Author Topic: What are you likely to buy at a bake sale? (RECIPE ADDED) (Read 2912 times)

fishlipsmcgee · « **on:** October 02, 2006, 02:00:39 PM »

What baked goods do you usually like to buy at a bake sale and how much do you pay? I am planning on baking several items to donate to the bake sale at the annual spaghetti dinner & auction fundraiser for the greyhound group I adopted my Jenny from. I have some ideas of what I would like to make but I'd like to know what items usually go over well, how they are packaged and in what quantity, etc. Any ideas, tips etc. from anyone experienced in working or buying bake sale items would also help. Believe it or not I am a newbie at bake sales but I'm a great baker. Jenny has been invited to be one of the few greyhound ambassadors at the event so I will be busy with her all night and won't be able to volunteer to work any of the tables that evening so I would like to contribute baked goods to help raise funds.

If anyone in Michigan is interested the dinner and auction is on Oct. 21 in Berkley (12 Mile & Woodward area). Dinner is only $10.00 and is all you can eat and pop, coffee & beer is included. There are terrific auction items availible and I'm told last years event was really fun with over 300 in attendence. Come, eat and help save a greyhound!

http://www.greyheart.org/pasta%20dinner.htm

EagleEye · « **Reply #1 on:** October 02, 2006, 02:13:38 PM »

COOKIES with nuts, chocolate, coconut and all that good stuff.

I'd pay what you ask, it's all for a good cause right?
Do you deliver?

Steve

jclements · « **Reply #2 on:** October 02, 2006, 02:22:08 PM »

Brownies and Rice Krispy Treats, and what Steve described!

I did a bake sale in high school (less than 10 years ago!!) for a trip and made peanut butter cookies with a hershey's kiss pressed in the middle of each one, they sold super fast!! Here's a recipe online. http://www.donogh.com/cooking/cookies/hershey.shtml

Teresa · « **Reply #3 on:** October 02, 2006, 02:32:20 PM »

Depends on who will be there . . . . if it's kids and young people then cookies and cupcakes and brownies and package at least some of them in small (one or two cookies per) packages and sell separately. If it will be mostly adults then things like pound cake or fancy cakes or even pies will sell better.

fishlipsmcgee · « **Reply #4 on:** October 02, 2006, 04:35:53 PM »

It will be both adults and some kids (families) ~ kids eat free. The peanut blossoms are a good idea, I was thinking of those. They're yummy, pretty & easy to make. I was thinking of using those celophane bags availible in the baking dept at Michael's and making a decorative heavy paper tag on the computer to staple on the top with the name & price. Anyone else have any ideas how to package? How many cookies are normally in a package and what is the selling price? We are supposed to package, price & label them at our discression. Do you guys think cookies would sell better than something like a loaf of bananna bread? I was told the cupcaked didn't sell last year. That really surprises me. I think they would be hard to package. I plan on bringing several items so any help would be appreciated.

Steve, I have a recipe for a 7 layer cookie with all the things you mentioned and then some. They are delicious too. Will you be in Michigan on the 21st

? If not I could just give you the recipe.

Teresa · « **Reply #5 on:** October 02, 2006, 04:41:20 PM »

Neither of my girls will eat cupcakes or buy them. The little bags with one or two cookies sell for about 50 cents and brownies are usually about a dollar (or bigger cookies.) The kids are going to buy the little bags and they are going to sell their parents on buying them so the kids can eat them right then and there. Packages of a dozen or so cookies will be bought by the parents and a couple bucks (4 or 5) for 12 to 24 cookies beats the grocery store price and homemade makes them better. The adults are the ones who'll be buying things like cakes, pies and banana breads. At all the bake sales I've been to lately cakes go for about $10. I haven't seen much banana bread, but I'd sure buy it before I'd buy a cake (especially since my girls like it better), but I'm betting it won't go for as much as a cake. A smaller cake, like a pound cake won't bring as much as a good sized cake.

