Okay, so I had a little time on my hands and thought, why not try something new with gingerbread? I mean, who doesn’t love gingerbread, right? But here’s the thing – I always end up with way too much dough or too many cookies. So, I figured, let’s dive into the world of freezing gingerbread.
Making the Dough
First things first, I rolled up my sleeves and whipped up a batch of gingerbread dough. Just my usual recipe, nothing fancy. Some recipes tell you to chill the dough before, but I didn’t bother this time. I was too excited to see how this freezing thing would work out.
To Freeze or Not to Freeze?
Now, the big question: to freeze the dough or the baked cookies? I decided to try both. Yeah, I’m a bit extra like that. I mean, I’ve heard of people freezing cookie dough, so it seemed logical that gingerbread dough would be cool with it too, but cookies? That was new territory for me.
Freezing the Dough
For the dough, I wrapped it up real tight. I used some plastic wrap, making sure no air could sneak in, and then tossed it in a Ziploc bag, you know, for extra protection. One piece of advice I read was to use ice cube trays for freezing the dough, which sounded pretty smart. So, I took a bit of the dough, pressed it into an ice cube tray, and covered it with wrap as well. Into the freezer, it went!
Baking and Freezing Cookies
Next up, I baked a bunch of gingerbread cookies. After they cooled down – and I snacked on a few, obviously – I packed them up for the freezer. I put some in a container, layered with parchment paper so they wouldn’t stick together. I also wrapped a few individually in plastic wrap and then foil, just to see if that made a difference.
The Waiting Game
They say the dough can last up to three months in the freezer. The baked cookies? About the same. But let’s be real, I wasn’t going to wait that long. I gave it a couple of weeks, maybe? I was too curious, alright?
The Big Reveal
Thawing time! I took some dough and a few cookies out of the freezer. I let the dough thaw in the fridge overnight. It felt just like regular chilled dough the next day. I baked it, and guess what? It was perfect! Seriously, you couldn’t even tell it was frozen. As for the frozen baked cookies, I let them sit at room temperature for a bit. And yup, they were delicious too. A little bit of their crispness was gone, but they still tasted great.
The Verdict
- Freezing gingerbread dough? Totally works.
- Freezing baked gingerbread cookies? Also works, but eat them sooner rather than later.
- Using ice cube trays for dough? Genius. It’s like having ready-to-bake portions.
So, there you have it. My little experiment turned out pretty great. Now I can make a huge batch of gingerbread, freeze it, and have fresh cookies whenever I want. Or, bake a whole bunch, freeze them, and have treats ready for any surprise guests. Or, you know, for when I just need a cookie fix. Gingerbread for the win!
