Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox
The holiday season brings out the best and worst in us.
Are we stressed beyond all get-out?
Do we love every minute of it?
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(Consult this handyhow-to guideto the matter.
)Generally, most recipes will be best if baked and then frozen.
And as a rule,slice-and-bake cookiesdo well when freezing the dough logs for later use.
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Those are the rough guidelines to live by during the cookie-baking season.
Here are 33 of our best-ever make-aheadChristmas cookie recipesthat freeze well.
This recipe makes four dozen, which makes it perfect formake-ahead food gifts.
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After defrosting, you might need to re-roll in powdered sugar.
Cranberry-Orange Butter Cookies
Add an extra festive note to classic butter cookies with cranberry and orange.
Freeze the rectangular roll of the dough before thawing it to slice and bake later.
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For an extra festive touch, use sparkling sugar on top of the cookies.
The high fat content in these buttery shortbread bites make them perfect for freezing.
This recipe creates a brownie in cookie form.
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The flourless cookies are gluten-free and filled with chopped pecans and melted chocolate.
When freezing these cookies, see to it that they are double wrapped for best results.
They freeze well too; store in an airtight container up to three months.
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Bourbon balls are perfect for gift-giving or cookie swaps, and this recipe makes two dozen.
you might’t beat a recipe with only four ingredients.
Snowflake Sugar Cookies
Nothing says Christmas like a batch of iced snowflake cookies.
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It’s best to bake these cookies, then freeze them.
Leave the icing until after thawing these snowflake sugar cookies.
Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
Four ingredients?
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Even more of a reason to whip up and freeze a batch on any autumn afternoon.
This recipe is the perfect cookie to have on hand for any unexpected guests or drop-bys.
Grandma’s Chocolate Drop Cookies
These drop cookies are a classic.
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Customize the dough to your preferences, such as extra chocolate or nuts.
These cookies are soft, cake-like, and flavorful.
Keep the slice and bake dough frozen until you are ready.
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After slicing the dough, you’re gonna wanna place the pecans before baking.
Before removing it from the stovetop, wait until the butter turns a creamy golden hue.
This tip will give your chocolate chip cookies the chewy, crisp texture you want.
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Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container for up to two months.
They’ll look merry and bright in your cookie tin or on a cake stand.
Because of the high oil content, these cookies keep well.
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White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Jennifer Causey
These white chocolate and cranberry cookies are perfect for the holidays.
Chopped chocolate chunks hold their shape better than chips when baked.
Chilling the dough before scooping it will help the dough to be less sticky.
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Easy Spritz Cookies
It doesn’t get much more nostalgic than spritz cookies.
Many remember making these simple and delicious cookies with Grandma.
These cookies are classic for a reasonthey’re delicious.
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Have fun decorating these sugar sandwich cookies in your favorite holiday sprinkles.
When adding sprinkles to the dough, let it chill for at least eight hours.
This recipe makes four and a half dozen cookies, so there is plenty to share at cookie swaps.
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Allow cookies to cool on a wire rack.
Make the cookie dough in advance to focus on your decorations.
Chill anywhere from two hours to two days.
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No-Bake Fudgy Toffee Bars
“No-Bake, “Fudgy,” and “Toffee?”
Sounds like a Christmas miracle to us.
Cranberry Noel Cookies
Shredded coconut and dried cranberries make this cookie recipe a no-brainer come December.
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Freeze the dough logs for up to a month before baking.
Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool and store them in an airtight container.
The key to this recipe is browning the butter.
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After assembling, remember to chill the dough before scooping out dough balls to bake.
This classic duo shines in this straightforward recipe.
you might have wonderful cookies to share with family and friends in under an hour.
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Monster Cookies
Nothing scary about these Monster Cookies.
In fact, they’re loaded with candy-coated chocolate pieces which sounds pretty inviting, if you ask us.
For more freezer-friendly meals, check out oureasy freezer recipes that reheat beautifully.
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