Christmas is a season for giving, and very often a simple gift can say a lot. For those who bake cookies in large quantities to be consumed at a later date or gift giving, it is important to keep the freshness and beautiful shape as long as possible so our family and friends can enjoy them as if they just came out of the oven.
This is an opportune time to bake and give in the city we live, as we welcome Christmas, New Year and Spring Festival. The following are some tips and tricks to better store cookies, in case we cannot store them all in our stomach!
Make sure the cookies are completely cooled before they are transferred to containers. If the cookies are still warm when you store them, they will in turn be soggy as a result of condensation. It is also important not to let the cookies cool in the oven. Instead, transfer them far away from the heat of the stove after they are baked.
Make good use of air-tight containers and parchment paper. Cookies in the tins can be kept well for weeks, and if frozen, three to six months. Separate the cookies in layers with parchment paper or waxed paper for better protection and presentation. Some cookies are easier to store than others, and try not to store fragile and over-decorated cookies as the frosting has a shorter shelf life. You can always frost them just before consumption.
Seal cookies separately to avoid flavor transfer. As much as we love to receive all types of lovely cookies in one box, we do not want them all to taste the same because of flavor transfer. Cookies with strong flavors, such as mint chocolate, will easily transfer the taste to others. Cookies with different taster can be sealed separately using resealable bags before putting in a box.
Store soft and crisp cookies separately. Crispy cookies can be kept well as long as they are air-tight sealed. To store the moist cookies, a slice of bread or tortilla in the container will help to keep the cookies soft and chew as it will absorb most of the moisture.
Happy crunchy holidays!
Photos by petitshoot, ilovemypit, AnneCN, Andrea Christman and Michael’s Cookie Jan (Flickr)
