Cookies: Why I've Embraced Prepared Dough

This year I felt guilty about consistently buying and giving cookies that I didn't make from scratch. So, I decided to give homemade cookies a whirl again: 3 kinds plus gluten free brownies. The entire process reminded me of why I had been buying pre-made dough for so long.

 

 

 

Don't get me wrong. I actually like to make cookies from scratch and I know they can be much tastier. But, with two small boys, it just did not work for me. And this is why I don't feel bad about it:

 

1. Less cookie dough to consume.

If you're like me, you're something of a cookie dough alcoholic. Thankfully, cookies don't have quite as many calories per unit as alcohol, but they certainly won't help you keep the weight down. If you buy the pre-cut cookies, you will get 12 or 24. Most people expect cookie plates in dozens. So, there's built-in incentive not to eat the dough.

 

Absolutely no incentive not to eat this dough!

 

 

2. Less Cookie Dough Consumed =

Less Chance of Food-Borne Illness

Zero raw eggs eaten = zero chance of getting salmonella from raw eggs.

 

 

 

3. Healthy, all-natural dough is available.

I think we've all tasted the "bad" dough -- you know the stuff that has the "bad" vanilla-y aftertaste. Trader Joe's molasses cookies are great -- as are all of the Immaculate Baking cookies. They use real vanilla, eggs, and sugar -- just like you'd prepare them at home.

 

Isaac decided these needed sprinkles.

 

 

4. Some of the prepared-dough cookies also taste just like you made them from scratch.

I'll admit that there's a lack of variety among the good-tasting, prepared-dough cookies. For example, I haven't found a good, prepared Christmas cookie dough available, though there are a few mediocre ones. However, those that use the same ingredients (and only those) that you use at home will taste like you made them from scratch.

 

 

 

 

5. I almost always get compliments on "my" cookies.

Really! This happens a lot -- mostly cookies from Trader Joe's or Immaculate Baking -- but occasionally for unique cookies, like Nestle Turtles. Richie asked me to "make" these for Christmas.

 

 

 

6. The key step is done for you: the dough is already refrigerated.

I've cut corners a lot in my baking and cooking. One effort that I shouldn't cut is refrigerating the dough before baking it. I've always skipped this step when making cookies from scratch. And guess what? They never came out with a perfect texture and shape like mine do now.

 

 

 

7. Everyone in my house gets impatient with the cookie-making process after the first hour.

On Tuesday, it was a four-hour process, which I couldn't stop because the type of cookies I was making required an additional step to be done immediately after they came out of the oven. After I was done with that step, it was time to take another tray out and put a new one in. By the time I was done, Andre had been screaming for an hour. It reminded me of something Fr. Larry told me long ago about driving aggressively to get to work in time: Don't lack charity in the name of charity. Exactly. I turn into a hypocrite, by ignoring my kids, in order to make an amazing plate for someone else.

 

 

 

8. It gives other people a chance to shine.

Some people are amazing at baking cookies and really enjoy it. If I let them shine, I can pick up tips from them along the way. When our family is older, we'll try again and maybe even turn one of the boys into a phenomenal baker like my grandpa was! :)