Reasons why freezing cookie dough is a great idea

Your best friend just arrived with a lot to chat about, or your kids invited friends over for a school project… No matter the occasion, there are always good reasons to have freshly baked homemade cookies, but there isn’t always time to make them.That’s why your freezer can be a great ally to get ready and fill your home with a sweet aroma in just a few minutes.Since not all cookie doughs freeze the same way, and you don’t always get ideal results, here are some tips so that the next time you make cookies, you can double the dough and save it for one of those special afternoons.What types of dough to freezeThe best doughs to freeze are those that have a lot of butter and don’t have too much beaten egg, like madeleines, or too much baking powder. It’s also not a good idea to freeze meringue-based cookies.Butter cookiesThese are the best to keep in the freezer. Generally, their ingredients are butter, flour, sugar, vanilla or cocoa powder, and sometimes, egg or yolk. To store this dough, shape it into logs and wrap them carefully, first with plastic and then with aluminum foil. They should be airtight to avoid absorbing odors or affecting their texture.You can coat the logs with sugar and cinnamon. To prepare them, cut slices of just under a centimeter thick, and they will look lovely once baked.We recommend this Pastisetas recipeCut-out doughsIf you love using all those cute cookie cutters you've collected, when the dough is ready, shape it into a rectangle about 4 cm thick and wrap it similarly with plastic and aluminum. When you’re ready to use the dough, place it in the refrigerator first, and when it’s ready, you can roll it out and cut it. This is ideal for Christmas gingerbread men.BallsMost chocolate chip cookie recipes require portioning the dough into balls or using an ice cream scoop, just like nut polvorones or oatmeal cookies.Shape the cookies as you usually do and freeze them on trays for about half an hour or enough time for them to feel firm. This same technique is very useful for piping cookies.Once they are ready, pack them into bags, trying to remove as much air as possible. This will make it easier to use just the right amount.We recommend these Brownie-style cookiesReady to bakePlace the balls or slices of dough on a non-stick tray covered with silicone paper or greased and floured. The time it takes your oven to reach the right temperature is generally what you need for them to be ready to bake.Calculate a couple of extra minutes to the usual time since you are starting with partially frozen or very cold dough.If you prefer, you can freeze baked cookiesLet them cool completely and pack them in an airtight container with wax paper between layers. This also works very well for brownies or cookie bars cut into individual pieces.In either case, it’s not a good idea to have uncooked or baked cookies frozen for more than three to four months. Enjoy them as soon as possible; you can always make more.