Whether baked from scratch or made from a mix, a batch of homemade cookies fresh from the oven is one of life’s little delights.
“I’ve always been a firm believer that when you’re making cookies, you are making them to be eaten,” attests Rushion McDonald, a popular podcast host, award-winning film/TV producer and creator of Rushion’s Kitchen (an online destination for quick and easy recipes and more).
That’s why enjoying a homemade cookie immediately after it’s cooled is his idea of perfect cookie-eating timing.
“You should allow a cookie to hit room temperature and then serve it—because cookies are generally delivered and eaten in your hands,” he relates. But what if you want to keep these baked goodies around a bit longer? Here, McDonald was more than happy to share his easy tips on how to keep cookies fresh for enjoying now…and later.
How to Keep Cookies Fresh: Freezing
“Freezing a cookie is a fantastic way to maintain its overall quality,” says McDonald about how to keep cookies fresh with minimal effort. First, he points out the importance of allowing cookies to cool before placing them in the freezer.
His technique involves tightly wrapping cookies in plastic wrap, followed by a cover of aluminum foil (to help further “seal” the cookies), then placing the treats in the freezer.
As for how long frozen cookies will remain fresh, McDonald’s offers, “We’re not trying to keep that cookie until next year! So maybe a week, two weeks, it will be fine. It will not be damaged.”
McDonald also says to skip using plastic sandwich bags or plastic containers, as these won’t provide the proper protection for the cookies in the freezer. He notes, “Some people think a plastic container is sealed, and that’s not always the case because there’s space in there where air can get inside.”
To reheat previously frozen homemade cookies, McDonald places them in a microwave-safe platter and heats them in the microwave for about ten seconds. “If you start going beyond ten seconds, that’s exceedingly too warm for consumption,” he offers. “You always want to enjoy your food—the only thing you want to ‘blow’ on is soup.”
