How To Avoid Cookie Baking Headaches This Time of Year

Introduction

With so many beautiful and festive winter holidays approaching, the thought of baking so many homemade cookies can become gut-wrenching. This is true for even the most celebrated cookie baker.

Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukah, or Kwanzaa, if you are the official cookie baker among your family, friends, co-workers, and community, they will expect your delicacies during these special times with hungry anticipation.

Even though you typically spend days upon days mixing, baking, and decorating your finest cookie recipes to give as gifts, to serve at parties, to contribute to cookie walks or exchanges, to leave for Santa, or just to have as snacks, your task is a daunting one.

With these beautiful holidays quickly approaching, I have ideas to motivate you to get started and great suggestions to help you become organized for your culinary task.

If you are interested in these things, read on!

Cookie Baking Ideas That Will Help You

If you follow this list, assistance is yours to embrace.

1. Make a list of the cookies that you will be baking. Be sure to write down what you plan to do with each cookie batch. For example, you need to know how many of a particular type you need to contribute to an exchange or cookie walk and whatever else you need each specific cookie for.

2. Once you know the types of cookies you will be making and the number of times you will multiply each recipe, develop your shopping list. Purchase all of your baking supplies. Remember to pick up detailed items like food coloring, parchment paper, and so much more.

3. As you are getting your supplies, be sure to visit a baking supply store. This will enable you to purchase specialty items like unique flavorings, various candy toppings, and unique cookie cutters. While you’re there be sure to pick up containers ideal for freezing cookie dough and cookies that have been baked. This would also be a good time to buy the festive cookie tins and cookie boxes that are required for gift giving.

4. Identify a series of days that you will use to mix all the recipes that you need. You can opt to freeze your dough in air-tight plastic containers or bags labeled with the date, type of cookie, and any baking instructions you want to add. This is especially true if others will help you with your baking task.

5. If you decide you want to bake and decorate the cookies as you go, be sure to carefully store them in labeled containers and freeze them. This way, they only need to be plated or boxed when you require them. (I find it surprising that there are cookie makers who don’t know that cookie dough and baked cookies freeze very well and can last a year or two if they are stored safely and securely in the freezer. I have kept cookies and dough in my freezer for a few years and have never had any problems with them. Uninformed bakers often bake mass quantities of cookies and store them in containers and bags without preserving them in the freezer. Sadly, these cookies quickly lose their freshness and become less appealing.)

6. If all of the cookie dough is placed in the freezer, you can simply bake what you need according to the events that you will be involved in.

I have more information to share to help you become an organized cookie baker.

Cookie Baking Is Not Just For the Holidays

All of the information that I have shared is not just useful during the holiday season. Here’s why:

- It’s always great to have frozen cookie dough on hand. There’s nothing like having homemade cookies when you want them at home. Plus, if you have children in your family, cookie baking is a great way for them to develop independence in the kitchen.

- The strategies that I shared above can be very useful for special events. For example, the region of the United States that I live in is noted for having elaborate cookie tables at wedding receptions. It’s a regional tradition to have family and friends contribute their cookie creations to the beautiful cookie table. Plus, homemade cookies are always a hit at receptions, meetings, and other celebrations.

- Sometimes the unexpected happens that requires you to contribute food. You may want to share food at a funeral luncheon or you may want to give your pastor or child’s teacher a box of cookies on their birthday. If you have cookie dough in your freezer, you simply need to spend a few minutes baking them and placing them on a platter or in a box.

It’s just great having cookie dough on hand not only during the holiday season but any time of the year.

My Final Thought

I hope that you realize that preparing cookies during the winter holiday season does not have to fill cookie bakers with so much anxiety that the joy of preparing them is stripped away.

All it takes is organization and the skillful preservation of cookie dough and prepared cookies in the freezer.

I hope you enjoy your cookie-making adventures and that this story helps you in some way.

If you enjoyed this story, consider sharing it on your social media platforms. Also, please consider adding a tip to help fund my work to increase family engagement in education.

I am also a content creator on YouTube. Be sure to visit my "Ignite Family Engagement" channel to view my videos related to the role of parents in education. Here is the link:

Thank you.

This story was originally published on Medium.com.