Perhaps you have a loved one who can’t make it home for the Christmas and New Year holidays - deployed overseas, or with tight finances preventing travel. Or maybe you just want to send some love to friends and family living out of state.

A care package full of homemade goodies is a heartwarming way to show someone far away how much you care.

As a student in Germany, one of my favorite packages from home included a batch of my mom’s chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were dry and stale by the time they reached me, but I relished every one of them.

As evidenced by the chocolate chip cookies, not just any recipe is travel-worthy. Some of the best homemade foods simply don’t hold up to the bumps and temperature fluctuations.

A general rule is if the food is still good stored in an airtight container at room temperature for five days it will work in a care package. But for international destinations, such as Europe, foods that stay good for two weeks or more are best.

In addition to including a favorite food for the recipient, we think the best care packages contain a combination of familiar and new, and sweet and savory foods. For our packages we chose caramels, brownies, blondies, spiced nuts, granola and cinnamon bread.

Who were the recipients? Our guinea pigs were a new mom on the West Coast, a cousin in Texas, a college friend in rural Ohio on a gluten-free diet, a friend who just moved into a new apartment on the East Coast and family friends in Germany.

The packages were mailed on a Tuesday and, except for the international destination and Ohio, all reached their destination Thursday.

The Ohio package arrived Saturday and the Germany package arrived 11 days after mailing. More importantly, the food survived shipping with little evidence of abuse other than what we inflicted when we packed it - a few of the caramels were smooshed, but that was because we over packed the containers. The quality of the items held up quite well, except one recipe that required a major overhaul.

Equally as important as the contents is how you pack the foods.

In her book The Flying Brownie, Shirley Fan suggests wrapping baked goods well with plastic wrap - using two or three layers - and then placing the wrapped items in a zip-close plastic bag. Oven-safe, disposable paper baking pans and recyclable aluminum pans are ideal for quick breads and brownies.

Nuts and snack mixes should be packed in airtight containers and/or zip-close plastic bags.

Fan also suggests using corrugated cardboard boxes for shipping, and packing according to the “4-foot drop rule,” meaning the contents should be packed in such a way that they will survive a 4-foot drop. To do this, create a 2-inch cushioned perimeter inside the box. Bubble wrap, packing peanuts and shredded paper make good cushions. Once packed, give the box a shake and listen. If the contents rattle around, more cushion is needed.

Tasters described these brownies as “perfect,” “moist and toothsome” and “nicely balanced.”

Chocolate-Cherry Brownies

10 tablespoons butter

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Scant ¾ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup tart dried cherries OR cherry flavored dried cranberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two ends; set aside.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the butter, sugar, cocoa and salt. Whisk together until melted and combined. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl; let cool 5 minutes.

After the butter mixture has cooled slightly, whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Stir until batter is thick and glossy. Add the flour and stir until combined. Fold in the cherries. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out with a few small crumbs. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Once cool, using the overhang as handles, remove brownies from pan and cut into squares.

Wrap brownies individually in wax paper, parchment or plastic wrap. Place wrapped brownies in zip-close plastic bag or airtight container. Alternatively, layer unwrapped bars in an airtight container, separated by layers of wax or parchment paper.

Makes 16 small brownies.

Shelf life: up to 2 weeks Recipe adapted from The Flying Brownie by Shirley Fan

These fruit bars received high marks from almost all of our tasters. I created a gluten-free version and, while the texture was slightly gritty, the flavor - thanks to the almond flour - was even better.

Almond, Fig and Apricot Squares

8 tablespoons butter

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour (see notes)

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg, room temperature

½ cup chopped dried figs

¼ cup chopped dried apricots

½ cup almond paste (not marzipan), broken into small chunks (see notes)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour an 8-inch square baking pan or line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two ends; set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter and continue cooking until it turns light golden brown and the butter takes on a slightly nutty aroma. Immediately remove from heat. Stir in the brown sugar, almond extract and vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Whisk the egg into the slightly warm butter mixture, then add to the flour mixture.

Batter will be thick. Fold in the figs, apricots and almond paste. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Once cool, using the overhang as handles, remove from pan and cut into 16 squares. Wrap bars individually in wax paper, parchment or plastic wrap.

Place wrapped bars in zip-close plastic bag or airtight container.

Alternatively, layer unwrapped bars in an airtight container, separated by layers of wax or parchment paper.

Shelf life: up to 2 weeks

Notes: For a gluten-free version, use 1 scant cup gluten-free baking mix such as Bisquick Gluten Free mix in place of the flour, reduce baking powder to ½ teaspoon and add 2 tablespoons almond flour.

Look for almond paste on the baking aisle near the canned pie fillings. Leftover almond paste will keep, wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator, for at least 1 month.

