This year I am doing things a little differently. I am mixing cookie dough and freezing it for later use. This way, it is simply a matter of defrosting the dough and baking the night before.
Even if you do not have children, this is still a good way to quickly prepare items for bake sales, office parties or for any event that you know will be coming up. It doesn't even have to be an event it could simply be the desire to have fresh baked cookies anytime!
With the exception of thin cookie batter, most cookie dough freezes well and can be kept in the freezer for four to six weeks. One of the most important things you’ll want to avoid is the absorption of orders in the freezer. The next most important is preventing freezer burn. To prevent this, I like to wrap the dough or frozen cookies with plastic wrap before placing them in freezer bags or placing them in “doubled” freezer bags. If plastic wrap is not available aluminum foil works well also. (I have been known to wrap in both…better safe than sorry!).
The easiest method that I have found for freezing cookie dough is to line a cookie or baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper and using either a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, scoop dough onto the paper, cover with additional waxed paper and put the cookie sheet into the freezer for thirty to forty-five minutes (depending on the temp setting of your freezer). Remove from the freezer and place in freezer bags. I would recommend placing the dough into “doubled” freezer bags. It is a good idea to write the contents on the bag along with the date you placed it into the freezer and a “use by” date. The “use by” date is the date of the maximum time the dough can be frozen.
For cookie recipes that require the dough to be refrigerated and then sliced, I usually freeze as a “log”. Simply shape the uncooked dough into a log, wrap in aluminum foil and/or plastic wrap, put into a freezer bag or freezable container and place in the freezer.
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