Baking Christmas cookies is a tradition that goes back as far as America can remember.  Years ago, it used to be easier to freshly bake cookies and have the family gather around the table to decorate them. Baking cookies used to be a fun festivity that families would enjoy together; families would love to pile on the sprinkles and the frostings. Unfortunately, many people now cannot take the leisure time to just bake cookies when they feel like it. With the work rush, families have to plan time to see when baking can fit into their schedule.

The first part of planning your baking is deciding if the cookies are for personal consumption at home, to give away as gifts to family and friends or to entertain. Figuring this out will help you determine just how large your batch of cookies needs to be.  Late October is not too early to start planning baking especially if you think you’re going to have a large order.

Another thing to plan for is how many different types of Christmas cookies recipes will be used.  It is not a good idea to bake 5 to 10 different types of cookies because the batches will become too large and out of control. A baker should just have 3 to 4 different types of cookies so it’s easier to stay organized.

Then the baker should pick a recipe for their cookies.  If they don’t have their own family recipes to choose from, then it is really easy to find good recipes from a cook book or simply on the internet. Print them out or write the recipes down with pen and paper, as this ensures that the baker can have all of their recipes in one easy location.

After this, the baker should head to the store and start rounding up the ingredients that they’ll need for each recipe. After purchasing all of the ingredients the baker should go ahead and mix the dough ahead of time.  This will save the baker a lot of time and keep them from running around like crazy trying to get everything done at the last minute. The dough can then be kept frozen until it is ready to be taken out and baked.

After this the baker just needs to set a date (preferably a date where they are not too busy) for when they are going to bake and decorate the cookies.  Using these tips, anyone can find the time to bake some delicious Christmas cookies. Little ones will have a blast and look back on the memory of baking them for many years to come.