How Far Ahead To Make Christmas Goodies?

Baking By puzzlegut Updated 18 Dec 2006 , 3:37pm by crafty01

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puzzlegut Posted 15 Dec 2006 , 11:33pm
post #1 of 8

It's almost time for me to do my Christmas goodies and give them to my friends/family. I like to bake everything about a day or 2 ahead so everything will be nice and fresh for when I give them to people. However, with out Christmas is positioned this year, I'm going to be pretty busy during Christmas weekend, including Christmas Eve, which is a night where I would be giving some of my stuff out.

I'm just wondering how early I can start making my goodies and still have them be fresh. I'm doing cookies, brownies, and fudge for my regular people and I'm making trail mix and Chex mix for our "health conscious aquantances". The trail mix/Chex mix shouldn't be a problem to do a few days ahead and will work out better for me if I do it a little further ahead. As for the rest of the stuff, I "might" be able to work on it during the day of Christmas Eve as long as I can finish before the afternoon and that should hopefully allow me to package up the ones I need to give out that night and them I'll package the ones for Christmas later on Sunday.

7 replies
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JoAnnB Posted 15 Dec 2006 , 11:38pm
post #2 of 8

Cookies will freeze, and most everything else will do fine if it is packed in airtight containers. Not just ziplock bags, they do allow some air in.

Tins or plastic ware will work.

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crafty01 Posted 16 Dec 2006 , 12:18am
post #3 of 8

If Im making the dough now for cookies would it be better to freeze it and bake later like next ( mid)week or just refrigerate dough?

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Luby Posted 16 Dec 2006 , 2:47pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by crafty01

If Im making the dough now for cookies would it be better to freeze it and bake later like next ( mid)week or just refrigerate dough?




If you aren't going to bake until next week Iwould go ahead and freeze the dough.

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puzzlegut Posted 16 Dec 2006 , 4:37pm
post #5 of 8

You can either roll the dough into a log and wrap it up in wax paper and then freeze it (assuming you are doing sliced cookies) or if you are doing drop cookies, just drop the dough onto a cookie sheet and place into the freezer until the dough freezes and then transfer the dough into a plastic container and place in the freezer; that way the dough will already be in the premade shapes and it will be ready for baking.

I just found out last night that I'll need to do my baking this Sunday (12/17) so I can send some of my goodies to someone in a care package that is being mailed on Monday. I guess that'll mean that I'll need to freeze the rest of the goodies and pull them back out on Christmas Eve so I can start packaging them and give them to people that night and Christmas Day. Does that sound like that's the only way it will work since they probably wouldn't last if they were stored at room temperature for about a week?

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crafty01 Posted 17 Dec 2006 , 4:18pm
post #6 of 8

Thanks for the help

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jacqrose Posted 18 Dec 2006 , 3:13am
post #7 of 8

there is a trick to it...you can start baking now. there is a trick my dad taught me (yes he is the baker in the family) put your goodies in an airtight container along with a few slices of bread. just make sure and have a piece of parchment paper seperate your goodies from the slices of bread you put in the container. Your goodies will stay soft and moist just likewhen you baked them and the bread will get hard as a rock.

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crafty01 Posted 18 Dec 2006 , 3:37pm
post #8 of 8

Thank you I have heard you can do the same thing for a salad ahead of time it keeps moisture from lettuce but still add tomatoes last before serving.
Thanks again

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