Holiday Baking with Ease

Isn't the idea of easy holiday baking an oxymoron? While baking cookies during the holidays certainly adds another item to the to-do list, for many people it is the only time of the year that they put their sheet pans to work and reward themselves with homemade treats. Approaching the season's baking as an opportunity to try something new and relish in the festivities allows you to shift the tradition from an obligation to a delicious moment. Along with a good attitude, there are also a few tricks that will allow you to create homemade cookies with a little less stress. Number 1) Make your dough ahead of time and store it in the freezer. Place the dough in plastic wrap and roll into a log shape. Place the wrapped dough in a Ziplock bag and label it with the flavor and date. The frozen dough will last for a couple of months. When you are ready to bake, just slice the dough and place it onto your cookie sheets straight from the freezer. In addition to saving time during the hectic shopping season, you can bake only what you need and save the leftovers for another day. Number 2) Limit the varieties you make. While it's great to have a selection of cookies displayed carelessly on a platter, the more varieties, the more work. Select a favorite flavor and make it every year. If you have time, make a second variety that changes every year so you can try new recipes. 3) Choose simple recipes. Drop cookies take the least amount of time, so consider making them instead of a cutout or a very complex recipe. 4) When all else fails, take the Cake Doctor's advice and apply it to cookies. Add Chai spice to pre-made sugar cookie dough, or dried cherries to a dark chocolate chunk flavor. Although not nearly as good as the real thing, just about any cookie takes good hot, so make them as close to eating time as possible.