This post is sponsored by Nordic Ware.
I often put things off until the last minute (I can be a chronic procrastinator) but holiday cookie baking is always something I prepare for well in advance. It appears many of you do as well, as making cookie dough in advance is one of the questions I receive the most. I’m excited to share all of my tips and tricks with you, featuring the five most popular holiday cookies on my site!
- Chewy Neapolitan Cookies
- Buttery Vanilla Shortbread
- Cardamom Chocolate Sugar Cookies
- Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies
- Double Ginger Molasses Cookies
I start making cookie dough in November, taking a few hours on a Saturday and making family favorites for Thanksgiving. I freeze the dough, and then bake off as needed. Whenever the dough starts getting low, I take another afternoon and make more, re-making any favorites that only come out for the holidays, and then new ones in rotation. In December I work on even more cookie dough, as I make boxes for all the neighbors and spend more time with loved ones. I spend a few days making dough, and then bake the morning of the box giving and a few days before our family gatherings.
In years past I have spent my time making dough, freezing it on a sheet pan in a single layer, then moving it to plastic bags once the dough is frozen solid, which can be a cumbersome amount of steps. But I’ve found a better way – I can now streamline this process with cookie sheets that have lids!
These are the Naturals® Baking Sheets with Lids from Nordic Ware, and I am not exaggerating when I say they’ve made my baking life so much easier. I have had them for several months, and have used them for SO many things, such as meal prep, transporting piles of cupcakes to my niece’s birthday, a casual dessert serving tray for get-togethers, and of course, freezing and baking cookie dough. I am now able to freeze cookie dough and bake it off in the same pan, which not only saves time but greatly reduces waste.
And you can do the same with the exclusive 6-piece set that I put together with Nordic Ware! I’m so excited about this special set we’ve put together because it’s everything I reach for when I’m baking cookies, including the lids I rely on for freezing and storing them. It includes my go-to Naturals® Big Sheet, Half Sheet, and Quarter Sheet, each with its own clear, press-on lid, so I can bake, stack, chill, or transport cookies without juggling a bunch of containers. The pans are made from pure, uncoated aluminum, which is why they bake so evenly and give that perfect golden edge. They heat up fast, cool down fast, and don’t keep cooking the cookies once they’re out of the oven (a must). And the reinforced rims? Truly the only pans I own that never warp. The clear lids make it easy to see what’s inside and keep everything protected—whether I’m freezing dough or heading to a holiday cookie swap.
Tips for Freezing Cookie Dough:
Different freezer types will need different sized pans. I have a bottom freezer drawer that easily holds the Nordic Ware Naturals® Big Sheet Pan, but my previous top freezer worked best with the half and quarter baking sheets. A side door fridge will be able to use the quarter baking sheets. The pans also stack well in the freezer, and are easy to locate.
Most cookie dough freezes well! Scoop your cookies as directed, then place them on a lined Nordic Ware sheet pan in a single layer. (I find that using a nice cookie scoop to make all your cookies the same size and shape makes them look more professional and helps save space.) Cover with the plastic lid, and freeze for up to two weeks. Bake as directed, letting the cookies sit out at room temperature while the oven preheats. The cookies will need an extra minute or two if baked frozen.
Tips for Freezing Baked Cookies:
Most baked cookies also freeze well. After baking, make sure your cookies are completely cool, then place them on a lined sheet pan in single layer. Cover with parchment paper, and lay more cookies on top in a single layer. Cover with the plastic lid, and freeze for up to 1 month. Move them to the refrigerator the night before serving.
Over the last decade of making cookies, I’ve come to rely on Nordic Ware’s Naturals® baking sheets; these are the only sheet pans I use in my house for cookie baking. Their half sheet pans are not only beautiful, but durable and well-made, and they always bake evenly. I have found cheaper-made pans just don’t hold up as well over time, as they buckle or warp, and my baked goods often suffer. I have never had that experience with my Naturals pans and they are a great life-time investment.
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