My son is getting married in June.  He and his fiancée want me to make 200-300 4” Monster Cookies for the reception.   They have ordered M&M’s with their names on them.   Some of the M&M’s will be mixed into the dough.   When the cookies come out of the oven I plan to push the printed M&M’s into the hot cookies so they can be read and then freeze the cookies.

Do you have any advice regarding freezing dough balls to be baked at a later time, the best way to store baked cookies in the freezer, or thawing them so they will be best possible for the big day?    The cookies will be on the reception tables in individual organza sachet bags.   I’m afraid the bags will become greasy if the cookies are put into the bags too soon on the day of the wedding.   Any thoughts on this???

Thanks for any suggestions you can have.

--Pat

Well, the first suggestion that I have is for such an important day is to try any method you come up with beforehand so as to be sure that you are happy with the results.  It would be unfortunate to commit to a method that didn't work out.

For freezing the dough, rather than freezing it in balls, I would be inclined to freeze it in logs.  To do that, lay a sheet of plastic wrap on the counter, and then shape a rough log about the diameter of the balls you will be baking down one side, about an inch from the edge.  Roll the log up in the plastic wrap, and twist off the ends.  If you then hold onto the ends and roll the log back and forth on the counter, you will even out the shape.  Place the logs onto a cookie sheet or other surface to keep them even and freeze immediately.

Thaw the dough in your refrigerator for a day before baking.  If it is still a little stiff, it will be easier to handle.  Unwrap each log, slice it crosswise into individual portions, place them on the cookie sheet and bake them.

To freeze the finished cookies, I would suggest putting them into large air tight freezer containers with individual layers separated by waxed or parchment paper.  Make sure they have cooled down completely to room temperature before freezing them.  Putting large amounts of anything warm into a freezer can heat the interior enough to cause spoilage in other foods.  They should keep well frozen for about a month.

Unfortunately, you are likely right about the organza bags getting greasy.  Your only choice is going to be to wrap the cookies in plastic wrap before putting them into the bags.  Assuming that the cookies will be placed at individual settings, you can wrap them frozen the day before, or the morning of, the wedding and deliver them to be set out.  By the time the reception happens, they should be thawed out.