Calling all Christmas cookie experts!

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I need your input on the best way to handle baking this Christmas.

DW Lauri wants to bake a large variety of Christmas cookies this year like she used to do but we have a bit of a speedbump in the way. Because of her decline in health, she can't stand for extended periods of time. Actually not for very long at all. So she can't do the marathon baking days she used to do.

We had thought about doing one type of cookie a day for 12 days (like the 12 days of cookies ) but then the cookies that were made at the beginning wouldn't be as fresh as the ones made at the end.

So, what would you suggest? We had thought about a few things and were wondering if anyone else has had success doing it this way. Could we:

A) Make all the dough first, mixing up several types a day and freezing it to be defrosted at the end for a day of baking when I would be home with Lauri and able to help. Does freezing hurt cookie dough?

B) Make all the dough like above but just refrigerate the dough - But would dough be okay sitting in the fridge for a week - 10 days?

C) Bake the cookies one type a day and then freeze the cookies - would they taste as good when they are thawed?

D) Go ahead and bake one a day and hope the first batches still taste good?

Thanks for your advice I have several co-workers drooling in anticipation of cookies

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Oh and if you do freeze or refrigerate cookie dough, how do you do it? What type of packaging? Ziploc bags? Saran Wrap? Aluminum Foil?

 

[C.Ann]

I used to be the "Queen" of marathon baking at Christmas time.. I would bake for at least 2 weeks straight before Christmas - hundreds and hundreds of cookies.. There were times that I started as early as December 1st..

I never froze any of them.. (Nor did my mom - "back in the day").. Just put them in airtight metal containers (like the kind they sell filled with cookies or fruitcake in the stores); Tupperware containers; the Glad-type containers; etc.. I then "stored" them in a spare bedroom (which was "cold" compared to the rest of the house).. Never had a cookie taste "stale" or "not fresh" until after New Year's Day..

Another friend used to store hers on her unheated front porch.. As long as you have someplace cool/cold to keep them - and they are in airtight containers - they will be fine.. I would go with the one type a day (or 2, if Lauri can do it - perhaps sitting down for the majority of the "making").. Any cookie dough that needs to be "chilled" before baking will hold overnight fine, so you could get a head start there as well..

The cookies will be fine - honest!

Glad to hear your wife is feeling well enough to really get involved in the Christmas season.. That's a very good sign..

Forgot to add: If you are chilling the dough overnight, you can just wrap it in Saran Wrap..

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Thanks for the hints, C.Ann. We do have a few rooms we don't heat since we are never in there so that will come in handy.

I'm hoping this will improve her mood. We decorated one of our Christmas trees today but she still didn't seem like her old self.

 

[EthansMom]

I agree with C. Ann that you can make some doughs ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator overnight... sugar cookie and gingerbread dough refrigerate pretty nicely.

I made up gingerbread the week before Thanksgiving. Due to other stuff going on, I didn't have one big chunk of time to make the cookies. I ended up mixing the dough one night then refrigerating the dough, making/baking the cookies the next day and storing them in ziploc bags, and frosting the cookies on day 3. They were great!

One thing I would caution if Lauri still isn't feeling well.... Don't overdo. Rather than planning to bake cookies for 12 days in a row, perhaps she could just make a few of her favorites. It's one thing to WANT to do the same stuff you always have and another to be feeling good enough to do all of those same things. I'm recovering from pneumonia and I've had to admit to myself that some things are just NOT going to get done.

 

[C.Ann]

Thanks for the hints, C.Ann. We do have a few rooms we don't heat since we are never in there so that will come in handy.

I'm hoping this will improve her mood. We decorated one of our Christmas trees today but she still didn't seem like her old self.

-------------------

You're very welcome.. And I agree with not letting her overdo.. The last thing you want is for her to end up in the hospital for Christmas because she pushed herself too hard..

It's going to take time - lots of time - for her to "seem like her old self".. Just be patient - thankful that she is in good spirits - and try not to let her get carried away with wanting to do it "all"..

I hope the two of you have a WONDERFUL Christmas!

 

[Kimberle]

I start making my cookies after Thanksgiving. I always freeze them. They are just as good as fresh out of the oven.

Hope Laurie feels better.

 

[amyy]

I don't know if you guys are looking for any new receipes but I have a good one where you have to freeze the dough (at least over night). You make the dough, divide it into three parts and color each part, layer in a loaf pan and freeze. Then next day you cut and bake. Later that day or the next day I dip part of them in chocolate. Everyone at work liked them because they were different and they looked really nice too. If you you guys want a new receipe just send me an email.

 

[chrisw127]

Spritz cookies freeze really well. I'm usually the freshness queen around our house and would be hesitant to give away baked goods that have been frozen, but I don't mind freezing these. Do you have a cookie press? You can make a ton of these very quickly.

One thing, while cookies that are decorated with sugar and spinkles freeze fine, you won't want to freeze any with frosting.

Good luck. Hope cookie baking makes your wife feel better.

