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Freezing Cookies

By keeping unbaked cookie dough in the freezer, you can satisfy your craving for freshly-baked cookies anytime.

By keeping unbaked cookie dough in the freezer, you can satisfy your craving for freshly-baked cookies anytime.

Sometimes you want just one or two fresh-baked cookies, not a whole batch. No problem. With a little help from the freezer, you can bake as many—or as few—cookies as you like. After making a batch of dough, portion it out as if for baking on parchment-lined baking sheets or on large plates and place in the freezer until completely frozen, at least 30 minutes. Remove the frozen unbaked cookies from the sheet, arrange them in layers in an airtight storage container (use the same parchment sheets to separate the layers), and place the sealed container back in the freezer. When you've got a craving for a just-baked cookie, preheat the oven and bake according to the recipe. You may need to increase the baking time by a minute or two, but no defrosting is necessary, and you can keep the frozen cookies for up to two months.

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