The Type Of Cookies You Should Not Be Freezing

There is something so satisfying about finding a container of holiday cookies in your freezer in the middle of July — filled with colorful pecan linzers, eggnog sandwich cookies, or even chewy pumpkin chocolate chip treats. But as great as those might taste once thawed, there are some cookies that are best eaten fresh and never frozen. Food Republic had the opportunity to get expert advice on this topic from Laura Kanya, the research and development chef at Ann Clark Ltd., and she had this to tell us: "I wouldn't freeze cakey-type or thin-battered type cookies like tuiles, [French macarons], and madeleines."

She went on to explain that cookies like these might dry out too quickly once exposed to extremely cold temperatures, or they can actually get "damaged from the moisture content from the freezer." However, she added, "Typically a cookie that is made using the creaming method is denser and does great with freezing." She reminded us to protect these cookies from freezer burn by placing them in an airtight bag or container (you might also separate layers with parchment paper).

It's a sad — but delicious — fact of life: Some cookies just aren't meant for the freezer, and so they'll have to be eaten within a certain time frame before they start to go stale. "We all know they are the BEST when they are right out of the oven!" Laura Kanya said. Still, to keep them fresh for as long as possible, Kanya recommended storing them at "room temperature in tightly sealed containers."

She told us that the type of cookie also determines how long it can be stored under these conditions. "The more moisture it has, the shorter it will last," she said, whereas drier cookies like salted chocolate shortbread might last an extra day or two. Kanya suggested you have up to three days to eat most non-freezable cookies from their airtight container before they might start to go stale.

If you're nearing the end of a cookie's natural lifespan, there is still plenty you can do to use them up rather than throw them away. Try crumbling them, combining with butter, and turning them into a pie crust, for example — or use them in place of cake to make cookie pops.