If your aunt froze them in the tins or put them in the tins for a while before you got them they would have started to get stale (the tins aren't airtight usually) and when you put different cookies together whether in a tin or on a platter they will eventually take on the flavor of each other. I've had success freezing rounds (Like Choc. chip, etc.) by stacking them in rows on their side in ziip locks and getting as much air out as possible. The easiest way I have found though is to get the dough ready, make up balls or logs and freeze before baking. The mixing is the most time consuming and where all the clean up time is. When I want fresh baked cookies I just take out what I need and then bake them.

A couple of years ago I thought it would be a great idea for the kids in church to sell cookies by the dozen for Christmas to help a family who lost everything in a fire. Only thing is I thought they'd sell 20 or so dozen. Well, they took the project seriously. We ended up making 150 dozen cookies. So one Saturday they all came over and we mixed and rolled all the dough. (I had to work on that one another night or two by myself. ) Then I froze them. The next Saturday we baked them and boxed them up by orders. Delivered them Sunday morning and everybody was thrilled with what they got. Maybe that would work for you.
It's what I do now. I start a week or two ahead mixing and freezing the ones I can. Then I'm not so rushed. And the house smells like Christmas while I visit with friends and family. Nothing but a couple of cookie sheets to clean.
Mike

Freezing dough is the best idea ever. I make double batches of whatever cookies I'm making but only bake as many as I need at the time. The rest of the dough I freeze in cookie-size balls on cookie sheets, then put them in a plastic bag. They keep well in the freezer for many months and I can have a selection of freshly baked cookies in 20 minutes or so.

I don't know the scientific reasons why freezing cookie dough makes the cookies better, but it does. I never make and bake the dough immediately any more.

Sherry

I freeze cookies all the time - lots and lots. All but one cookie I make freeze perfectly.

I use ziplock plastic freezer bags, usually putting in two layers of cookies (depending on the size) separated by a sheet of wax paper. Get all the air out (suck it out with a straw - did I get that idea from Annie?? or someone else here?), and zip it closed. They taste as good as fresh when thawed.

Bonnie

I freeze cookies all the time and do just like Bonnie.

One year I needed dozens of cookies over the holidays. I made 6 or 8 different kinds of refrigerator cookies. When I needed to take some I'd just cut off a few rounds from several tubes and bake them; this way I could take a variety of freshly baked cookies each time.

I have made frozen cookie dough balls for many, many years. This works great since I'm not at all fond of stale cookies.

I freeze cookies (different kinds separated) like Bonnie too. Since I'm neurotic, I also wrap first in foil, cardboard underneath, and then ziploc. The texture of kifle (fruit filling) and ginger creams (iced) is a bit degraded, but they're just for family:)

I'll be looking into freezing dough for everyday cookies based on others' responses -- sounds like a great time saver.

Cathy in SWPA

If you've frozen cookies after they're baked, how do you defrost them? Just sit them on the counter?

Sally

Someone just told me if you freeze your cookies, don't frost till you take them out to thaw. That seems easy enough to frost while they are thawing.

For frosted cookies, yes I freeze them unfrosted then put the icing on while they thaw. For those that are not iced, I just put them on a plate to defrost and they are fine within 20 min or so.

Alexa

I freeze cookies after they are baked ALL the time. (Except frosted cookies) You just take a cookie out and let it thaw. however, I don't even wait for them to thaw. Most cookies don't freeze hard as a rock anyway and when I eat them they are just like eating a colder version of what I froze.
I also freeze logs of shortbread cookie dough to thaw, slice and bake. I have never tried freezing balls of drop cookies, but that would ensure fresh, warm cookies all the time.

I have frozen baked cookies successfully, but I never frost them until after they've thawed, I don't freeze them frosted.

I mostly freeze cookie dough and then bake it when I need it. I haven't found a dough yet that didn't freeze successfully. I like to freeze the dough because sometimes already baked cookies get broken in the freezer if the container gets tossed around or something is put on top of it. I don't do that, but I can't guarantee what the girls do when they're looking for something in the freezer.

And, as a matter of fact, I have a double batch of peanut butter cookie dough, a batch of molasses, and tonight I'm making sugar cookie dough to go into the freezer.

Annie

I do like Bonnie does. I freeze ALL cookies even the frosted ones, fruit filled etc. I do the ziplock bag thing & lay flat in the freezer, then, gingerly pile the rest on top. I don't use containers, etc.

I once gave my son's music teacher a thank-you Christmas plate, and the cookies weren't thawed. He told me he ate them all on the way home (have to admire his honesty ... his Thank You said "I did not share.") Must not have been an issue, at least not for him:)

Cathy in SWPA

I freeze baked cookies all the time. I do use tins, but I would guess the caliber of the tin (tightness of the seal) is a big factor.

I buy wax paper in boxes of 500 sheets cut 10"x10 3/4" and use that to line the tin and between layers.

Two things that are big issues with freezing cookies - one is that the cookies must be thoroughly cooled. Otherwise they steam in the container. I also agree that types of cookies should not be mixed. The flavors intermingle and if a soft cookie is frozen with a crisp one, pretty soon they're all the same texture.

If I've frozen a frosted cookie or one with something like a chocolate ganache top layer, I thaw the whole tin in the fridge. It helps prevent condensation.

I also freeze dough. Usually I freeze slice-and-bake doughs, but other cookies can be shaped, frozen on a tray and then bagged up or vacuum-sealed.

Carol

Thanks for the push, BTW, I just put 8 dozen balls of chocolate chip cookie dough in the freezer along with a double batch of sugar cookie dough. Tomorrow night is peanut butter and molasses.

Annie

Up until last year, I was making about 800 cookies per season for gift baskets plus more for home use. I'd have been SOL w/o the freezer. I even freeze iced & painted cookies w/o problems as long as there is a protective piece of parchment between layers.

Some are actually really good straight from the freezer...CCC, sugar cut-outs, molasses, chocolate-pecan tarts, and DH likes snickerdoodles best frozen. What I don't like to freeze are the molded shortbread types...for some reason they seem prone to breakage in the freezer. It's, probably, just the particular molds I'm using...lots of edges from the molds make small parts that break off.

/tricia

I know this is a dumb question, but when you freeze the dough, do you thaw it before baking? Or just put it in the oven frozen at the suggested temp?

Thanks, Whistle

Yes, whistle, I thaw it first or it doesn't bake correctly.

I usually freeze the dough already shaped into little balls, and just put as many as I want on a cookie sheet to thaw. It only takes about 15 minutes or so, then into the oven. It usually takes longer for my oven to preheat than it does for the cookies to thaw.

I think I'm trying to do too many things. I put chocolate chip cookie dough and sugar cookie dough in the freezer. I was ready to make molasses and peanut butter and found that I already had those in there!

Now, I'm wondering if date filling in pinwheels will freeze well and I really want to make Craftyrn's cucciadati. I've never frozen them either, I just make 'em and eat 'em!

Annie

Thanks for the great suggestions! I think based on these, I will try freezing some baked and some as dough.
Spritz and Pecan Dreams (balls rolled in powdered sugar) are what I need to make the most off. Anyone have specific suggestions relative to these? I think the Pecan Dreams would have to be frozen as dough, because they need to be hot when rolled in the powdered sugar.

For spritz all I have done so far (last year) is to make several batches and refrigerate, but with mixed success. Spritz is hard to extrude when refrigerated, even when warmed to room temperature. Plus it seems to get drier after a day or so: I think the flour absorbs more moisture.