Christmas is almost upon us. If you haven’t baked a decent batch of cookies yet, now is the time to do so. But what is the best way to store the sweet treats so that they stay fresh and juicy for as long as possible? The most important tips at a glance.
In principle, almost all biscuits can be stored for a longer period of time. You should first let the cookies cool down after baking. Decorations made of chocolate, icing and Co. must be completely dry – this is the only way the cookies won’t stick together afterwards, stay nice and crispy and don’t lose their shape.
Large tin cans that can be sealed as airtight as possible are best for storage. Alternatively, you can also use plastic cans, but there is a risk that the cookies will take on a plastic-like smell in the long term. For the longest possible shelf life, each type of biscuit should be stored in its own tin. If you only have one storage container, you can separate the cookies using parchment paper and store them in a tin. This is the only way to preserve the respective aroma. Above all, very aromatic, intensive baked goods with plenty of spices such as coconut, cinnamon or coffee give off their aromas, after a while everything tastes similar.
But what is the best place to store the cookie jars? The fridge is too cold for most varieties, the biscuits would start to crumble, the chocolate would turn gray. On the other hand, an unheated room is ideal – for example the pantry.
In order to keep shortcrust pastry for a long time, it should be stored in a dark and cool place in a well-sealed metal tin after it has cooled down. Butter biscuits, angel eyes, rascals, vanilla crescents or shortbread cookies stay fresh and crispy at room temperature for up to four weeks.
Moist pastries such as gingerbread, honey cake, stollen, cinnamon stars or fruit bread taste particularly good. Accordingly, it should be left open for a day before being stowed away. This is the only way it can develop its fullest aroma and become beautifully soft. Afterwards, storage in a metal can is suitable, preferably with an apple slice, which increases the humidity in the closed can. This keeps the baked goods fresh and juicy for longer. Replace the apple slice about every other day to ensure nothing gets moldy. The pastries will keep for up to three months.
Are you worried about your macaroons and assume that the egg whites they contain will shorten their shelf life? Thanks to the high sugar content, however, the sweet pastries will keep for up to three weeks. An easily closable metal container in combination with a slice of apple ensures a long-lasting soft and juicy consistency, even with macaroons of any kind.
Frosting, chocolate decorations and icing make the cookies particularly attractive. To keep it that way, the bottom and edges of the cookie jar should be lined with baking paper and the individual layers of cookies separated with it when storing.
If your pastries contain ingredients that perish quickly, such as cream or cream fillings, they should be eaten within a week. Like the other varieties, these are kept in the dark, tightly closed and in a cool place, preferably in a metal can.
Have you been busy baking so many cookies that you can’t keep up with snacking? It doesn’t matter, most pastries can be frozen without any problems and thawed again for spontaneous cookie cravings. Pack the cookies in separate freezer bags or tins.
Dry pastries are particularly suitable for this, but gingerbread or cinnamon stars can also be frozen without any problems. Meringues such as macaroons, as well as cookies with icing and chocolate, on the other hand, cannot be frozen.
Within two hours, the biscuits defrost again at room temperature and thus retain their full aroma. If it needs to be done quickly, the microwave is also suitable. Put the pastry in the microwave at low wattage or the defrost program, alternatively you can also bake it in the oven at 180 degrees for five to eight minutes. It almost tastes freshly made.
