I love a good weekend project, especially when that project involves my fingers in loads of cookie dough.
I’ll admit that I may be waaaay behind the times on this trick. It’s the sort of trick that super moms have on lock to make them look even more awesome than they already are. Since I haven’t yet produced other people with my body, this trick is just now hitting my radar.
The idea is this: one day… (say, maybe a lazy Saturday morning) whip up a couple batches of your favorite cookie dough. Dollop that cookie dough onto a cookie sheet, all close like. Throw the entire cookie sheet into the freezer. Freeze the dough balls, then throw them into a zip lock bag and back into the freezer. You know what that means? All you have to do is flick on the oven and throw in a few dough balls anytime you want fresh baked cookies! Dang this livin’ is easy!
This frozen dough ball situation is key and here’s why:
You and the family can have fresh baked cookies any and every night.
Surprise guests? No problem at all… you just happened to be whipping up a batch of fresh cookies. Taaadaaa!
Bake ’em directly from frozen…. do it!
Frozen dough balls in the middle of the night? I won’t tell a soul. Can I be honest? I eat the dough balls more often than I actually bake the cookies. In fact… be right back. Dough ball for breakfast.
Full disclosure: I’ve eaten three cookie dough balls in the writing of this post. I’m not done yet.
You might also try these recipes for you cookie dough freezing pleasure:
Oatmeal Cherry White Chocolate Cookies
Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
White Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from King Arthur
makes 2 dozen cookies
2 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour, or regular whole wheat flour if you’re feeling extra nutty
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1-2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts, again… if you’re feeling nutty.
Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl, whisk it together and set aside. Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar and softened butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat until creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute in between each addition. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if using.
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Drop cookie dough by the tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet. Place them very close together so that as many cookies balls as possible fit on the tray. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer and chill dough balls until frozen through, at least 3 hours. Remove the sheet from the freezer and place dough balls in a freezer safe bag and place back in the freezer until ready to bake.
When ready to bake cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place frozen dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave a few inches in between the cookies, giving them room to spread. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and irresistible.
Wahine
Thanks for this recipe! If I want to add oatmeal, how much should I add & when? I LOVE your brown butter chocolate chip recipe and get all raves from those who eat it, but it packs on too many calories (irresistible!). Seeking a saner, more every week-healthier alternative.
Thanks for advice how to turn this into a whole wheat oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe!
Betsy
YUM! Made these yesterday with white chocolate chips….and everyone loved them! They did turn out very flat…but still great!
Ellen Clifford
Just made these and put a post with links to yours on it.
Very tasty! Glad I am not the only one who finds it appropriate to keep dough on hand mostly for eating raw:)
Lisa
These are SO good… they turned out amazing! My husband couldn’t believe I didn’t use any white flour… he kept asking me over & over… “are you SURE these are whole wheat?”! He loved them & so did I.
Ceci
They are delicious! We even added some cocoa powder and made them chocolate chocolate chip, and they were amazing. Great recipe:) Thanks!
Kaffy
Aah! Never wake and bake, and always read your recipes twice! I left an entire stick of butter out, sincerest apologies…
Kaffy
I’m a little let down by this recipe… The dough came out grainy and hard to form into balls. Any cookies had to be molded to get a decent size as after freezing the dough these suckers would not budge an inch in the oven. I admit I did stray from the recipe a tad by adding another teaspoon of peppermint extract, and reigning in the salt a little to substitute the salted butter I had lying around.
Lesson learned, cookies are not meant to be healthy in the slightest