FREEZING COOKIE DOUGH TO USE FOR ANOTHER DAY!

   This diy comes from www.mykitchenaddiction.com .  Sometimes we all could use a little more knowledge.  You can never learn enough, especially when it comes to baking.  The more you know the better your next batch of cookies, or that 3 layer cake will be.  Learning is a nonstop cycle if we want to get better in our techniques.  Good luck!

Freezing Cookie Dough

 



   Since the holiday baking season is officially in full swing, I thought I’d share a holiday baking tip with you this Wednesday!
   With Christmas over a week away, it’s still a bit early for me to start doing all of my holiday cookie baking. I don’t want my cookies to taste stales when my friends and family bite into them. But, I also want to get a head start on my baking. I bake a lot of cookies for Christmas, so I don’t have time to do everything in the last few days.
In the past, I have tried baking ahead of time and freezing the baked cookies until I’m ready for them. It seemed good in theory, but I always felt like the frozen cookies just didn’t taste as fresh as I would like. Maybe it’s in my head since I have a bit of a thing about hating cold food (and it doesn’t get much colder than frozen). I can’t take that risk with my Christmas cookies, though!
   So, instead of freezing the baked cookies, I simply freeze the dough prior to baking! Simple, right? I mix up my cookies ahead of time, and then freeze the dough in small batches. So that I can pull it out and bake it later. It’s all of the convenience of store-bought, pre-made cookie dough, except that it’s homemade, from scratch cookie dough!

   Freezing cookie dough works for me when I’m prepping for the holidays, but it’s also great to have on hand when I just want a few freshly baked cookies. Instead of freezing the cookie dough in one large brick in the freezer (which you can do, if you want), divide the dough up into smaller batches with just enough dough for about 1 sheet of cookies. Most recipes tell you how many dozen cookies the recipe will make, and a sheet pan will typically hold 1 dozen cookies, so you can use those numbers to help you out a bit. For example, for a recipe that makes 4 dozen cookies, divide the dough into 4 equal portions for the freezer!

Freezing Cookie Dough
Here’s what you’ll need to freeze your cookie dough…

• Waxed paper (or parchment, but waxed paper is typically cheaper)
• Clear tape
• Plastic wrap
• Masking tape or labels
• Permanent marker

First, wrap the cookie dough in the waxed paper and secure with the clear tape. Wrap again with the plastic wrap (I usually double wrap with the plastic wrap because I can be a bit OCD at times). Be sure to label cookie dough with the masking tape/labels and the permanent marker. Even if you think you’ll remember what it is, label it anyway. Trust me, in a few weeks, you’ll be glad that you labeled it!
You can leave the dough in the freezer for about 2 months. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, leave the dough wrapped as it thaws. It doesn’t have to thaw completely, just enough that you can break off a piece and shape/roll the dough. Bake as directed in the recipe.