A Cookie Assembly Line: Efficient Cookie Baking for Busy Cooks

As a busy working mother, I'm short on time, especially during the holidays, but baking Christmas cookies is a family tradition I'm unwilling to give up. Over the years, I've come up with many ways to make the process of baking a large variety of cookies go much smoother and take less time out of my busy life. You may want to start by checking out my 6-day program for hassle-free Christmas cookie baking ( http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/hassle-free.php ). In addition to the 6-step method, I've found an efficient way to prepare a large variety of cookie dough with minimum fuss by setting up a cookie assembly line. The best part about this process is that you can make 12 different batches of cookies and only have to wash the dishes once!

This process assumes that you have already chosen your recipes and gone grocery shopping. You will want to use your longest available expanse of countertop for this. My assembly line turns two corners as it winds around my small kitchen, but that is fine.

You may need to make some adjustments depending on your individual recipes, but for most recipes, you can set up your assembly line like so:

Flour Line:

-Large mixing bowl
-Measuring cups and spoons
-Fork for stirring
-Flour
-Baking powder and baking soda
-Salt
-Cocoa powder
-Spices
-Any other dry ingredients that are added to the flour in your recipes

Butter Line

-Another large mixing bowl (or the bowl from your stand mixer)
-A second set of measuring cups and spoons
-Electric mixer
-Wooden spoon
-Rubber spatula
-Butter, shortening, margarine and/or cream cheese
-Sugar (white and brown)
-Eggs
-Vanilla and other extracts
-Chunks such as raisins, nuts, chocolate chips
-Rolled oats
-Any other ingredients that are added to the butter and eggs in your recipes
-Plastic wrap
-Felt-tip marker

To avoid transferring flavors from one recipe to another, you will start with basic recipes that have no spices, chocolate, or other strongly flavored ingredients. Starting with your first recipe, go down the line measuring out the amount of flour, baking powder/soda and salt into one bowl. Then, combine the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla in your larger bowl as directed. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture. After that, stir in any chunks.

Next, scrape down the edges of the mixing bowl so that it's fairly clean, shape the dough into a ball, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Identify the recipe by writing its name on the plastic wrap with a felt-tip marker, and refrigerate it. If it is a slice-and-bake refrigerator cookie, form it into a log instead of a ball, according to the directions in your recipe. If you plan to bake much later, you can even freeze the dough. Most cookie doughs freeze very well. Defrost at room temperature while still wrapped in plastic wrap, and unwrap only when dough is thoroughly defrosted. Otherwise condensation could add too much moisture to your dough.

When your first batch of dough is prepared, wrapped, and stored in the refrigerator or freezer, return to the beginning of your assembly line, without washing your dishes, and begin preparing the next batch of dough. When you have prepared all the recipes that contain no spices or cocoa, move on to the recipes that contain cocoa, and finally those that contain spices. This way, you will only have to do dishes once at the end of the process, and you will have several different kinds of dough waiting to be baked.

When all your dough is prepared, then you can finally put away all your ingredients, clean up the kitchen, and do your dishes. Now if you plan to finish your baking today, you'll have lots of space for rolling out your dough or setting out your cooling racks. If you plan to bake another day, you're done!

Copyright 2004 Mimi Cummins. All Rights Reserved.

Mimi Cummins is co-author of the book "Christmas Cookies Are for Giving: Recipes, Stories, and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts." This book, "enthusiastically recommended" by Midwest Book Review, is full of baking tips and hints, including nearly 50 recipes each with a full-color photo. For more information visit http://www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com/ or order from your favorite online bookstore.

[Note to webmasters: you may include a link to the book using your affiliate program (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or other) if you wish.]

---

Cooking Lobster at Home

Lobster has always be one of those extravagant meals which... Read More

Eat your Veggies! Simple Cooking Methods

Vegetables add colour, taste, texture and bulk to our daily... Read More

Cookware ? Whats In It?

Have you ever wanted to buy new cookware but didn't... Read More

Clarifying Butter

Clarified butter is a delightfully rich concentrated butter that can... Read More

Cool Summertime Cooking

Summertime--and the living is easy! But the kitchen is hot!!... Read More

Keeping and Wasps and Flies Away from your Barbecue

It is one of life's oddities that we take a... Read More

Perfect Picnics - Frugal Food Safety Tips

Summer is finally here and for a lot of us... Read More

Must Haves for Any At-Home Chef

With the holidays on their way soon, many people will... Read More

ServSafe Food Program in Montana a Success

Montana has a great program for restaurant employees. Each preparer... Read More

How to Peel Almost Anything

The great English cook Prue Leith once famously remarked "life's... Read More

Storing Fats and Oils

The human body requires the intake of six types of... Read More

Vegetarian Cooking - Three Basics

For any of the many reasons people choose to eat... Read More

Seasoning An Oven

Untreated cast iron rusts, especially around water. To prevent metal... Read More

Homemade Whipped Cream

Most grocery stores carry cans of whipping cream ready to... Read More

10 Convenient Ways To Eliminate Food Poisoning With Your Microwave

Microwave ovens can play an important role at mealtime, but... Read More

Microwave Ovens and the Healthfulness of Microwaved Food

Microwave ovens do have benefits. They are certainly convenient. They... Read More

Fruit Cake

Are you the fruit cake in your family? Before you... Read More

What is Gluten and Why does it Matter?

Gluten is a substance made up of the proteins found... Read More

The Best-Kept Secrets of Beef Revealed! Get Ready to Become the Meat Expert in Your Family!

Do you helplessly stand at the meat counter looking from... Read More

Cooking With Kids--Safely!

School's out! And summer is a good time to introduce... Read More

How to Make Homemade Ice Cream (Without an Ice Cream Maker!)

COLFAX, WISCONSIN - June is Dairy Month and what better... Read More

Better Breakfasts Ideas

Nutritionists tell us that breakfast is the most important meal... Read More

The Wonderful Wok: Stir Frying Basics

Want to enjoy the tantalizing taste of Asian food at... Read More

Bacteria and Food-borne Diseases

Types of BacteriaBacteria are all around us, in the air,... Read More

Secrets of Great Breads

Often we field questions about making great bread. Great bread... Read More

Alone In the Kitchen: Stirring Up Mindfulness

Put on your apron! It's time to stir up a... Read More

Whisk Your Way To a Perfect Meal Every Time!

The whisk. A true versatile cooking utensil. Whisks come in... Read More

10 Mind-Easing Ways To Make Sure Your Childs Bag Lunch Is Safe

Perishable food must be kept cold while commuting via bus,... Read More

How to Cook Rice Right

The easiest way to make rice well every time is... Read More

How to Cook a Lobster

French chefs plunge them into boiling water; English ones, in... Read More

Save Money ? The Crock Way

Saving money ? is something we would all like to... Read More

Wok this Way! (Part 4 of 5) Cleaning and Caring for Your Wok

Non-stick woks do not require seasoning, and come with simple... Read More

Baking Perfect Breads, Cookies, and Desserts

We're all looking for that perfect pie, or cookies, or... Read More