Homemade Cookies (storage related)- which would you rather eat

[cjzimmer1]

This is going to be an odd question but I'm trying to wrap my head around someone else's viewpoint and would love to hear the Hive's thoughts.

We participate in many bake sales as a fundraiser for an activity my kids are in.  Recently we had a new person take over as the director and there is some disagreement about the "freshness" of items being sold.  Items are sold on Sunday. 

For a general cookie (chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, etc), would you think a cookie that had been made up to 2 weeks in advance but immediately put in the freezer within a few hours of baking and then removed a few hours before selling be fresher or would a cookie that was made on Thursday or Friday and sat on the counter until Sunday be fresher?

I know there could be many other variants but really these are the two scenarios we are currently debating.

[Annie G]

I would prefer frozen right away and taken out day of sale. My bestie always has cookies in the freezer and they absolutely taste fresh baked.  I don’t know what I’m doing wrong,  but mine don’t taste that fresh out of the freezer, but I suspect it’s because my friend makes better cookies than I do.  
Cookies baked Thursday and sold Sunday are already past their prime, imho. 

[Lori D.]

Ug -- baked just before the bake sale starts is the only way I find bake sale goods to be edible.

I personally don't think either of your options is workable (for me). I really dislike baked goods that were baked, frozen, and then defrosted -- it totally changes the texture and makes the baked good very crumbly. And baking days before and sitting around makes them stale.

What about making the dough and rolling into balls, freezing the uncooked dough ball, and then pulling out of the freezer Sunday morning to defrost, and baking right before heading to the bake sale later on Sunday? Best of both worlds -- majority of the work done in advance, but fresh baked that day.

[sweet2ndchance]

When I saw the thread title, I was going to ask how on earth you keep the family from eating them so quickly. When I make cookies just for us, storage is not an issue, lol. They are long gone before they ever go stale lol. Sometimes they are gone before they are completely cooled lol.

I do often make a large batch of cookie dough and freeze cookie dough balls then put them in batches into plastic bags. Then all I have to do to make cookies is pull out a bag, put them on a baking sheet and bake. They don't need to be defrosted but depending on the recipe you use it may need an extra minute or two in the oven. I bake the frozen balls from the freezer for all the types of cookies I make most often (chocolate chip, snickerdoodle and oatmeal). No one complains about them, in fact I'm often asked for the recipes, nor can anyone tell the dough was frozen when I baked them. 

Edited February 3, 2020 by sweet2ndchance
subject verb agreement lol

[Kassia]

I'd love the ones that were frozen and thawed! 

[Catwoman]

I want all of the cookies.

I will happily volunteer to do a thorough taste test for you, in the interest of science and bake sale technology.

Edited February 3, 2020 by Catwoman

[JustEm]

Since there is a question in the title and a question in the post I'll answer both.

I would rather eat the ones made on Thursday. While technically they aren't fresher the freezing of baked cookies changes them enough to have them not taste fresh either. So, the frozen ones are fresher but with the freezing and thawing their texture changes too much for me to consider fresh. Cookies baked a few days earlier at least have a chance of still being ok.

Ideally, freezing the dough and then cooking the night before would be the best compromise

[cjzimmer1]

42 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

I want all of the cookies.

I will happily volunteer to do a thorough taste test for you, in the interest of science and bake sale technology.

I've made over 20,000 in the last 12 years.  I'm pretty sure they've been thoroughly tested by now. But glad to hear that not everyone is fussy about their cookies.

[cjzimmer1]

Thanks to those who've chimed in.  It at least has given me a hint to what the other person's perspective is (when I've tried to discuss it with the director, I'm told "We are not discussing this", so I'm very confused on their objection to the way I've done it for the last 12 years).

[Lori D.]

14 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

I've made over 20,000 in the last 12 years....

Wow!

[MEmama]

47 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

Thanks to those who've chimed in.  It at least has given me a hint to what the other person's perspective is (when I've tried to discuss it with the director, I'm told "We are not discussing this", so I'm very confused on their objection to the way I've done it for the last 12 years).

I’m guessing she wouldn’t like my absolute favorite—chocolate chip cookies straight from the freezer and still frozen. Mmmm!
Seriously, who gets that worked up over cookies? By their very nature they are delicious. 🙂

And um, aren’t you *volunteering*?!

