Bake Now, Play Later Get Your Holiday Baking Done Early And Enjoy The Season

So you promised yourself to have all your holiday baking and cooking organized by now. You vowed to make cookies, doughs, breads and desserts to give as gifts, and to have simple appetizers planned for spur-of-the-moment holiday parties and unexpected guests.

But now it’s December, and the clock is ticking.

Relax and take a deep breath. You can still meet your holiday baking deadlines without a frantic rush.

When your child tells you at 9 on a school night that he needs two dozen cookies for his class holiday party the next day, you’ll be ready. Simply reach for the frozen cutouts you made ahead, and bake and decorate them. You’ll be in bed by 9:45.

Or perhaps you’ve been invited to a holiday party and asked to bring an appetizer. The recipes that follow can be prepared ahead of time, frozen and popped into the oven as needed.

Here are some tips for making holiday baking less stressful:

Cookies

Keep in mind that fresh-baked cookies are best. Most cookies, however, freeze just fine for several months without losing their flavor. Butter and sugar doughs freeze particularly well.

Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before storing or freezing. Freeze cookies without frostings and glazes; powdered sugar-based frostings and glazes will weep.

Brownies and bar cookies also freeze well. Freeze them uncut and in the baking pan if desired; when partially thawed, cut into bars. Or cut them first, wrap well and freeze individually.

There are a couple of options for freezing unbaked cookies:

Prepare the dough according to the recipe and divide into even, workable portions. Wrap in heavy-duty foil or place in a freezer-quality sealable plastic bag, removing all air. Freeze. Thaw dough and follow original recipe.

Cut the prepared dough into desired shapes. Flash freeze by placing cookie cutouts on baking sheets and placing them in the freezer for two to three hours (there’s no need to space them 2 or 3 inches apart, as you would when baking).

Remove and transfer the frozen cookies to airtight containers or heavy-duty plastic bags. When ready to bake, remove them from the freezer, then bake, cool and decorate as desired.

Desserts, cakes, breads

As with cookies, most desserts, cakes and breads freeze well. They’re ideal for gift-giving. These should first be baked, then cooled completely before freezing. The moisture content in baked goods determines how well they freeze. The moisture freezes in the form of ice crystals; quicker freezing produces smaller ice crystals, thereby preserving texture.

After you’ve prepared and baked your dessert, cool completely and store in heavy-duty foil, freezer-wrap paper, plastic wrap, airtight plastic containers or heavy-duty plastic sealable bags. Label and date. Freeze in the coldest part of the freezer; do not put on the door shelves.

Unfrosted cakes may be frozen for about three months. Frosted ones will keep for about one month. Defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Appetizers

On short notice, the standard cheeseball with melba toast or crackers is good in a pinch, as is crab dip. But how about dazzling fellow party-goers with something different? Here are some hints on making and freezing appetizers ahead:

Wrap foods with refrigerator rolls, phyllo dough or puff pastry to create a simple and attractive appetizer.

It’s essential to cool the food quickly before freezing; the longer it takes to freeze food, the larger the ice crystals will be. This makes the food mushy when thawed. Cool quickly by refrigerating food uncovered in a shallow container. Perishable foods should not stand at room temperature to cool.

When freezing foods in freezer bags, press out as much air as possible. Seal the bag except for a small opening. Using a drinking straw, suck out as much air as possible so the bag shrinks around the food.

Packaging and shipping

Proper packaging of delicate baked goods is a must for shipping by mail. The main thing is packing them tightly, so there’s no movement inside the box.

Small to medium-size sturdy cookies, brownies and other bar cookies ship well. Pack each cookie variety separately. Crumple wax or tissue paper inside the tin or box for added protection. Place the tin or box inside another box and pack it with bubble wrap or crumpled newspaper for an extra cushion.

Chicken Wellington

From the Harpe & Thistle Bakery and Catering, Grosse Ile, Mich.