Esther · « **Reply #6 on:** October 02, 2006, 05:05:31 PM »

Yup, I baked for a garage sale/fund raiser to help a family who had a family member with cancer. I packaged everything in small quantities thinking the buyers would part with $1-$3 for a few cookies, brownies, or rice crispie treats, when they wouldn't part with $5-$10 for something large. I know when I go to one of those sales, I don't have a lot of money so like to get several things with my pittance. I also made lots of dinner rolls out of frozen bread dough. I have made bread from scratch so didn't have a problem shaping them. You'll get on to it quickly if you try it. The rolls had a homemade look so sold quickly. You could make cinnamon rolls out of it too. I have a cookbook that has gobs of ways to use that frozen dough. Do a search online.

And on the label, I also included the ingredients so that the purchaser would know that there was wheat flour, eggs, chocolate, or whatever so if they have allergies, they will know up front.

What about doggie treats? Get a bone shaped cookie cutter or just cut them in squares or whatever. People are a soft touch for things for their pets. I even bought a bag of rawhide doggie chew bones at Costco and packaged them in sandwich bags individually, and sold them for a lot more than the cost of the package. SHHHH, don't tell anybody.

Oh yah, I made some bananna bread, blueberry muffins, (or simpler, make the blueberry muffin batter up in tins like the bananna bread and cut the loaf in sections to sell or use those tiny tins) and Bran muffins with raisins. I didn't put nuts in anything because they are expensive and there are so many people with allergies to them.

I didn't do cake or cupcakes because of the mess with frosting and trying to package them. If you did cupcakes, you could fill them and not bother with frosting.

You could go to a bulk food place and purchase candy/gummy worms (whatever is on sale) and bag it up in snack size bags. Most adults are suckers for candy, if not for themselves, then for their kids or grandkids, especially if it is a small amount.

The stuff I made sold out completely. This was maybe in June. Yesterday I received an email from the family with the cancer patient. The patient had just received word that the treatment which originally was not expected to work has, and the tumor has shrunk to the point now that the doctors feel they can do a successful surgery. They hadn't been given much hope in the beginning. RAHHHH!!

Joyce · « **Reply #7 on:** October 02, 2006, 05:13:32 PM »

I go for the fruit pies and fruit breads.

At the last Historical Society Bake Sale,
(during the icecream social)
I bought this blueberry crisp thingamajig.

There was also a Peach Crisp, and if I didn't hesitate,
I would have brought it home too.
But as the old saying goes:
'He who hesitates is lost.'
Or in the case, SHE lost the Peach Crisp. :'(
In a matter of seconds, a big huge couch potato size man bought it.
Betcha it was gone in a single serving too.

Yup, there were a lot of mini bags of cookies, brownies and other 'bars' that were selling for about $1 a bag.
They went FAST!

Krista · « **Reply #8 on:** October 02, 2006, 05:16:57 PM »

that's great Esther!!!!

we love Nanaimo bar here!

jclements · « **Reply #9 on:** October 02, 2006, 05:38:40 PM »

McGee, please share the 7-layer cookie recipe. Sounds GOOD!

I would say maybe a half-dozen small cookies to a bag and 1-2 larger brownies or rice krispie treats to a bag. I'd be more likely to buy something in a smaller portion than say a big cake, plus, I'm picky. If a bag with 1-2 brownies is awful, I don't feel so bad about chucking it.

EagleEye · « **Reply #10 on:** October 02, 2006, 05:48:56 PM »

Fishlips,
I'd love the recipie

Thanks,
Steve

tinkster · « **Reply #11 on:** October 02, 2006, 05:57:29 PM »

chocolate.. then chocolate.. then more chocolate

tinkster

Teresa · « **Reply #12 on:** October 02, 2006, 06:12:38 PM »

Quote from: Esther on October 02, 2006, 05:05:31 PM

What about doggie treats? Get a bone shaped cookie cutter or just cut them in squares or whatever. People are a soft touch for things for their pets. I even bought a bag of rawhide doggie chew bones at Costco and packaged them in sandwich bags individually, and sold them for a lot more than the cost of the package. SHHHH, don't tell anybody.

That's the best idea yet! You've got a couple of great recipes for doggie treats, so package some up and label them as doggie goodies! They'll sell like hotcakes!!! Sell a couple in each bag for about $1 a piece - then send some down south!

