National Cookie Day

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Everyone loves cookies! From toddler to old-timer, here in the US we nibble cookies through every season of life, and I couldn’t be happier about it. Nothing beats a cookie fresh from the oven – and did you know that you can simplify the process by starting with a baking mix? It’s true!

Tastefully Simple baking mixes give you a jump-start, and you can still take full credit for being homemade. We simply take the first step of blending the all-natural, dry ingredients for you. Here are some pro tips for prepping and baking cookies.

Prepping the Cookie Dough

When starting from a baking mix, usually you don’t even need to get your mixer out. Just combine the ingredients then give the dough a few kneads to bring it all together.
Since you are in “dough mode” anyway, mix up several varieties, scoop them into dough balls and freeze. That way you can have fresh baked cookies – as many as you need – anytime.
Use a cookie scoop for super-fast, uniform dough balls.
Place dough balls on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper, parchment, or better yet, one of our silicone baking mats. Freeze them for 20 minutes or so, and then pop them into a resealable freezer bag.
Label your freezer bags with the recipe name, date and baking temp and time.

Baking the Cookie Dough

Cookie dough balls can be baked from frozen – just add a minute or two to the bake time.
Generally, cookies should be placed about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet. If you are unsure how much the cookies will spread, bake a test batch with 3-6 cookies on the sheet.
If your cookies are spreading too much, pop the dough into the freezer for a few minutes.
Since oven temps vary, set your oven timer a minute or two less than recommended to avoid over-baking. You can tell whether a cookie is done by touching the top of one lightly. If it’s firmly set (slight imprint from your finger) and lightly brown, it’s done.
To avoid breaking cookies when transferring them from the pan to a cooling rack, let them cool on the baking tray for a couple of minutes.

Decorating Cookies

When using sprinkles or colored sugars without frosting, put them directly onto the dough balls before baking.
When frosting cookies, be sure to cool them completely first to prevent the frosting from sliding and looking gloppy.
Fluff up canned frosting by whipping it vigorously with a fork or spatula.
Canned frosting stays soft, so if you want to stack your cookies, consider using a container of royal icing instead. Decorate your cookies, let them dry, then stack away!
When using sprinkles or colored sugars over frosting or icing, frost, then immediately sprinkle, one cookie at a time. The sprinkles will stick much better this way.

Five Cookie Recipes to Try