When do you start Christmas baking?
 

I'm planning to make some cookies to give to friends this year and am wondering about starting my baking soon. I plan to freeze a few but don't want them to be hard as rocks when defrosted. Hoping to make toll house chocolate chip cookies, some bars, and sugar cookies. What cookies freeze best for you?

Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, molasses crinkles have all frozen well for me.

I do not bake that often, so most treats are gone in days.

I would be skeptical of meringue type cookies. I've never made them, but I think they "weep".

I bake the day before I want to gift them. I don't do much baking for others not family though. I stopped when I was getting the I only eat vegan, gluten free, sugar free, or organic.

That does limit the options!

non-allergic omnivores are so much easier to feed!

I start planning now for my desserts on Christmas day. So far, I'm looking at making a cranberry tart with creme fraiche, and I'm also looking at making a sheet cake that looks like a Christmas card. I don't know what flavor yet...maybe gingerbread-pineapple with a cream cheese frosting and chocolate molded trees and animals.

I don't gift cookies, or baked goods. My dau does the cookie baking and I'm fine with that.

Add on all the allergies/sensitivities ... nuts, peanut butter, almost anything.
Plus there's all the food safety issues that factor into "feeding" others, when handling food.

Like you, I have backed off on the kindness of giving baked goods, casseroles and most any foods to others. Not that I don't do it, but I think long and hard before I allow myself. Hate it, but I fear the dangers that lurk!!!

I don't gift baked goods, but am the cookie provider for the two places we go on Christmas eve and Christmas day. I personally don't care for baked goods after they have been frozen so I do my baking the last week or so before Christmas so they are absolutely fresh. Crisp cookies will keep longer so I bake them first and the bars and soft cookies are not baked until the 22nd or 23rd. I know that it is hectic that last week, but it works for me since I am in the kitchen cooking anyway.

What I didn't say in my earlier post is that ........ yes I do Christmas baking and have done some already. Christmas Cake was made just after Canadian Thanksgiving. Did some shortbreads last weekend to have with tea for any drop ins. Some more ahead in the next few days.

Depending on what it is and when I think it will be eaten or given away, I keep them in the cupboard, frig and/or freezer!

Ok hear me out.

I make cookies for my friends, but I do not bake them. I scoop the dough into balls, freeze them, then vacuum-seal them in bags. With a Sharpie, I write the name of the cookie, the baking time & temp on the bag. Example "Snickerdoodles, 350° for 10 minutes".
The reason I give cookie dough is because EVERYONE overeats during the holidays. Church potlucks, work Christmas parties, cookie exchanges between friends, family get-togethers... My thinking was if I give frozen cookie dough, my friends could bake the cookies when they wanted to eat cookies, and the cookies would be warm and fresh out of the oven. Plus it frees up more time for me to do other things.

This has been a HUGE hit. My friends send me texts with pictures throughout the year (although I think the longest any of the cookies have lasted was Mother's Day) of their freshly-baked cookies, and they are SO appreciative. A couple friends have even told me privately it's their favorite "friends" gift they receive, and they look forward to the cookies every year.

The ones I make are:

Chocolate chip
Raisin oatmeal
Ginger cookies with white chocolate chips
Snickerdoodles
Cranberry-orange

Each set of friends (all couples) get a dozen of each kind of cookie.

Another tip - frost-free freezers are best for long-term storage. If you want to store items for longer than 6-8 weeks, a "frosty" freezer works best.

This is because of the way frost-free freezers work. They stay frost-free because the freezer sucks all the moisture out of the inside of the freezer. That way the moisture doesn't build up and freeze on the inside. However, this can cause freezer burn, even in foods that are sealed. The freezers that get frost buildup are a pain because you have to defrost them every year or so, but they're much better for longer-term storage.