Making Cookie Dough In Advance

Our answer

Nigella's Chocolate Chip Cookies (from KITCHEN) are cookies that are slightly crisp on the outside and tender and chewy in the centre. The dough can be made in advance, however if you refrigerate it overnight in an airtight container you may find that it is too firm to scoop and bake quicky in the morning. Instead we would suggest that once the cookie dough has been made, it is scooped in mounds onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment (parchment paper). Cover the baking sheet with clingfilm (plastic wrap) and refrigerate overnight. In the morning take the sheet out of the fridge and transfer half of the cookies to another lined baking sheet then bake following the instructions in the recipe. Return the sheet of unbaked cookie dough to the fridge while the first batch bakes, then bake the second batch (making sure that the cookie dough mounds are suitably re-arranged on the baking sheet before baking). If the dough is fridge-cold then the cookies may take very slightly longer to bake.

It is also possible to freeze the shaped cookie dough and bake this direct from frozen. Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until the dough is solid, then transfer to resealable plastic bags. Bake direct from frozen, as directed in the recipe, adding 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.