I asked our Bakeable members, Community Cooks and editors to share tips for gift-worthy cookie trays. Here's what I learned!
1
/
14
Include Classic Christmas Cookies
Bakeable member Peggy Daczewitz-Hamlin says every cookie platter needs to include the iconic holiday cookies that everyone looks forward to all year. For Peggy, someone who’s been making cookie platters for 40 years, that’s decorated Christmas sugar cookies, nutty vanilla crescents and chocolate-dipped Italian butter cookies.
2
/
14
Shop in Advance
The perfect cookie tray is filled with a variety of treats, so plan ahead to keep it easy on yourself. Shop early and have everything you need before getting started. Bakeable member Erin Gardner Defendorf explains that she buys all her ingredients in advance, ensuring she’s prepared to bake whenever she has a bit of free time. No one wants to run out of sugar in the middle of a bake!
If you want to plan far, far in advance, there are many baking ingredients you can freeze, like butter, nuts, dried fruit and flour.
3
/
14
Bake Ahead and Freeze Cookies
If you’re planning to bake lots and lots of cookies, don’t wait until the last minute. In our Bakeable group, Gina Reilly says that she and her mother start baking right after Thanksgiving, freezing cookies along the way so they have enough time to bake everything. It’s a good strategy! In general, cookies last up to six months in the freezer.
Pro tip: Don’t toss cookies with powdered sugar or frost them before freezing. Save that step until you are ready to serve or gift them.
4
/
14
Make a Variety of Cookies
“Make sure you don’t have two of the same-looking cookie,” Bakeable member Melanie Krause O’Brien suggests. She recommends having cookies of different sizes, colors and shapes, which will make the tray look beautiful and visually interesting.
Her recipe for the perfect cookie tray includes sugar-dusted snowball cookies, a few colorful thumbprint cookie recipes, decorated cutouts, buttery spritz and an easy drop cookie. Sounds good to us!
5
/
14
Keep the Cookies Small
Taste of Home senior editor Katie Bandurski recommends making smaller cookies. “You want one- or two-bite treats so people can try multiple varieties in one sitting.” Plus, this size will stretch a batch of dough to yield many more cookies. Just remember to adjust the cook time so they don’t overbake.
6
/
14
Separate or Wrap Different Kinds of Cookies
Kallee Krong-McCreery, one of our Community Cooks, recommends wrapping each type of cookie individually, if possible. “That way the crisp ones stay crisp and the soft ones stay soft,” she says.
It’s definitely best to wrap strongly flavored cookies, like minty or spiced treats, so they don’t overpower the entire tray. You don’t want your peanut butter blossom cookies tasting of mint!
7
/
14
Fill the Tray with Other Treats
You don’t need to limit yourself to just baking cookies. Bakeable member Margaret Cangiano Spinale recommends adding homemade Christmas candy to the mix, like festive Christmas bark recipes, peanut butter rice crispy balls or chocolate-covered peppermint pretzel dippers.
8
/
14
Get Thrifty with Your Cookie Trays
Sure, you can invest in fancy new cookie tins and trays. But several Bakeable group members have a clever suggestion: Use thrifted platters or trays for your cookies. It’s a great cost-saving—and eco-friendly—tip!
Second-hand shops and yard sales are great resources for pretty vintage plates. You might find some vintage Pyrex for yourself while you browse.
9
/
14
Opt for Cookie Variety Over Quantity
Deb Irish-Galloway in our Bakeable group recommends “small amounts of a larger selection,” and we agree! It’s more fun to sample a tailored mix of six types of cookies than to have a ton of options but only get two or three of each kind.
Need a shortcut to more cookies? Whip up our basic cookie dough. It’s the foundation for the five cookies in this photo.
10
/
14
Use Cupcake Liners to Organize Cookies
Ginnylee Ragland in our Facebook group recommends grabbing a package of cupcake liners to help organize your trays. They separate the cookies so they don’t crush each other. Depending on the size, they can also hold other sweets, like handfuls of candied pecans or shards of peanut brittle. Choose liners in different holiday colors and patterns for a festive touch.
11
/
14
Wait to Assemble Your Cookie Tray Until It’s Time to Swap
“I keep my cookies in separate airtight containers until I’m ready to assemble the platters,” says former senior food editor Peggy Woodward. This way, the flavors stay fresh and the textures don’t change. Plus, stackable containers are much easier to store than trays of cookies.
12
/
14
Label Your Cookies
If you’re packaging cookies as gifts, Chris Carroll Jenkins in our Bakeable group recommends labeling each treat. That way, people know what they are eating and can avoid any that contain nuts or other common allergens, if needed.
13
/
14
Choose Festive Cookies Instead of Everyday Ones
“My rule is no chocolate chip cookies,” says home baker Lisa Keller. “Christmas cookies should be special!” Bring out your most festive recipes in December with holiday flavors and decorations. After all, Christmas only comes once a year.
14
/
14
Add Cookies From a Local Bakery
While many of us enjoy spending December in the kitchen baking up a storm, we don’t all have the time (or patience) to bake batches of cookies. In that case, Bakeable member Kay Wilhelm suggests her go-to strategy: “Call and support a small local bakery.” Or, order a batch from the best Christmas cookie delivery services. Hear, hear!