 

[chrisw127]

Another thing, the NY Times did a piece a few months ago about making the perfect chocolate chip cookie and one thing they found was that the texture of cookie dough actually improves if it's been refrigerated for a while (in this case, I think they had them in the fridge for 5 or 6 days). Something about how the gluten and the fat mixes together over time giving it an ideal texture.

I sort of wondered this myself, as I noticed in the past that if I made a batch of cookies but didn't have time to bake them, they actually tasted better if they sat in the fridge for a day or two.

 

[Goofyzgurl]

Last Christmas I baked the cookies then put them in the freezer in a zip lock bag. They tasted great. You could also buy the premade sugar cookie dough and "doctor" them. One recipe I saw on foodnetwork called for pistachios and cherries. That's one I think I'm going to try, I just don't have the energy this year, with trying to keep up with two energetic kids and their activities and baking and decorating for Christmas.

 

[FroggyinArk]

i'm thinking maybe someone should be calling a few near by friends who love to bake and planning a few seperate cookie days. i know one of htem has a really cool antique cookie press...........

 

[lovetoscrap]

i'm thinking maybe someone should be calling a few near by friends who love to bake and planning a few seperate cookie days. i know one of htem has a really cool antique cookie press...........

I was thinking the same thing. . 3 Gimpy ladies that can't stand on their feet for very long on a marathon baking session. We may have to get ML a boot though.

We could each make a few batches of dough at our house the day before and then get together and scoop and cut and bake. I even have 2 little elves that could help if we wanted some able bodied workers!

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I did a little "Googling" and found these articles which have been reprinted or posted in quite a few different sites. It makes it seem easier, but that remains to be seen.

http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com/bake/assemblyline.php
http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com/bake/hasslefree.php

Froggy, you know how redheads are. They are too stubborn and want to do things their own way

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

I was thinking the same thing. . 3 Gimpy ladies that can't stand on their feet for very long on a marathon baking session. We may have to get ML a boot though.

We could each make a few batches of dough at our house the day before and then get together and scoop and cut and bake. I even have 2 little elves that could help if we wanted some able bodied workers!

Like you guys would get anything done!

We'll see what she decides in the next day or two and whether she's going to tackle this or not

 

[Shugardrawers]

i'm thinking maybe someone should be calling a few near by friends who love to bake and planning a few seperate cookie days. i know one of htem has a really cool antique cookie press...........

Why yes! Yes she does! It came from a one eyed Frog and his lovely wife and gets quite a workout

Ok, first, let me get this out of the way:

IS SHE FREAKING NUTS?? don't answer that DO I HAVE TO POUND IT INTO HER RED CEMENT HEAD THAT SHE ISN'T SUPER HUMAN?? GOOD GOD WOMAN, RESPECT YOUR LIMITS!!

Ok, now, yes, I would be very happy to come and help out and I bet it wouldn't take much arm twisting to get another cripple to come with me

Most doughs don't freeze too well but they do keep fairly well in the fridge for 3 or 4 days when wrapped tightly in cling wrap. I'd advise you to stick more with drop and bar type cookies (much less work) and make the doughs every few days rather than all at once. It would be easier on her body too. The way I ship my cookies hasn't let me down and even the ones I send to Iraq and Afghanistan stay pretty fresh and they can take up to a week to get there. Lots of cling wrap and sealed in gallon zippy bags, nothing fancy. I do have to say I'm LOVING my hand held sucker thingy the Reynold's Handivac and found it works darn well with this kind of thing too. The sucker thing is pretty cheap and since I wash and reuse the bags when possible it's not a bad way to go

 

[FroggyinArk]

oh yeah btw obi when this thing finnally makes it out of my living room to yours.. i am including a little genuine store merchandise for you in ml's gift..lol

 

[psammie1025]

Hi,
I bake between 6 & 8 differnet cookies each year & between a bad back & work, I can only do one recipe per baking session. So, I bake one recipe, and cool them & then put them into a lagre rubbermaid container with wax paper between each layer and freeze them. I never mix the types of cookies in the containers, only 1 cookie per box & I never have any problems. They are fresh as can be for all my cookie trays. Good luck!

 

[disneybound2010]

I come from a loooong line of crazy marathon bakers. We tend to make about 10 different types of cookies every year starting the day after Thanksgiving. I can't remember a single year that we have ever had to freeze any cookies and we use pretty much any container we can get our hands on(those popcorn tins are GREAT for stocking the cookies!) Our trick is to add a slice of bread to the containers and this keeps the cookies moist and fresh the whole time. Keep an eye on the slice of bread and if it starts to dry out just replace it, but it usually takes about 2 weeks for the slice to really dry out. Seriously, it takes the hassle out of freezing and thawing and it really does keep the cookies fresh and ready to eat at any time!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Like you guys would get anything done!

We'll see what she decides in the next day or two and whether she's going to tackle this or not

That is why I said I could bring my two elves. They can make the cookies and clean up while ML, Shug and I just sit around and drink mai tais