Some people have to make everything harder than necessary. 

Edited February 3, 2020 by MEmama

[JustEm]

54 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

Thanks to those who've chimed in.  It at least has given me a hint to what the other person's perspective is (when I've tried to discuss it with the director, I'm told "We are not discussing this", so I'm very confused on their objection to the way I've done it for the last 12 years).

Why does she care how other people make the baked goods? If they've always sold than obviously it doesn't matter to most people. I mean I don't like either of the methods you picked but if they were my only options(which I wouldn't know about until I bit into one) I wouldn't really care because I only buy from baked sales to support the cause or group

[Reefgazer]

I’d prefer the frozen.   I would think a cookie made on Thursday would be somewhat stale.

[MercyA]

1 hour ago, cjzimmer1 said:

Thanks to those who've chimed in.  It at least has given me a hint to what the other person's perspective is (when I've tried to discuss it with the director, I'm told "We are not discussing this", so I'm very confused on their objection to the way I've done it for the last 12 years).

What in the world? Is she or he telling you you *can't* do it in the way you've done it for years? I honestly do not understand people. 

[Farrar]

Freezing changes them. Three day old or more is meh. So to me it’s a wash. Both cookies, so I’m not complaining, but neither perfect.

Imposing a when you baked it rule when you’re trying to donate your efforts is rude when food safety isn’t in question.

[Farrar]

By the way, when I make and freeze cookies, I freeze the dough. All formed into cookies and ready to bake with no effort. Reduce the oven heat and cook them for longer (typically cookies that bake at 350 for 10-15 bake from frozen at 300 for 25-30).

[catz]

I'd likely eat any of those cookies!  Neither is perfect.  Honestly, most of the cookies we make here do freeze really well. But I get that not every recipe is the same.  I would probably freeze.  During the winter we have a cold porch that serves as a walk in freezer during the winter months we'd put it on.  In some cases, I have frozen batter ready to bake.  

I think if people are volunteering their efforts, they get to decide how to do it if food safety isn't an issue.  Which it really isn't in this case.  It's a bake sale.  Not a high end bakery catering high end events.  

I'm about to bake my college student some valentines cookies and express mail them to him.  LOL.  I was going to pack them good, freeze them solid, then ship.  It's cold enough that they will likely stay frozen on their journey.  I'm going to have to question him on their condition when he gets them.  After reading this thread, I am questioning my sanity.  

[cjzimmer1]

Thank you all.  Not only have you given me a possible reason for the other person's stance, many of you also put into words many things I was feeling about the situation but unable to articulate.

I can see where many would prefer things baked the morning of but the reality is I make anywhere from 100-200 items (individually wrapped) from 6-8 different recipes.  There is simply no way I could bake all those and have them cool enough to wrap on the day of.  It takes me several days as it is to get through all the things I make (hence the things being baked on Thursday and Friday or else baked earlier and stored in the freezer, I'm gone nearly every Sat).  The customers are generally the same group of people for the last 12 years and I almost always sell out of my things (other people bake as well but their stuff is a bit more hit and miss on if it all sells) so it's not like they are objecting to the taste of my contributions.  

I was also asked to return stuff to another baker that the director deemed not fresh enough to sell because it had been in the freezer "too long".  

I still have to figure out how to work through this situation but it is a great relief to know that I'm not alone in thinking this is not being handled well.

[RootAnn]

27 minutes ago, FuzzyCatz said:

I'm about to bake my college student some valentines cookies and express mail them to him. 

DH made his famous oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies for college DD tonight. They cooled & I packed them in freezer bags & stuffed them in the freezer. I'll pull them out right before heading to the post office in the morning. They will thaw on the way to her at college & be fine as long as I make the early truck (Thursday delivery). We've done this a few times so e know they taste fresh upon delivery if we do it this way (as long as I don't wait too long & then she doesn't pick up the pkg on the day of arrival).

I would rather have Thursday cookies than frozen/thawed ones, but I don't understand how anyone knows when you made them. I show up with my items & certainly am not telling people what recipe I used, how long I baked them, or how I prepared them. I bring them & people are grateful. They get purchased & eaten because people know my baked goods are yummy. No one ever asks when they were made.

