I love making refrigerator cookies, especially during the holidays when I bake in bulk. The advantage of refrigerator cookies is that you can mix the ingredients ahead of time, and then store the dough in the refrigerator for as long as two weeks. I can just bake a fresh batch of cookies when I need them, or place the dough in a jar and give as a gift. Refrigerator cookies are also great for working moms or busy moms who only have time to bake on weekends. Here are basics on refrigerator cookies.
Since the dough of refrigerator cookies tend to be quite stiff, you need a food mixer or a food processor. *Read our list of tools for baking cookies.) The dough is then molded into a log or a thin, oblong brick and then encased in plastic wrap.
If you plan to bake refrigerator cookies within the same day (couldn’t resist the idea of tasting them, huh?) let them chill for at least three hours. This allows them to hold their shape and become deliciously crispy once they’re cooked. Slice the cookies according to the recipe instructions. Use a knife with a thin but sharp blade.
When you place the refrigerator cookies on the cookie sheet, keep them at least an inch apart. If you want to have thicker cookies, decrease the oven temperature so that they are crisp all throughout. There should be no doughy center. To check if the cookie is done, break one in half.
If you plan to give refrigerator cookies as a gift, be sure to label the jar with a ‘bake by’ date (two weeks from the day you made the mix). Include instructions for baking them, including the oven temperature, time of baking, and the tips we just gave on the cookie thickness and spacing on the cookie sheet.
Remember, though, that the jar will be placed in the refrigerator and the label can get wet, so use water-resistant ink or print instructions on a separate tag and not on the actual sticker label. Decorate the jar with a beautiful bow. Sometimes I also add a jar of cocoa mix and marshmallows, because who doesn’t love cookies and milk?
Photo from gizmodo.com