a box as above and putting a note to refrigerate upon arrival (as long as they don't melt at room temperature, they won't melt in transit)
Salted caramel sauce (in a sterilised and sealed jar)
(nationally, in any temperature)
(internationally - for any country, it's important to note what you can legally post both nationally and internationally. You can find out this information online following government guidelines. For example, Australia has one of the most strict postal entries but "Biscuits, bread, cakes, pastries, Christmas cake, and Christmas pudding are allowed. These products are allowed into Australia if: they are for personal consumption, they are fully cooked, shelf stable (do not require refrigeration) and contain no meat."
Shortbread
Any more Qs? Put them in the comments section below x