[Farrar]

I also don’t get how anyone could possibly know. This seems not worth the drama.

Can you just drop out? Or reduce your contribution? I think my response would be, “Thanks for sharing the new guidelines. I hope you’ll understand with these rules and my schedule that this year I can only contribute a single batch of my (name usually popular item). Good luck with the sale.” I wouldn’t staff the table either. Not to be petty... it just seems like it’s not worth the labor of love you gave it.

[Annie G]

29 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

 

I was also asked to return stuff to another baker that the director deemed not fresh enough to sell because it had been in the freezer "too long".  

 

You guys need a new director. Or at the minimum, she should be the one ‘returning’ the baked goods she deems to be unsuitable. No way would I be doing her dirty work.   If you guys are getting repeat customers and no complaints, your stuff is fine, no matter how the volunteers are baking/storing. 
 

I’m in a mood tonight- sorry for the grumpy comment. But I’m not sorry enough to delete it because I bet I’d feel this way even if I wasn’t crabby. 

[mumto2]

My sil was involved with a massive Christmas cookie fundraiser for years.  Maybe 50 different cookie types involved and most spend  at least a week or two in the freezer.  The whole thing was wild imo but successful, they sold them by the pound for more than I would have paid, people had fights about who got to buy some of those cookies. So freeze if you need to.

I regularly bake for church affairs and freeze my excess for another week.  Sometimes I even freeze the trays that I have prepared wrapped extremely well in plastic wrap.  I have never had a negative comment about the frozen cookies and they all get eaten.

[Tap]

Frozen will taste fresher, but the texture will be slightly crumbly.

3 day old won't taste very fresh and will start to loose ideal texture. They will be a bit too dry, or too soft. 

If I had to pick, I would probably freeze. I would rather have a crumbly cookie, that a not-so-fresh tasting one. 

[cjzimmer1]

1 hour ago, Annie G said:

You guys need a new director. Or at the minimum, she should be the one ‘returning’ the baked goods she deems to be unsuitable. No way would I be doing her dirty work.   If you guys are getting repeat customers and no complaints, your stuff is fine, no matter how the volunteers are baking/storing. 
 

I’m in a mood tonight- sorry for the grumpy comment. But I’m not sorry enough to delete it because I bet I’d feel this way even if I wasn’t crabby. 

I declined returning them and sold them anyway.  Director was not happy with me. It's okay to be grumpy your comments don't seem harsh to me at all but then again I've been grumpy (and getting grumpier) for a few months as things keep escalating.  

[cjzimmer1]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

I also don’t get how anyone could possibly know. This seems not worth the drama.

Can you just drop out? Or reduce your contribution? I think my response would be, “Thanks for sharing the new guidelines. I hope you’ll understand with these rules and my schedule that this year I can only contribute a single batch of my (name usually popular item). Good luck with the sale.” I wouldn’t staff the table either. Not to be petty... it just seems like it’s not worth the labor of love you gave it.

This is pretty much the conclusion I've come to as well.  Normally I love this event, I love baking, I love selling, love talking to the customer's etc but the stress over it all trying to figure out what is "right" and what isn't, has just sucked all the joy out of it for me.  Now I'm trying to figure out how to gracefully exit as I'm the only one who sets up the sale, runs the sell, cleans up etc. The only help I have is other people do some of the baking.   So it's not like there is someone to hand it off too.  (and lest anyone say the workload isn't fair, I know that but since I so very much enjoy doing, it's never bothered me in the slightest, it is a labor of love for me which is probably why it's so difficult to say goodbye  - and hurtful to be told the things I'm doing are wrong after so many years and so many compliments that I was doing well)

[Farrar]

So... you're the one who does all the work - save some of the baking - yet somehow SHE is the one who decides the rules? Uh-uh. 

"New Director Lady, I really appreciate that you've stepped in to run things. A lot of our back and forth has made me realize how much I was putting into this without enough involvement by others. I'm looking forward to bringing in a small donation for the bake sale and buying a few items instead of running the show. It's clear you've got it covered and that you're bringing in more new blood, which is just what we need. It's nice to be able to step back and let others take over. Let me know if I can give you any tips about how I used to do it, though I'm sure you've got this."

