Fundraising Tip of the Week: Everyone Loves a Bake Sale

Taking a tip from our elementary school days, we've found that a good, old fashioned bake sale is always a good fundraising tool. Come on, who doesn't love a delicious cupcake for a cause?! When planned and executed well, bake sales can be extremely successful.

Decide on the right location first - is it your work's cafeteria? outside of the grocery store on a beautifully sunny Saturday morning? at a town hall meeting? Once a location is selected, send out invitations to people you know might be near the bake sale, letting them know to stop by, indulge a little, and support an awesome organization.

Next comes the fun part - baking! Decide who is baking what...and stick to it! Having 8 dozen brownies does not a successful bake sale make. Insist on variety ( cookies, cupcakes, breads, brownies, etc. - I could keep going but my mouth is watering just thinking about all of these sweets). A little decoration never hurt either, people are drawn to the brightly colored icing and the sprinkles, so get creative! It is also good to add in some healthier treats, like fruit salad or apples dipped in peanut butter. Also, try to think of what people might enjoy with a cookie - milk, coffee, tea, hot cocoa, juice - these beverages are a nice and easy addition to your already fantastic bake sale.

Make sure that everything is wrapped cleanly - no one wants to buy the dessert that looks mangled and sloppy. Price appropriately. Post flyers around the area to draw more crowds. And voila!

For more tips, check out these great posts:

• http://baking.about.com/cs/hintsandtips/a/bakesales.htm
• http://www.bigredkitchen.com/2008/10/how-to-run-bake-sale.html
• http://www.diylife.com/2008/05/01/how-to-have-a-successful-bake-sale

Now, to get you started, here's the recipe for a Best Buddies Challenge Office Favorite: World Peace Cookies. Originally a product of baker extraordinaire, Dorie Greenspan, we are confident that these should be served at all conflict resolution meeting there is...they will change your life (I really love them). So get baking and with each tablespoon of sugar, remember how amazing it is that you are supporting the Best Buddies mission. Thanks from all of us...and feel free to send some treats our way.

World Peace Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.

2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.

3. Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough — for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.

4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking — just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)

Getting Ready to Bake:

5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

6. Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you're cutting them — don't be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.

7. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won't look done, nor will they be firm, but that's just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.