I've had very good luck freezing cookies. There are a few types that wouldn't freeze well, but most do. I freeze crisp cookies and they do stay crisp. I've also frozen all kinds of bar cookies, rugelach, filled cookies. I can't speak to soft cakelike cookies because I generally don't make those. The cookies that do best are butter cookies, like shortbread, but they also keep well at room temperature. The important things, if you're freezing baked cookies are 1) Make sure they are thoroughly cooled. 2) Don't mix cookies in the container because the flavors will mingle and the crisp cookies will soften if they are packed with moist ones. 3) Make sure the container is as airtight as possible. I like cookie tins, which I line with wax paper. I also put wax paper between layers of cookies. Cookies will keep a long time in the freezer but six weeks is probably the limit for optimal quality. If the container isn't quite airtight, cookies will stale and may pick up "off" flavors. Carol

I have just had 3 funerals to bake for. I can't believe it's time to start cookies for Xmas. I'd much rather make biscotti than cut out cookies, even though I have a huge collection, over 200 I estimate, of cookie cutters. Only about 75 of those are strictly Xmas/Hannakah cutters. Someday I will count them. Of course some day I will really organize my recipes too! The 1st cookies I always make and freeze are the cream wafers. I need at least 15 dozen of them for all the family and friends that demand them. (My mother can;t really do them any more, so I have had to add her and my 2 brother to the list.) That's 360 cookies since they are sandwich cookies. I freeze them without the filling because they take up less space and I can usually force someone else to fill and assemble when it's time to distribute! Once they are done I can think about the other favorites. I rarely freeze the rolled sugar cookies and Swedish gingerbread. I do those with my nieces, again closer to the holiday, when they are in the mood. Then I make a few Stained Glass as well. They are also a pain, but I made them for my oldest grandson years ago, and of course they are his favorite. I freeze Spritz, Applesauce Cookies, a couple types of biscotti,and my favorite, Swedish Almond Cookies if I think I have time And the chocolate shortbread stars for stareos, if I make them. But Dorrie Greenspan's World Peace cookies are lots easier so I've made them the last 2 years. I just freeze the logs and bake as needed. I never freeze the bar cookies; peppermint brownies, oatmeal carmelitas, and peanut butter brownies. Or the fudge, toffee or meringues. I have a new recipe for caramel this year from Alice Medrich's new book. I have yet to find the perfect caramel recipe except the very expensive ones you buy. And last year I made spoon cookies for the 1st time because my friend who made them moved away. They don't really freeze... I would love to make Sarah Bernhardt's Netla. But I can't add another tedious cookie to the list. I made Sherry's Santa's helpers for the 1st funeral reception but they drove me crazy trying to get them small enough for the platters. They are incredible but I have renamed them Walnut Wonderfuls and will make them NOT at Xmas when I can serve large cookies all by them selves! Have you seen Gourmet's favorite cookies. There are a couple I'm very tempted by! Here is a link that might be useful: Favorite cookies 1941 - 2008

If you're baking now, yes, I'd freeze them. Keeping flavors separate, and in very air-tight containers (I'd actually put them in ziplock bags, and then into a plastic box with a tight lid). However, properly stored, cookies will keep very fresh for at least 3-4 weeks. I used to work at a very high end bakery--their cookies were extremely expensive. They didn't use mixes or preservatives. They did their Christmas cookies the Monday after Thanksgiving. The cookies were put in cardboard box bottoms, which were then slid into plastic bags and twist-tied shut, and stored on shelves at room temp. Those cookies were still perfect Christmas week (I can personally vouch for that--I ate plenty of them). So if you aren't baking for another couplel of weeks, your cookies will be fine. Alternatively, what I do, is to make my doughs near the beginning of December, and freeze them. Then I can bake up fresh cookies all through the month. You can even scoop cookie dough from it's frozen state if you have a professional quality scoop.

When I'm in doubt about whether or not an item can be frozen and thawed successfully, I freeze a sample of the item, then defrost and bake it as usual. If it bakes normally and tastes good, I know I can freeze the whole batch. Might seem weird to bake just one or two cookies, but at least I have my answer without guessing!