1 to 2 tablespoons butter

1 to 1-1/2 pounds boneless chicken breast, washed, patted dry, cut into small bite-size pieces

6 to 8 ounces Dijon-style mustard

6 to 8 ounces heavy whipping cream or half-and-half

1 package phyllo dough (14- by 18-inch sheets), thawed

1/2 stick melted butter

Melt 1 to 2 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized saute pan. Add the chicken pieces and saute over medium heat until done, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in mustard and slowly add enough cream or half-and-half until the mixture is slightly thickened.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the phyllo sheets in half lengthwise, then cut the halves lengthwise into quarters. The sheets should be at least 3-1/2 inches wide. (When not using phyllo, keep covered with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.)

Stack 3 of the quartered sheets and place 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture at the bottom end. Roll up like an egg roll, tucking edges in as you roll. Repeat process with remaining filling and phyllo.

Place on a baking sheet or in a shallow baking dish. Brush with melted butter. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

To freeze, after brushing with butter, wrap in heavy-duty plastic wrap and place in freezer; thaw and bake later. Will keep up to 2 weeks.

Yield: About 25 appetizers (1 by 3 inches each).

Nutrition information per serving: 112 calories, 5 grams fat (40 percent fat calories), 20 milligrams cholesterol, 214 milligrams sodium, 10 grams carbohydrate, 6 grams protein.

Shrimp Cheese Bites

From “Betty Crocker’s Do-Ahead Cookbook” (Macmillan).

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup cooked shrimp, chopped

2 ounces farmer or goat cheese, crumbled

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup half-and-half

2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil leaves or 3/4 teaspoon dried

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place flour in a medium-sized bowl. Cut in the margarine or butter, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, until the mixture is crumbly.

Stir in the beaten egg until well-mixed; shape into a ball. Divide into 24 smaller balls. Press 1 ball on the bottom and up the sides of each cup of a ungreased minimuffin pan. Divide the shrimp among the cups and sprinkle with the cheese.

In a small bowl, beat together the egg and egg yolk. Stir in the half-and-half and basil. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the egg mixture into each cup.

Bake about 20 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and immediately remove from the muffin cups to a wire rack. Serve immediately.

To freeze, cool bites completely on wire rack. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze uncovered for at least 2 hours. Place in a labeled airtight freezer container. Freeze no longer than 2 months.

To reheat, bake in a preheated 350-degree oven on an ungreased baking sheet for 18 minutes or until warm.

Yield: 24 appetizers.

Nutrition information per serving: 88 calories, 6 grams fat (61 percent fat calories), 41 milligrams cholesterol, 82 milligrams sodium, 5 milligrams carbohydrate, 3 grams protein.

Sausage-Sage Rolls

Adapted from a Pepperidge Farm recipe.

1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons flour

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (1/2 of a 17-1/4-ounce package), thawed

1/2 pound bulk pork sausage

1/2 teaspoon ground sage or to taste

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle clean work surface with flour. Unfold thawed puff pastry and roll into a 12- by 10-inch rectangle. Cut into 3 strips along the fold mark.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the sausage, sage and cheese. Divide the mixture into thirds. Shape each third into a cylinder the length of the pastry. Place filling cylinders on the 12-inch edge of each pastry strip; roll up and press ends to seal.

Cut each roll into 12 (1-1/2-inch) slices. Place 1 inches apart on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes or until golden (or freeze slices, thaw and bake later).

Yield: 36 appetizers.

Nutrition information per serving: 43 calories, 3 grams fat (63 percent fat calories), 12 milligrams cholesterol, 71 milligrams sodium, 2 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram protein.

Aunt Jean’s Scottish Shortbread

1 pound (4 sticks) salted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 cups plus 1 to 2 tablespoons flour, divided use

1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch

Place butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using a fork, cream together until smooth. Gradually add 4 cups of the flour and cornstarch and mix with the fork until well-blended.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Sprinkle work surface with remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Knead dough until satiny smooth and divide into 8 even sections. Place dough sections on baking sheets and flatten into 1/4-inch discs. Flatten edges slightly using the tines of a fork. Poke holes throughout the discs.

