Sara Noel: Freeze cookie dough for easy baking later - Reading Eagle
01.01.70
Dear Sara: Have you ever premade cookie dough and either froze or refrigerated it until you wanted to bake it? Do you thaw it for any specific time before baking it, or do you bake it directly from the fridge or freezer? – Kaki, Louisiana
Dear Kaki: I’ve chilled cookie dough many times, always making sure to use it within 24 hours of refrigerating it. Cookie dough freezes well, too. You can roll it into logs, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. When you’re ready to use the dough, thaw it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, then slice and bake. You can also place cookie dough in each compartment of an ice-cube tray for freezing and thawing. If it’s for cutouts, form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place it in a freezer bag or storage container.
You can freeze baked cookies, too. Be sure that they’re cooled, then place them in a plastic storage container, freezer bag or a tin. Use wax paper between layers so they don’t stick together. Use a cookie scoop or roll the dough into balls and drop them close together onto a wax or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Freezing for about an hour will harden them so they hold their shape, then you can transfer them into plastic baggies and freeze. If you choose, you can thaw them for half an hour at room temperature when you’re ready to bake, but there’s no need to thaw them before baking.
Source: San Francisco Luxury News
Nothing Says Christmas Like a Nice Skull
01.01.70
As I may have noted before, I’m fond of skulls. In fact, I carry one with me wherever I go. I find it to be a convenient container for transporting my brain, eyes and other head-related organs.
I also have a skull bank, a skull cookie jar, silverware decorated with skulls and a lovely skull platter, not to mention an assortment of animal skulls that the original owners carelessly left scattered around the woods. In addition, I have a mason jar full of Malibu Barbie heads (it’s a long story, involving ice sculptures, art exhibits, yard sales and beer), which I assume contain Malibu Barbie skulls. I find this collection to be inspiring to gaze upon when I’m reflecting on mortality or just trying to avoid work.
Given my taste in skeletal remains, I was pleased to find a skull among my gifts this Yuletide season. Family members discovered it near their house, and, although they weren’t certain what species it belonged to, they took it home, cleaned it, bleached it and repaired a loose tooth. Then, they mounted it in a classy looking plastic case and put it under the Christmas tree.
Source: Down East