[mlktwins]

How would she know when you bake them and how you store them?  She doesn’t need to know.  Keep doing what you’ve been doing (It seems to be successful) or drop out and let her bake her own #$&@ cookies 😁.

ETA:  Good grief!  What is wrong with people?

 

Edited February 4, 2020 by mlktwins

[RootAnn]

Wow. That's even worse that I thought. I'd be modifying @Farrar's reply to be a bit more facetious & send it off with a Last Date I'm Available attached. She's got, I dunno, 2-3 weeks, tops, to find another slave to dictate to or she can run it all herself which seems like what she wants anyway.

I don't do well with that sort of thing.

[ashfern]

Frozen would be "fresher".

[Carrie12345]

I have never in my life heard of someone being that insane over a bake sale. Unless you count TV shows with crazy suburban moms that I assumed were gross exaggerations. I guess I was wrong.

”I won’t be able to do it your way. Let me know if you change your mind.”

[Arcadia]

My teens happily eat store bought cookies and those are definitely a few days old usually even though my nearby supermarket bakes in-house. I don’t expect them to bake the same cookies daily, baguettes are baked daily. 

[catz]

I was just dealing with a volunteer parent who is trying to micromanage an event event though she can't run it this year.  Your choices are volunteer and do the work or let it go and let someone run it their way.  You don't get to micromanage other volunteers in this type of set up.  So obnoxious and weird!  There would have been NO WAY I would have done her dirty work telling someone their baked goods weren't good enough when they've been good enough before.  

[May]

I was the lead for our youths church bakesale and have done it both ways, making a few things to freeze, then making things that don’t freeze will, a couple of days before. One year I made 8 different kinds of cookies/treats, with multiple batches of each, in 3 days. It was exhausting. So, do what is easier for you. If you enjoy doing this, don’t let somewhat suck the joy out of it🌺

[JustEm]

I am sorry that someone has cause drama with a volunteer activity that you have always enjoyed.

I would seriously consider telling the director that you will have to step down from helping with this event because of her decisions regarding the baked goods you contribute. She will have to decide if losing your help and sticking to her ideas is worth it or if she's willing to let you handle things the way you always have.

At this point, I wouldn't even worry about someone else taking over. That is the directors responsibility to figure out.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

As far as the state of the cookies: I like cookies that taste like they were baked by relaxed and happy people who have proved, across literal years, that they know how to conduct a bake sale. 

[SamanthaCarter]

On 2/3/2020 at 2:18 PM, cjzimmer1 said:

This is going to be an odd question but I'm trying to wrap my head around someone else's viewpoint and would love to hear the Hive's thoughts.

We participate in many bake sales as a fundraiser for an activity my kids are in.  Recently we had a new person take over as the director and there is some disagreement about the "freshness" of items being sold.  Items are sold on Sunday. 

For a general cookie (chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, etc), would you think a cookie that had been made up to 2 weeks in advance but immediately put in the freezer within a few hours of baking and then removed a few hours before selling be fresher or would a cookie that was made on Thursday or Friday and sat on the counter until Sunday be fresher?

I know there could be many other variants but really these are the two scenarios we are currently debating.

Yes, I would consider the frozen cookie fresher. With limited exceptions, I find that homemade cookies go stale very quickly, so either consume, or freeze. 

[Jaybee]

I've never noticed my frozen cookies being more crumbly, but maybe that depends on the type they are and how long they stay in the freezer. My mom used to bake mountains of her chocolate chip cookies and freeze them. The grandkids would sneak them out and eat them frozen. If they'd been in there long, and she got out a container, they would sometimes be more crumbly. But for a short time (a few days), they never have been. These are crunchy chocolate chip cookies that were rather famous among my friends when I was growing up.

[cjzimmer1]

Thank you all for you comments and advice.  I have just sent in my "resignation" e-mail.  I'm sure there will be fall-out but at this point it just feels like a relief to have this part over with.  I tend to be a go along with whatever type person even when I don't agree because I really dislike conflict but I knew for my own sanity I needed to speak up and end the stress.

[Annie G]

Aw, I’m sorry you feel that you should resign.  Sounds like you were a valuable member AND you enjoyed it.  I hate when one bad apple spoils the fun.  But glad you were able to recognize that walking away is going to make things easier for you.