[Joshie]

DS just got his first apartment. When Mom and I were there cleaning he walked over to the grocery store and purchased stuff. He was so cute. When he put stuff in the fridge he said it made it more like home.

One of the things he purchased was prepared cookie dough. The stuff is so expensive, and IMO, not good at all. I would like to make dough he can keep in his freezer. He likes to be hospitable and wants to "make" his own cookies for visitors.

Has anybody frozen cookies in a way similar to prepackaged dough? I'd like to make dough that breaks off into separate cookies in a way similar to prepackaged dough. I don't think he'd defrost a blob of dough and form it into cookies. Prepackaged dough is a rectangular piece of dough with scored squares that separate into individual cookies. Not sure how it works but the squares bake into circles.

Anybody tried it? I can wing it but would like suggestions from somebody who has done this successfully.

TIA

 

[TRAILRIDER]

You absolutely can do it. I have used many recipes from my cook books for cookies that you chill and slice before baking and just froze either the whole roll of dough or a portion. There are also recipes for cookie dough that can be frozen either in a tub to thaw and bake or in individual spoonfulls. Just search for it!

 

[Joshie]

I looked the other day and didn't find what I was looking for. I know I can freeze dough without problem but I don't want to have to package each piece of cookie dough separately. Knowing my boy, I know he won't scoop. It'd also be nice for him to be able to make three or four cookies if he wanted. When we were there the other day he baked six cookies at most. He won't scoop.

I guess I'll have to freeze little balls of dough. I'm afraid they'll stick together and I'd rather not have to put each blob of dough in a separate sandwich bag in a larger quart-size Ziploc bag. Oh, well. I'll just have to practice.

Ever notice we're picky eaters?

 

[TRAILRIDER]

How about freezing dough lumps on a wax paper lined tin and throwing them into a big plastic bag? Then he could grab a few, set them out for a bit to thaw and bake?

I made "No Fail Fudge" for Christmas one year...and it actually can Fail : ) So here I had all this fudge that wouldn't set. I added enough flour and an egg, figuring it had enough sugar, butter etc. and made a big tub of cookie dough. I portioned it out in smaller tubs. Then anytime I wanted 6 cookies I just grabbed a container, let it thaw and spooned out the dough onto my toaster oven tray. I baked them in my toaster oven and they were great! It was peanut butter fudge, so I had extra chewy peanut butter cookies!

 

[Ardie/WI]

I prep the cookie dough and make little balls (a teaspoon or so), put them on a cookie sheet and freeze them solid. I transfer them to plastic containers and pop that in the freezer with written directions taped on the top.

When it comes time to bake them, I put them on a cookie sheet on the countertop to defrost them and then bake.

 

[mammabooh]

I do the same as Ardie. Chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal/raisin...any of them will work just fine.

 

[MDKatie]

I do the same, freeze the balls of dough on a cookie sheet and when frozen put them all together in a bag or container.

You don't need to thaw them though, just put them in the oven to bake!

 

[PATRICE IN IL]

You can also pat it into a rectangle and score break lines cutting almost all the way through. Then wrap in plastic and freeze it. Just grab it out of the freezer and break off the number of cookies you want to bake then re-wrap the remaining cookie dough and put it back into the freezer.

If you make a whole recipe pat them out in several rectangles wrapping each rectangle separately. Store the dough in a zipper baggie to help keep it from getting freezer burn.

 

[Calfkeeper]

You can also make the logs (of the easier cut doughs), freeze, remove and slice, then re-wrap and put back in freezer in batches of a dozen or whatever. Then take from freezer, pry apart with knife and bake.

 

[Awnry Abe]

We make batches of toll-house cookies and just keep the dough in the fridge. It lasts for a real long time.

 

[PrettyPaisley]

You can also make the logs (of the easier cut doughs), freeze, remove and slice, then re-wrap and put back in freezer in batches of a dozen or whatever. Then take from freezer, pry apart with knife and bake.

We do this. I'll make a log then roll it in wax paper and then again in a plastic bag and freeze. Then cut from the log a cookie or two and bake.

But could you bake them then freeze? He could reheat in a toaster oven off whatever heating appliance he has in his room ?

 

[calliemoonbeam]

You can also pat it into a rectangle and score break lines cutting almost all the way through. Then wrap in plastic and freeze it. Just grab it out of the freezer and break off the number of cookies you want to bake then re-wrap the remaining cookie dough and put it back into the freezer.

If you make a whole recipe pat them out in several rectangles wrapping each rectangle separately. Store the dough in a zipper baggie to help keep it from getting freezer burn.

I vote for this. Even better, line a 9 x 13" pan with wax paper or foil and pat the dough out in it. Cut it in fourths or even smaller (since you said he only cooks a half dozen at a time), then score each section into squares. Put it in the freezer and when solid, lift it out and divide into sections and wrap each section individually.

When he wants cookies, he can either take them out to thaw half an hour ahead, or even easier just break them off frozen and add a few minutes to the baking time. You could do lots of cookies like this, chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, sugar cookies, snickerdoodles, hermits, etc.

I make double or triple batch cookie recipes, roll them into logs and keep in the freezer. When I need some, I just take the log out, slice off three thick slices, cut those slices into quarters and bake straight from the freezer, just adding a few minutes to the baking time, and they come out perfect, a dozen cookies in no time at all. I've been doing that for over 30 years. But a young person might consider even that too much trouble, lol. The above method is just like the storebought, only healthier.

 

[frogmammy]

My mom used to bake then freeze cookies for decades. There were ALWAYS cookies in the freezer, all you had to do was thaw and if you wanted warm cookies, just pop into the micro for a space.

Mon

 

[newfieannie]

I make the ice box cookies for my son also. I make many different types. he especially likes them with cherries. I bake them though before he comes to gather up his food for the month or every 2 weeks. he works straight out and just doesn't have the time. I also give him loaves. date, lemon stuff like that and of course his home made bread and cinnamon buns . very seldom he has to buy anything. he doesn't like store bought stuff anyway. I got him spoiled for that . ~Georgia.

 

[Joshie]

OK, I figured it out. I refrigerated the dough overnight then shaped it into 1" thick rectangles. Using a scraper, I straightened the sides of each rectangle. Using the scraper again, I scored 1" squares within each larger rectangle. I packaged the dough rectangles into separate waxed paper packages. This was a close to prepackaged refrigerated dough as I could get.

Well, I think it worked out OK. I ate some dough but DS hasn't made cookies yet. I'll try the same thing with my Great Grandmother's Icebox cookies.

 

[chickenmommy]

What Ardie said. It's what I do at work for cookies for events. We don't always have time or culinary student labor available to do it from scratch every time. Frozen balls are a huge time saver!!

 

[PATRICE IN IL]

For my Christmas baking I use Ardie's method. I take a few days and mix my dough then use a cookie scoop to plop dough balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment, then it goes into the freeze. Once the balls are frozen they go into a gallon zip lock bag then into a hard container.

When baking day arrives I just line my cookie sheets with parchment and place frozen cookie balls on the parchment, then I bake pan after pan of cookies. BTW, I bake about a 1000 cookies each year for gifts so doing it this way is a HUGE time saver. After the cookies are cool I store them in tins, I like the big popcorn tins. I place wax paper between the layers of cookies.

 

[Nancy]

I bake the cookies and put them in an old ice cream bucket. My grandkids know it's in the freezer and can help themselves to a few if they ask. They don't always let them thaw out before eating either