Recipe adapted from The Flying Brownie by Shirley Fan

Tasters were split on the sweet-tart-salty combination of honey-maple-coated oats, cranberries and pecans in this recipe. Those with sweet teeth liked the inclusion of the chocolate chips, but the others would have preferred to skip the chocolate chips. Everyone appreciated that this gluten-free granola came packed in a little reusable storage container that could double as a bowl.

Cranberry-Oat-Pecan Granola

2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 ½ cups dried cranberries

½ to ¾ cup roughly chopped salted, roasted pecans

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ cup honey

¼ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup pure maple syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, optional

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, cranberries and pecans.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the oil, honey, corn syrup and maple syrup. When the mixture comes to a simmer, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour over oat-cranberry mixture and, using a heat-safe rubber spatula, stir until oats are completely coated. Press mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake, stirring occasionally, 30 to 40 minutes or until browned.

Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Once cool, break granola into pieces. Transfer to an airtight container (add chocolate chips, if using).

Shelf life: about 10 days.

Everyone enjoyed these caramels, but the balance of coffee flavor was a topic of debate. Coffee lovers wanted more. Non coffee-drinkers found the flavor to be on the verge of too much. Use more or less espresso powder to suit your tastes.

Coffee Caramels

1 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons heavy cream

5 tablespoons butter

1 to 2 tablespoons espresso powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

¼ cup water

Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment or wax paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; set aside.

In small saucepan, combine the heavy cream, butter, espresso powder and salt. Heat, whisking frequently, until butter is melted and mixture is warm and combined; set aside. (A skin may form while the mixture sits; this is OK.)

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, and cook until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture turns golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Carefully add the cream mixture to the pan whisking constantly - it will bubble vigorously - and continue cooking until mixture reaches 245 degrees.

Quickly and carefully, pour the hot caramel into the prepared pan. Cool at room temperature until completely cool and set, at least 2 hours.

Using the overhang, remove caramel from pan and place on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut caramels into 1-inch pieces. Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap. Place wrapped candies in a zip-top bag or other airtight container.

Makes about 100 caramels.

Shelf life: about 1 month.

Despite its short shelf life, our recipients enjoyed the inclusion of cinnamon bread in their packages.

“It was a nice break from banana, pumpkin and zucchini bread - it didn’t have to bear the pretense of vegetables in it,” one tester wrote.

“… The sugar melted quickly away, leaving the cinnamon to linger like Jesus’ footprints on my tongue,” is how another taster put it.

“I loved that the bread was substantial enough to feel nourishing, with just enough sweetness to make it a treat. For breakfast, I smeared a few slices with butter and heated in the microwave.”

Cinnamon Spice Bread

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided use

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ cup vegetable oil

¾ cup packed light brown sugar PLUS 1 tablespoon

½ cup PLUS 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan or 3 miniature loaf pans.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon and the cardamom.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, ¾ cup of the brown sugar and ½ cup of the granulated sugar. Whisk in the buttermilk and eggs. Stir in the flour and whisk just until incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely. Remove from pans, wrap in plastic and then place in a zip-close bag.

Makes 1 standard loaf or 3 miniature loaves.

Shelf life: about 5 days.

No care package would be complete without the inclusion of savory treats. We’ve found mixed nuts are the most travel friendly, with a long shelf life and near universal appeal.

Old Bay Mixed Nuts

Vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon hot sauce

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups lightly salted nuts such as cashews, peanuts, almonds and/or walnuts

Heat oven to 300 degrees.

Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil.

In a mixing bowl combine the butter, Worcestershire, Old Bay, hot sauce and garlic powder. Add the nuts and stir to combine. Spread nuts out on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, stirring nuts halfway through.

Cool completely before packing in food-safe tins, glass jars or other airtight containers.

Makes about 2 cups.

Shelf life: about 3 weeks Recipe adapted from The Flying Brownie by Shirley Fan

To shake things up a bit I initially prepared this recipe using canned chickpeas instead of nuts, but the legumes’ texture didn’t withstand travel. The results when using nuts are smoky-hot and delicious. I used almonds, macadamia nuts and cashews, but any combination would work well with this recipe.

Spiced Roasted Mixed Nuts

1 tablespoon olive oil OR 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic-flavored stir-fry oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

¾ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) 2 cups lightly salted nuts such as cashews, peanuts, almonds, pecans and/or walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the oil, salt and spices.

Add the nuts and toss to thoroughly coat. Spread them out in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast 8 to 10 minutes, stirring the nuts halfway through. Cool completely before storing in zip close plastic bags or glass jars.

Makes about 2 cups.

Shelf life: about 3 weeks

Food, Pages 31 on 12/04/2013