right about now, I think most of us are super excited about holiday bakingWe’re imagining pulling tray after tray of perfect cookies out of the oven, the wonderful aromas filling the house, and what fun it will be to frost, glaze, and sprinkle all those festive treats. But every year reality sets in pretty quick ~ carving out the time to shop for the ingredients, make the batter, bake, and clean up the huge mess is a challenge. That’s why freezing cookies and cookie dough is such a smart idea. It’s especially genius during the holidays, when a leisurely Sunday afternoon of prep can set you up for the busy season ahead. the good news: most cookies and cookie doughs freeze well because there is little to no water content in them.Water expands when it freezes and then contracts again when it is thawed. That expanding and contracting can ruin the texture of frozen food, but most cookie doughs will not have this problem. Follow the tips below for your specific type of cookie and feel confident that your frozen cookies will come out perfectly. Note: the window for freezing cookies is a little shorter than for most foods ~ it’s about 3 months. freezing slice and bake (refrigerator) cookiesSlice and bake cookies are a great choice for freezing, most of my shortbread cookies fall into this category. You have a couple of options with this kind of cookie…
PRO TIP: ~ when storing frozen cookies in zip lock freezer bags, push as much air out as possible before completely zipping up the bag. Air is the enemy of your frozen goodies! Removing excess air helps keep the cookies fresher longer and helps prevent freezer burn.Maple Walnut Shortbread Cookies Most drop cookies like snickerdoodles, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookies freeze beautifully. Once frozen you can pull them out singly or by the dozen. Freezing can actually enhance the chewy texture of this kind of cookie so it’s a win win.
PRO TIP: You don’t have to thaw your frozen cookies before baking. They’re small enough that they thaw quickly in the oven and bake normally. They generally need an extra minute or two of baking time.Chewy Ginger Cookies freezing coated cookiesYou can freeze classic Christmas cookies that get coated in powdered sugar (like Russian Tea Cakes) but it is best to freeze them before baking and coating.
PRO TIP: the bakers at Pillsbury suggest using separate containers for each type of cookie to avoid mingling flavors. One rogue peppermint cookie can do a lot of damage to an assortment!Cardamom Walnut Crescent Cookies freezing rolled and cut cookiesFor cookies that you roll out and then cut out with a cookie cutter, you have a few options…
PRO TIP: Freeze baked sugar or gingerbread cookies ahead of time for a cookie decorating party. Thaw them on the counter for an hour or so and they’re ready to decorate!Easy Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing freezing glazed cookiesGlazed cookies like my Maple Glazed Oatmeal Cookies freeze beautifully.
PRO TIP: place waxed paper between layers of glazed or decorated cookies to avoid marring the surface.Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies freezing royal iced cookiesFreezing royal iced cookies is a little tricky, but they can turn out alright. Some bakers find that the icing colors can run, or spot, after freezing, but others do not. You might try freezing a test cookie to check.
PRO TIP: Yes you can freeze baked cookies decorated with royal icing. Puts each cookie in an individual freezer bag, and then stack the bags in a freezer container for extra protection. Thaw the cookies in the bags, in the container, at room temp for several hours before unwrapping.Holiday Sugar Cookies freezing sprinkled cookiesThere’s much debate on this question. Some cooks do it successfully, some recommend against it. I think the answer is that it depends on your sprinkles; some are made with dye that tends to run if exposed to any type of condensation or moisture, which can happen during freezing and thawing. You can feel safe freezing cookies with decorative sugar, and white or silver sprinkles and nonpareils.
PRO TIP from LandO’Lakes ~ the butter experts recommend double wrapping cookies in plastic wrap, and then in freezer bags for best protection.Sprinkle Sugar Cookies freezing filled cookiesSandwich cookies, thumbprints, and other filled cookie are problematic to freeze because the filling texture can be affected by freezing. It kind of depends on the filling. Jam fillings are not a good choice.
PRO TIP: be sure to take a minute to label your freezer bags and containers, it will save headaches later. If possible include the baking time and temperature so there’s no guess work.Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies freezing baked cookiesMost cookies do well being frozen after they are baked. Simple cookies like shortbread, gingerbread, sugar cookies, oatmeal cookies, and chocolate chip cookies all freeze well once baked.
PRO TIP: heat thawed baked cookies in a 300F oven for a couple of minutes to revitalize and re-crisp them. This works for unfrosted and uncoated cookies only.Soft Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies cookies you should not freeze!
PRO TIP from Betty Crocker ~ the folks at Betty Crocker suggest you “avoid freezing cookies that are known for their delicate texture such as meringues. And beware of freezing cookies that are coated with chocolate. They’ll taste fine after thawing, but they may have a white-color haze (known as bloom) that will make them not-so-great as gifts.”Easy Cocoa Meringues Do sugar cookies freeze well?Most cookies do well being frozen after they are baked. Simple cookies like shortbread, gingerbread, sugar cookies, oatmeal cookies, and chocolate chip cookies all freeze well once baked. Make sure your cookies are completely cooled first. Flash freeze the cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet.
How do you freeze decorated sugar cookies?After your cookies are baked and iced with royal icing, they can be frozen. Once your iced cookies have completely dried, place them in an airtight container, like a plastic freezer bag or Tupperware, with sheets of waxed paper in between any layers, and pop them in your freezer.
How long can I store decorated sugar cookies?Fridge. Again, I don't really recommend keeping your cookies in the fridge due to moisture. However, decorated sugar cookies can last 7 days in the fridge, but are best enjoyed within the first 3 days so you don't risk the decorations running and bleeding.
Can you freeze cookies for 6 months?Wrap the container in foil and slide it into a plastic bag to make it even more airtight. The less air that gets in the package, the "fresher" the cookies will stay. Cookies can often retain their flavor and texture for up to 6 months.
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