Mother's Day is the perfect excuse (if you needed one) to treat the most special ladies in our lives, and what better way than a delivery of delicious, home-baked goodies? Our collection is filled with wonderful ideas for cookies, brownies, oaty bars and buns that will survive a trip through the post. When your bakes are ready to go, wrap them in kitchen roll, cover them with foil, then pack them in an airtight container (plastic takeaway boxes work a charm). Put the tub in a larger cardboard box labelled 'perishable', fill the gap with bubble wrap, and you're good to go.
When your mum receives these impressive-looking fudge bites, she'll think they've been made by a professional. All you need to do is stir some good-quality, natural peanut butter into homemade fudge. Once set and cooled, cover the lot with chocolate, then sprinkle with a handful of coarse sea salt. You’re going to want to make extra so you can keep some for yourself.
Made from cornmeal, polenta cookies have a great yellow colour and a satisfying crunch. These ones are lovely and lemony, and super rich thanks to the lemon zest and egg yolk in the recipe. Top tip: remember to let these treats cool completely before you store and send, otherwise they could go soggy or mouldy before they reach their destination – and no one wants that.
Small and sturdy, beautiful shell-shaped madeleines will happily travel through the post. These ones contain cardamom, ground almonds and a hint of orange zest. They should be eaten as soon as possible after they’re made, so short journeys via express or overnight delivery are the way forward.
Get the recipe for orange, almond and cardamom madeleines here
So easy to make – and containing just flour, butter and sugar – shortbread is one of life’s simplest pleasures. Make Mother’s Day truly special this year with a delivery of these moreish, crumbly treats your mum is sure to love. Our recipe serves them alongside a watermelon granita, which you could make for yourself as a post-baking reward.
Who could resist a decadent dark chocolate brownie? Our recipe also gives instructions on how to make dulce de leche, but you can leave that part out if you’re planning on posting these chocolatey morsels. The brownies will last a good three to four days outside of the fridge.
Robust and likely to last a while, apricot and chocolate flapjacks are a foolproof option for sending in the post. Our recipe tops the flapjacks with a drizzle of white chocolate, but you could try experimenting with milk or dark chocolate too. When packaging them up, be sure to put a piece of baking paper between each bake so they don’t stick together.
A savoury and practical treat, these sesame bagels can be toasted at their destination and enjoyed with butter, cream cheese, jam or whichever other topping your mum prefers. They'll last for up to three days outside of the fridge, and can be frozen on arrival to make them last even longer.
When it comes to cookies, dark chocolate chips and walnuts are a winning combination. However, if you’re worried about warm weather melting the chocolate in transit, dried fruit would make a good (and equally tasty) substitute.
Unlike shortbread and butter cookies, sugar cookies aren't bendy or crumbly, which means they can be cut into delicate shapes like stars – and this also makes them the perfect durable cookies for sending in the post. Wrapping pairs of cookies in foil will help prevent pointy edges being broken off. Not keen on stars? Feel free to make your cookies any other shape you like!
Love the texture of brownies, but want to try something different? These white chocolate, peanut butter and banana blondies have the same squidgy centre, but a sweet peanut and banana flavour. Be very careful not to overcook them, as they can get overdone in the blink of an eye.
Get the recipe for white chocolate, peanut butter and banana blondies here
We love gingerbread because it’s super durable and lasts up to two weeks before it goes stale (there’s a reason people make gingerbread houses with it). It’s also a nice idea to shape the cookies into something meaningful like a favourite animal, or pipe a personal message using ready-made writing icing.
Made with oats, desiccated coconut and golden syrup, these crisp and chewy cookies are loaded with flavour and texture. If you bake a batch of these to post, they’re sure to arrive in tip-top condition.
White chocolate and dried cranberries go so well in soft cookies. You can use either gluten-free flour or plain flour, plus baking powder; some people say gluten-free makes for a better cookie. Here’s a mailing tip: don’t package soft and hard cookies together, as the moisture will make the hard cookies go stale.
Get the recipe for white chocolate and cranberry cookies here
These irresistible oat bars are made with peanut butter, banana, cinnamon, vanilla and desiccated coconut, giving them the most wonderful fruity flavour. They also contain no added sugar or fat, making them great for an all-natural treat.
Who wouldn't love to receive a delivery of cinnamon buns in the post? In our recipe, pastry is folded into gorgeous little knots, with cinnamon and cardamom-spiced butter spread between each layer. Allow them to cool completely when they come out of the oven so they don’t sweat en route – and be sure to pack them in an airtight container to prevent them from going stale.
These delicious brownies have a pretty contrasting effect, with golden peanut butter caramel swirled into the batter before they’re baked. Not only do they look good, but the combination of sweet and saltiness complements the rich chocolate really well too.
These glitzy mini bundt cakes are the perfect way to show your mum some love from a distance. Fruitcake is famous for lasting well, and these little treats are packed with chunky pieces of pineapple, dried fruit and spices for extra pizzazz. A drizzle of pineapple icing made from icing sugar and pineapple juice is a nice finishing touch, but you can leave out the edible gold glitter if you don't have any.
If your mom loves fiery flavours, why not treat her to a batch of ginger snap cookies? These ones have just the right amount of cinnamon and ginger to give them a little heat, and they're perfect with a hot drink. Not too thin or fragile, they should be able to survive a journey with a bit of careful packaging.
These sophisticated brownies are packed with dates and cardamom for a rich, decadent flavour. They also pack really well – wrap them in foil, then place them in a container with a sheet of baking paper (or kitchen roll) between each slice. If you’re going to post two different types of brownie, package them in separate containers so the flavours don’t mix.
These pretty pink cherry and poppy seed marshmallows just scream 'Mother’s Day' – plus, the taste is much more complex than anything you could buy, and they look so professional. Pack them into a tin or container lined with baking paper, making sure all the edges are covered in mallow dust (an icing sugar and cornflour mix) so they don't stick together. Note: these marshmallows won’t last as long as shop-bought ones, but they should be fine if shipped via express delivery.
With a chewy crust and a dense crumb, you won’t have to worry about these classic bagels getting squashed in the post. The dried cranberries and blueberries will taste wonderful topped with cream cheese or fruit jam when they arrive at your mum's.
Made with good-quality dark chocolate, these little brownies are egg and dairy-free, and they get their moistness from olive oil. They look particularly good cut into small squares – the perfect bite-size treat to enjoy with a coffee.
Made with filo pastry, these Middle Eastern sweets may look complex, but they're actually fairly straightforward to make. Let the syrup cool before packaging your baklava to prevent it from sticking together, and line your container with aluminium foil to keep it from moving around on the journey.
Big, soft and chewy, double chocolate cookies are always a nice surprise – and you won’t have to worry about these tasty treats getting squashed or snapping in the post. You’ve got a good few days before they go hard and stale, but you could send them via express delivery or overnight so they arrive quicker.
A fabulous gift, these buttery, cardamom-infused cookies look pretty a picture sprinkled with green pistachios and almonds. But be careful – even though they're hardy, they can be brittle, so wrap them gently. If a few do break in transit, they’ll still taste delicious, though.