Esther · « **Reply #13 on:** October 02, 2006, 06:24:53 PM »

What if you pressed one or two of those cute shaped pieces of dry catfood/dog food into each square/cookie for decoration? Run with it.

I cut slices of old hotdogs into quarters and dehydrate them for treats for my dog and for a way to get rid of hotdogs with freezer burn. So could pieces of meat be added to a treat batter? They would have to be stored in the refrigerator or frozen I suppose. I'm not necessarily suggesting this for the bake sale, just thinking out loud or typing out loud.

livetogarden · « **Reply #14 on:** October 02, 2006, 07:37:48 PM »

A friend of mine requested a pineapple upside down cake from me for a fundraiser a few years ago. Now I have requests for that whenever I bake for something. People have told me they never make them so are thrilled to get thier hands on one, that surprised me as my mom made them often and I do also so I figured others did too. I make them in 8 or 9" square disposable pans and if I remember correctly they marked them for $6. Also, 'Puppy Chow' sells like mad here both to kids and adults.
Cath

tinkster · « **Reply #15 on:** October 02, 2006, 07:47:38 PM »

something that people really like around here this time of the year is pumpkin rolls.. those are delicious and soooo easy to make.. they sell for 10. and up here.

tinkster

fishlipsmcgee · « **Reply #16 on:** October 03, 2006, 06:48:54 AM »

WOW! Holy cow, what a great response and great ideas (keep 'em comming). Thanks for the suggestion on the doggie cookies, Esther (I'm happy to hear the cancer treatment went well) I don't buy treats for Jenny, I make her homemade treats anyway without all the junk the store brands have in them and I had thought of making some to sell, especially since it's a fundraiser for greyhounds but I didn't know if other people would go for them. Thanks for the encouragement and good ideas about pressing cute shaped cat or dog food onto the cookies for decorations. Everyone had such great ideas, THANK YOU!!! Did I mention to keep 'em comming?

Here is the recipe for the 7 Layer Cookies. They are really easy to make and delicious. You can change the ingredients to suit your taste too or leave out something if you don't like it without ruining the recipe.

7 Layer Cookie Bars

1/4 lb butter, melted
1 C. graham cracker crumbs
1 C. semisweet chocolate chips ~ oh heck, just throw in the whole 6oz bag
1 C. butterscotch chips ~ oh heck, see above
1 C. chopped pecans or walnuts
1 C. coconut (the sweetened kind you buy in the bag)
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter a 9x13 pan. Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs and pat in the bottom of the pan. Next scatter the chololate chips on top of the crust, then the butterscotch chips, pecans and coconut. Drizzle the milk over the entire surface.
Bake for 25-30 minutes but watch it carefully towards the end of the baking time. The coconut should be golden brown but you don't want everything to get too dark. Be carefull not to underbake either. Cool and cut into bars.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #17 on:** October 03, 2006, 09:52:59 AM »

I've never been to a bake sale. If I did, I'd buy something that reminded me of my grandmothers. Berry pie, Rhubarb pie, Lemon anything. (Grandma Lou had five lemon trees in Phoenix)

I am scared of pie crust so pies are something I do buy as far as desserts go. I tried to not buy any since I am overweight but truly, I love pie.

I do have a customer that is a farmer's market/garden center/bakery/display garden/farm petting zoo/cider press and just bought some yummy apple cider donuts and berry scones.

Desertponder · « **Reply #18 on:** October 03, 2006, 10:29:11 AM »

I have never bought anything at a bake sale. Nope, never.

However, I have made things for bake sales.

When I was on one of the small fire depts. in the county a few years ago, we always sold chili, baked goods, hot chocolate and cider at the Christmas Parade of Lights as a fund raiser. Every year I made my Almond Toffee for us to sell. I would break it up and put about a half pound of it in small ziplock bags. These were a super seller and always sold out first. After the first year I made it, people would actually come back to our booth and ask if we had it again. It was a good money maker too. Another one of the members also did the doggie treats too and they did well. Most everyone did cookies or candy type items because people would buy it to eat at the parade.