4 Hacks for Stress-Free Holiday Baking

My favourite way to celebrate the holiday season is by baking. Shopping is one of my least favourite activities, and the amount of joy I get from wandering the malls this time of year is on par with how happy my teens are when the Wi-Fi goes down. However, put me in the kitchen with a few pounds of butter, a bag of sugar, and my collection of cookie cutters and I couldn’t be happier.

If you feel the same way (hello, friend!) you likely have your baking checklists organized and are armed with a plan. If baking doesn’t feed your soul in the same way it does mine, don’t fret because I’ve got your back. Not to mention, these great tips:

4 hacks for helping you out with your holiday baking

1. Get the Essentials Ahead of Time. Before I begin cookie crafting, I like to organize myself with our holiday baking essentials. I take inventory of what I have in my pantry, while also making a list of what I need to buy.

2. Fill Your Freezer With Dough. Jam thumbprints are one of the easiest holiday cookies to make, and this simple recipe offers three variations on the same cookie. In other words, make one dough and fill your freezer with three different flavours.

3. Give Store-Bought Cookies a Makeover. If you’re short on time, you can easily give store-bought cookies a merry makeover. We did this last year and it was a huge hit with our friends and family.

4. Host a Cookie Exchange. Lastly, if you want to fill your freezer with an assortment of sweets, while only having to bake one variety yourself, why not host an old-fashioned cookie exchange? It’s truly the easiest way to entertain this season and is a great excuse to spend some time with your favourite friends.

Tell us, what is your favourite tip, trick or hack for stress-free holiday baking?