Did you ever freeze your favorite cookie dough ahead of time? I try to freeze several batches before the holidays because you never know when you’re going to need them. Between Halloween and New Year’s, there’s so many reasons to bake. But if you do the prep work in advance, it will make the baking part a breeze. I like to thaw out my frozen cookie dough balls (on a sheet pan) on the counter top. It usually takes about 45 - 60 minutes. Then, I bake them as I normally do or slightly longer.

Check out this guest post from Stefanie from Lovely Little Snippets! She has a different way of baking them. I’ll have to try her method next time!

I really love homemade cookies, but I don’t love the cleanup that comes after… and I REALLY don’t love eating the whole batch in 2 days because they are sitting there! So I decided to try freezing the cookie dough, and it works! It was so nice to have fresh baked cookies without all the mess! I got the recipe here (my changes are in red) and then right after I rolled the cookies, instead of baking them, I placed them on a baking sheet (making sure they weren’t touching) and stuck them in the freezer for a few hours until they were frozen solid. Then I tossed them all in a gallon ziploc and threw them in the freezer! When I was ready to bake them here’s what I did…

With the oven OFF, arrange how ever many cookies you want on the cookie sheet and place in the cold oven. Turn the oven onto 400 degrees and set the timer for 10 minutes. The cookies will thaw while the oven preheats, and then watch them after the 10 min. is up. Mine took about 12-14 min one time, and then the next time they took about 16 min. So just watch them for the last few minutes. Let them cool, and enjoy the yummy cookies and your CLEAN kitchen! :)

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm (I use 6 tbs butter and 6 tbs vegetable shortening so that your cookies don’t end up too flat)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk (I just used 2 eggs)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I didn’t add that many)

Directions:

1. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven 325°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Roll a scant half-cup of dough into a ball. Holding dough ball in fingertips of both hands, pull apart into two equal halves. Rotate halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving ample room between each ball.

4. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes). Do not overbake.

5. Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Thanks for sharing your freezing/baking tips and recipe, Stefanie! Check out Stefanie’s blog Lovely Little Snippets and follow her on Facebook!

Comments

Anita says

September 20, 2011 at 9:14 pm

Why have I never frozen MY cookie dough? This is a great idea that I will be using. You are a smart cookie!

Beverly Waters says

September 20, 2011 at 9:25 pm

I like to freeze the cookie dough in balls like this. Also, when I take them out to bake I will spray a mini-muffin tin with cooking spray and put one in each cup. When they thaw bake until set. Makes perfect chocolate chip muffin cookies. These are always a hit.

- Jane says
  
  September 20, 2011 at 9:38 pm
  
  That’s a great idea, Beverly!
  
Lori Boone says

September 21, 2011 at 2:04 am

That is a great idea! Why have I never done that before!!!! Thanks for the idea!

The Better Baker says

September 21, 2011 at 9:11 am

I have done the freezing part, but not baking them while frozen part. Amazing concept! Thanks so much for sharing.

Susan says

September 21, 2011 at 9:15 am

That a great idea and a funny coincidence because I just tried freezing chocolate chip cookie dough this past week. Since we are empty-nesters, an entire batch is too much for just my husband and myself so taking out just a few to bake is perfect for us too.

Jolene says

September 23, 2011 at 2:21 pm

I do this all the time. My only problem is, when I pull the dough out to bake some cookies, half of them are gone!! My kids and husband like to pull the frozen dough out and eat it.

paul li says

September 23, 2011 at 3:21 pm

Mmmmhhh, irresistibly delicious! What a great combination.

lisa says

December 28, 2011 at 12:31 pm

did you melt the sugar and shortening like she did the butter or was yours just room temperature

- Jane says
  
  December 28, 2011 at 10:56 pm
  
  Lisa,
  I usually use room temperature butter & shortening.

Freezer Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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