Oatmeal Cookie Dough for the Freezer. With Five Flavor Variations!

Be prepared for drop-by guests or snacks for after school with Oatmeal Cookie Dough, for the Freezer. With 5 flavor variations. Cookie baking is now so easy!

Even though I have been cooking for over 50 many years, I am still learning to be better prepared in the kitchen. Being prepared can have a different meaning to each cook, or for that matter the needs of your family. But being prepared is a skill worth having and developing to its maximum potential. Cookie dough tucked into the freezer is one such way to be prepared. Oatmeal Cookie Dough to be exact!

Currently, the skill I am working on is cooking for "just the two of us". I remember fondly that just a few years ago, I was worried that I was not cooking enough with two teens in the house! From time to time I would think how nice it would be to cook for only two. Boy was I wrong! Most recipes are geared for more than two, and leftovers are nice, but not all week...so the real trick is to revamp how you do things, like this recipe for Oatmeal Cookie Dough. 

Baked cookies take up a lot of room in your freezer. If you have only a small freezer space, other foods hold more value for space in your freezer. But with this method, you can have your steak and cookies too! While we love cookies, we are only two people. 

And yes we could eat the whole batch of cookies, while they are still fresh and moist. But we usually prefer to act all grown up and as such, cookies and milk are not usually on the menu as dinner. But we still want cookies! Fresh cookies. Delicious cookies. Homemade cookies.

Which got me to thinking.........Why not freeze cookie dough in portions to bake a dozen cookies at a time, kind of like on-demand TV. Personally, I think on-demand cookies are a much better idea!

Simply pull out a portion of dough from the freezer, and let it thaw for a few minutes. Cut into 12 pieces and bake. Because the frozen dough takes up so little space, you can have two or three different flavors of Oatmeal Cookie Dough, for variety. Plus you will be prepared for drop-in guests...because nothing says welcome like fresh baked cookies. 

For convenience, label each package with the oven temperature and baking time, and you are good to go! Hey, it looks like you've got this!

Ingredients needed for this recipe:

• whole wheat flour, pastry grind
• egg
• butter 
• brown sugar, you can make your own!
• sugar
• salt
• baking soda
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• oatmeal
• raisins

You will also need the following:

• stand mixer
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• silicone spatula
• whisk
• waxed paper
• freezer storage containers/bags

Now we are ready to begin!

Oatmeal Cookie Dough, ready to package for the freezer.

Oatmeal Cookie Dough for the Freezer
adapted from: the Quaker Oats Barrel
makes 4 dozen cookies/4 packages

1 1/4 c butter ( 2 1/2 sticks) cut into 1/2 inch slices
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1 t vanilla
1 egg
1 T water - don't leave this out!

Cut butter into thick slices, add sugars and salt. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla and egg, beat until fluffy, beat in the water.

Combine and whisk together:

1 1/2 whole wheat flour, pastry grind 

1 t soda

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t nutmeg

3 c oats

1 1/2 c raisins

Beat flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. When smooth, reduce beater speed and add the oats and raisins. Mixing gently until oats and raisins are mixed in evenly.

Scrape the beater clean, smooth the dough into the bottom of the work bowl. Divide into 4 sections. Pack dough into your mold.

Oatmeal Cookie Dough, ready for the freezer.

Oatmeal Cookie Dough, for the freezer.

Place a square of waxed paper over your mold, add 1/4 portion of the dough. Using another piece of wax paper, cover

over the top of the dough, pressing firmly to make a compact

evenly shaped "slab". Remove top piece of waxed paper, fold

the extended portion over dough, turn out. Repeat.

Packaged for the freezer.

To bake, remove one portion from the freezer, let thaw a few minutes (or remove the day before and place in refrigerator), cut into 12 pieces, and bake.

How about Chocolate Chip?

To make chocolate chip cookies, eliminate the spice and raisins, add 1 1/2 - 2 c chocolate chips. Proceed as shown above.

How about Maple Walnut?
To make Maple walnut, substitute maple flavoring for the vanilla, eliminate the raisins and spice, add 1 1/2 - 2 c. walnuts.

How about Cranberry and White Chocolate?
To make Cranberry White Chocolate, substitute 1 c each dried cranberries and chopped pure white chocolate for the raisins.

How about GORP* Cookies? 
To make GORP Cookies add 1/2 c peanut butter along with the butter. Eliminate the spices and add 1 c each raisins, and chocolate chips.

#WholeWheatThat’sGoodToEat!

* GORP, good old raisins and peanuts

Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household was featured at Linda's Lunacy!

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