Fridge and Freezer Cookies

Being a busy mum running a business and looking after my family I quickly learnt that batch cooking was the only way to keep on top of things. When I came across fridge and freezer cookie and biscuit recipes many years ago I knew I would never look back. Being able to make batches of a plain cookie dough and then adding in whatever you have in the cupboards is great! I use the same old recipe and then just get inventive. Once I have made my batch of dough, I decide what flavour they are going to be. This is mostly led by what I have in the cupboard. I add different things to each batch. You can add flavourings, like vanilla extract, lemon flavour or whatever you choose. I like to put in chocolate chips or chunks of cherries, nuts, lemon zest, even hundreds and thousands. But not all in the same mix of course!

Then just portion the dough out and roll it into a long sausage wrap in cling film and pop in the fridge to cool, the rest of the batches can be wrapped in cling film and popped in the freezer for a later date. Sometimes I leave them sausage shaped, sometimes I make the oblongs so the cookies are kind of square when cut. When you have unexpected guests or are just short of time, you can pop the oven on. Line a flat baking tray with cooking parchment and take the dough out of the freezer and slice. Pop them in the oven and in a short time you have a wonderful smell of cookies drifting through the house and the most difficult job is to stop them being eaten before they have had time to cool.

Ingredients for plain dough:

225g (8oz) soft butter or margarine

140g (5oz) caster sugar

280g (10oz) plain flour

1 egg yolk pinch of salt Method Cream the butter and sugar together until they're light and fluffy. I use my electric mixer. Add the egg yolk and mix well. Then add the flour and salt. Now add your flavouring and add whatever other ingredients you like! Get inventive. Hundreds and thousands mixed into the dough are really colourful and great for kids! Mix the flour and your added extras until it all comes together to form a sticky cookie dough.

Put the dough onto a floured work surface, and roll into a thick sausage shape. The size of the sausage depends how big you want your cookies: make it long and thin to get the most out, but they'll be smaller.

Wrap the sausage in cookie dough in cling film and leave in the freezer for at least 1 hour. While it's in there, preheat the oven to 190C (375F/Gas mark 6).

Take the sausage of cookie dough out of the freezer leaving the other batches in there for another day. Once it’s been in the freezer it should be firmer and easier to cut. Use a sharp knife to slice it, as thick as you like, and put the cookie slices onto a parchment covered baking sheet spaced quite far apart.

If you need to bake them in more than one batch, wrap the excess dough and put it back into the freezer so it doesn't go soft.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, then leave to cool. Enjoy with a cuppa and don't forget, if you're not ready for them, leave them in the freezer until you are!