Time and Money Saving Cookie Dough Trick | Family Economics

By Erin

Now that school is in full swing, it seems schedules are filling up faster than we can keep up. As craziness takes over our lives, it’s so easy to get into the habit of buying convenience foods and pre-packaged snacks to send in lunchboxes or to have waiting on the counter for the after school crowd. It’s quick, it’s mindless and it’s easy.

But it’s not easy on the budget. And we’re all a little more mindful of our budgets these days, aren’t we? These kinds of snacks are more expensive than both homemade snacks and are often laden with unhealthy ingredients. Making your own cookies may take a little longer to whip up than the break and bake variety, but you have the control of the ingredients when making them from scratch. 

I like to “healthify” cookie dough by slightly reducing the amount of sugar in the recipe, and by replacing the white flour with whole wheat flour. I also sprinkle in some ground flaxseed or ground almonds to sneak some extra nutrients and flavors into the cookies. This way you get the best of both worlds—the kids get to enjoy a sweet treat and you know that they are getting some healthful ingredients too.

Plus you can sprinkle in some of that “mommy love” secret ingredient.  And while they may not say it, your kids appreciate and value the time and love that goes into a homemade cookie!

A quick time and money saving cookie dough trick:

1. Double up your favorite cookie dough when you’re making dessert for dinner, or just making them for a snack.
2. Drop tablespoons of the extra dough that you don’t bake right away onto a foil or parchment paper lined rimmed cookie sheet. 
3. Place the cookie sheet into the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to flash freeze the dough. 
4. Once the dough has frozen, remove it and place into Ziploc® Brand Smart Zip™ freezer bags. 
5. Make sure to label the bag so you don’t forget which goodies you added to that bag!

When you have a hectic afternoon later in the week, but you still want to serve a yummy, warm, ooey and gooey treat straight out of the oven, you’ll be able to do just that with the dough that you’ve got waiting in the freezer. 

Simply pull out however many cookies you’ll need that afternoon, pop them onto a cookie sheet and bake the cookies 1-2 minutes longer than the original recipe called for since the dough is frozen. Let cool slightly and serve to the hungry little people in your life.

What yummy homemade snacks do your children love?