Baking cookies can be a lot of work, especially from scratch. Making the dough is a time-consuming process and there may not be the time in the day to bake them all. Freezing your dough is a great way of keeping it fresh in between baking sessions. Frozen cookie dough can also be bought for a baker’s convenience.
Thawing cookie dough is a simple process. Doing it correctly will preserve the structure and taste of the dough. There are a few ways of thawing frozen cookie dough including the fridge method and a microwave method.
The Microwave Method
This method is the quickest but it also is the trickiest. You have to be careful that your cookie dough only thaws and doesn’t start cooking.
Step 1: Unwrap your frozen cookie dough and put it on a microwave-safe dish.
Step 2: Microwave the cookie dough in 10-second increments.
Step 3: After each increment, check to see if the dough has thawed. Once it has thawed, it is good to use.
Pros:
- It’s very quick
- It doesn’t take too much effort
Cons:
- The dough may reheat unevenly
- Have the keep checking
- The dough could burn or begin baking in the microwave
The Fridge Method
The fridge method does well with keeping the dough at the same temperature throughout thawing. It works great if you are planning on making cookies the next day.
Step 1: Take your cookie dough out of the freezer and place it into the fridge.
Step 2: Either wait overnight or give it at least 8 hours to thaw.
Step 3: Check to see if it has fully thawed. If it has, you are ready to put them in the oven.
Pros:
- Very little effort. All you have to do is set the dough into the fridge.
- Keeps the dough at a consistent temperature
- The cold temperature of the fridge will keep any bacteria from forming in the dough
Cons:
- It takes a long time
While it may be tempting, don’t thaw your cookie dough on the counter. This can lead to bacteria forming in the dough. It’s best to wait the extra time by putting the dough in the fridge.
Tricks To Thaw Your Dough Faster
No matter what you do, thawing your cookie dough will take some time (unless you use the microwave.) However, there are ways to speed up the process.
- Slice the dough into smaller sections. Adding surface area allows for warmer temperatures to thaw out the dough faster.
- Finish the thawing on the stove. If your stove gets warm when the oven is on, you can finish thawing them as you’re getting ready to cook them. Don’t have them sit on the stove for too long though as it may start to cook them.
Does Cookie Dough Need To Be Thawed?
For most kinds of cookies, you don’t have to thaw them before cooking. Many times, you can put them in the oven right out of the freezer.
If you plan on doing this, add about 2 extra minutes to the cooking time to make sure they cook through. When you are in a hurry, putting them in the oven while frozen won’t change the taste.
When thawed properly, the cookie dough texture should have minimal changes. While it’s okay to put your cookie dough in the oven from the freezer, the texture may be changed. This won’t ruin the cookies but know it may not be the same as with the fresh dough you use.
Final Thoughts
The ability to freeze cookie dough allows bakers to break up their baking sessions. Whether you are a master baker or someone who bought some frozen cookie dough at the store, the freezer has made baking easier for everyone.
Whichever method you choose, the thawing process is very simple so that even the first-time baker can handle it.
While each method has its pros and cons, know that whichever method works best for you is sure to lead to delicious cookies.