Bake for 40 minutes at 300 degrees, or for 60 minutes at 275 degrees (the slower the shortbread bakes, the better the texture and taste); do not brown. Remove from the oven and cool about 2 minutes. Cut shortbread discs into eighths and allow to cool completely. Store in cookie tins or wrap in wax paper then foil.

Yield: 8 (6- to 8- inch) rounds.

Nutrition information per serving: 91 calories, 6 grams fat (59 percent fat calories), 60 milligrams sodium, 9 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram protein.

Rich Rolled Sugar Cookies

From “Joy of Cooking Christmas Cookies,” by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombeauer Becker and Ethan Becker (Scribner).

1 to 2 teaspoons shortening

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets with shortening.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until well blended, light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, baking powder, salt and vanilla until evenly incorporated. Stir in the flour and blend until smooth.

Divide the dough in half and shape into discs. Place each disc between large sheets of wax paper. Roll out to about 1/4-inch thickness, checking the underside and smoothing out any creases. Keeping the wax paper in place, layer the rolled dough on a tray and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes or until cold and slightly firm, but not hard.

Working with one portion of the dough at a time (leave the others refrigerated), gently peel away the top layer of wax paper. Using 2- and 3-inch cutters, cut out the cookies. With a wide spatula, carefully transfer them from the bottom layer of wax paper to the cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Roll any dough scraps between the wax paper and continue stamping out cookies until all the dough is used. If dough becomes too warm to handle at any point, refrigerate it again briefly.

If desired, sprinkle the cookies with sprinkles or decorating sugar.

Bake 1 sheet at a time in the upper third of the oven for 6 to 9 minutes, or until the cookies are just slightly colored on top and slightly darker at the edges. Remove from the oven and place sheets on wire racks to let cookies firm up, 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely. If desired, decorate with favorite frosting.

Store airtight for 2 weeks or freeze (unfrosted) up to 1 month.

Yield: About 4 dozen (2-inch) cookies.

Nutrition information per serving: 68 calories, 4 grams fat (53 percent fat calories), 17 milligrams cholesterol, 12 milligrams sodium, 7 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram protein.

Candy Bar Bars

Nonstick cooking spray or 1/2 teaspoon shortening

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 ounces favorite candy bar, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with aluminum foil, allowing it to overhang the two narrow ends of the pan by 2 inches. Coat with nonstick cooking spray or grease using shortening; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and finish beating.

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the butter mixture. Fold in the candy bar pieces.

Pour batter into the pan, spreading to the edges. Bake on the middle oven rack for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is firm when lightly tapped and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out slightly wet.

Remove from the oven, transfer the pan to a wire rack and let stand until completely cool. Using the overhanging foil as handles, lift the bar to a cutting board. Carefully peel off the foil. Cut into bars.

Yield: 18 (3- by 2-inch) bars.

Nutrition information per bar: 329 calories, 18 grams fat (49 percent fat calories), 66 milligrams cholesterol, 80 milligrams sodium, 41 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams protein.

Easy Rugelach

From “Simply Divine,” by Rita Harris (Prima Publishing).

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup favorite chopped nuts

1/2 cup raisins, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes

2 packages (8 ounces each) crescent rolls

4 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons powdered sugar, optional

1 tablespoon milk, optional

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, nuts and raisins; set aside.

Following directions on crescent roll package, roll out into individual wedges. Brush a little melted butter on each wedge and sprinkle with the raisin-nut mixture. Roll wedges to encase filling. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rugelach on baking sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

If desired, combine the powdered sugar with enough milk to produce a glaze. Place glaze in plastic sealable bag and cut the tip off one end of the bag. Drizzle glaze over each rugelach.

Yield: 32 rugelach.

Nutrition information per rugelach: 96 calories, 4 grams fat (38 percent fat calories), 5 milligrams cholesterol, 84 milligrams sodium, 13 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams protein.

MEMO: Cut in the Spokane edition.