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We started doing this about 20 years ago when we had a very TINY kitchen .... it was impossible to roll, cut, bake -- and then decorate (kids, etc.) at once.... unless I wanted the kids in the dining room over the carpet. Now they're all grown and away and we still do it this way!
I make the sugar cookie dough (or other doughs for cut-out cookies). Some I make ahead and refrigerate a day or so, depending on recipe.
Then I cover a large flat tray with heavy duty foil; start rolling and cutting the cookies - and place them (unbaked), not touching on the foil lined tray. I cover each layer of cookies with more heavy duty foil. I'll usually do about 10 layers per tray. Then I cover the whole thing with more heavy duty foil and put in freezer. Sometimes we have a couple of trays. It takes space but I plan for it .. I've had them in the freezer for up to about 1-1/2 months. I used to find time before Thanksgving .... but now sometimes its just a week or so. (Oh if you're careful you can keep and re-use that foil - as its nice big sheets and all it needs is a wipe-off).
I then prepare my icings and get the decorations out and get my husband ready to help -- and whoever else I can find. I take the out and bake -- some are still frozen -- so they need (like the comment above) a little more time - but by the time you get to the bottom - they're nicely thawed. So all I need is a small space for baking - and we have the whole counter and dinette table for decorating.
We find this 'less stressful' - and this way we can take more time and decorate as we like etc. Sometimes I do a special frozen tray for ones I want to bake earlier to mail to someone, etc.
We've had good luck with this.
I bake and freeze tassies (pecan, brownie, cranberry, etc.) Usually freeze them on a tray - and when solid, I will re-package into containers like tupperware, etc. They thaw out nicely.
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