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.

Great idea Peckish!!
Similar but different, I have done the Jar Mixes as gifts. Also, soups.
The recipients seem to like all, as a different twist to the home baking.

Though yours, Peckish, certainly have mine beat, for the no fuss, no mess, almost instant cookies!

Wow, Peckish! I love that idea of ready-to-bake cookies! I have a couple of men for whom this would be absolutely grand. Should the instructions tell them to put on a cookie sheet and defrost first? Or just bake frozen?

And the idea of shortbread cookies is a great one, too. Think I'll give both ideas a try this year.

What a fabulous idea!

Black Friday! My family gets together to make Lizzies, which is an old family recipe.
I don't make cookie trays, but my DMIL was a prolific baker-when she wasn't running the parochial school my children attended. Her deep freezer had tupperwares filled with brownies, cookies, and bars. If I had a function, she'd prepare a beautiful tray of assorted treats at a moments notice.
Occasionally, she'd prepare a complete meal to be picked up after work! Roast, gravy, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, and even rolls!
I miss her.

Just bake frozen. They can always bake the cookies a little longer if they want. But that's only the psychos, because who doesn't love a gooey warm chocolate chip cookie. 😆😆

I use to buy a frozen cookie dough from the bakery in the grocery store. That's how they get the dough, frozen. 5 (65 cookies, bakers dozen count) dozen per box. It sure was handy when the kids were in school I need to bake something to take to functions. They lasted a long time in the freezer. We had fresh baked cookies anytime.

I like your idea of cookie dough Peckish. :)

You are a genius ! What a great idea. I always have a batch of baked cookies in freezer to gift a grandchild & their family. Now I’ll do this & they can have warm cookies from their own oven !!!

Lol it's all because I got tired and lazy and tried to figure out a way of cutting back on the amount of work I do every Christmas. 😆😆

I know that my son would love this gift. I'm going to start now, so that I have several kinds of cookies for his box. What kinds of cookies work well?

If you're asking me, my cookie list is:
Chocolate chip
Oatmeal raisin
White chocolate gingerbread
Snickerdoodles
Cranberry orange

Roll the cookies that require rolling in sugar before freezing.

I recommend test-baking a cookie before freezing the dough, sometimes if the cookies spread too much I have to add flour to make them soft and chewy. Once you get the finished product you want, then freeze the dough.

Interesting trends from feedback I've received the past couple of years - women love the cranberry orange cookies, and men prefer the white chocolate gingerbread cookies, at least amongst my group of friends.

Never mind...I found your list of cookies that freeze well. :)

Today! I make cut out sugar cookies in the form of a snowflake with clear sugar crystals on top.

I was an accountant and December was long days at work. My baking consisted of meat/cheese trays, Chex mix, cheese balls, etc. My family actually prefers this over baked goods. Hershey kisses in red, green and silver foil works for me.

I keep ready to bake cookies in my freezer all year round, never even thought of sharing 😂! Thanks Peckish, a great idea for gifts in a pinch.
For Christmas I do trays of baklava and kourambeides which are a Greek melt in your mouth butter cookie topped with confectionery sugar. Made usually on the 22-23. Can’t make them sooner; I would eat them 😊