5 Cookie Shortcut Tips for Smart and Lazy Bakers

updated May 1, 2019

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Dark Chocolate Walnut Cookies (Image credit: Sara Kate Gillingham)

Among the holiday rush, we all sometimes get a little tired — or perhaps it’s just that we want to watch our Hallmark Christmas movies and have our cookies too. So, here’s to the shortcuts! Especially these five tips for stress-free holiday baking.

Just remember: in baking, the lazy way also often happens to be the smart way too.

From Sort of Lazy to Extra Lazy

We’re scaling this based on just how lazy you’re actually feeling. So whether you feel like baking a little or basically not at all, there’s a tip for you.

1. Freeze dough and bake as needed.

Spend a little time on a slow Saturday and prep a few batches of cookies ahead of time for your freezer. Chunky cookies, like oatmeal raisin, can be frozen in balls and simply baked on cookie sheets from frozen. Slice-and-bake cookies, like shortbread, can be frozen in logs, thawed slightly, sliced, and baked.

2. Make one dough play many roles.

Instead of making a dozen kinds of cookies, make one or two doughs that can be infinitely transformed. Sugar cookies in particular are a great option because they can be dressed up with spices, frosted, or used to make sandwich cookies.

Get a recipe: The Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

The Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies (Image credit: Faith Durand)

3. Learn the one-ingredient icing we love.

Classic royal icing is all well and good, but frankly it can be fussy! Take the easy way out and instead lean on this icing that requires just one ingredient. What’s the one ingredient? Colored candy melts that can be microwaved and used just like any other icing. Just be sure to keep them warm.

4. Go for no-bake cookies.

Skip turning on the oven all together and make no-bake cookies instead. They require less of your time and energy and go down just as easily with milk as baked cookies do.

Get a recipe: No-Bake Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies

5. Dress up store-bought cookies instead of baking.

Don’t even bother making any cookies at all and just fancy up store-bought ones. Sandwich gingersnaps with cream cheese filling, dip chocolate chip cookies halfway into melted chocolate, or

frost

Do you have any smart shortcuts for lazy holiday cookie baking?

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