Frozen cookie dough logs are great because you can make them ahead and have them on hand during the holidays to make a moment’s notice. You can give them as gifts, too.

Slice and Bake: Roll your cookie dough into logs. Use lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper to help roll the dough.  Make a rough shaped log with your dough and place the dough in the middle of the parchment paper. Fold the parchment paper in half. And roll the parchment paper into a cylinder, so the dough forms a more defined log shape. Twist the ends of the parchment paper.

Once rolled into a log, wrap with plastic wrap and then place into a freezer bag. When you’re ready to use the dough, thaw in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Then slice and bake. You can also place cookie dough in an ice cube tray (in each compartment) for freezing and thawing.

You can also use a card board tube from a paper towel roll and cut it down one side. Make your rough shaped log, wrap it in plastic wrap or wax paper and put it inside the cardboard tube. Squeeze and roll it until it creates a nice evenly shaped cookie log. Make sure your plastic wrap is twisted on the ends. You can keep it in the tube to freeze.

If it’s for cutouts, form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place it in a freezer bag or storage container.

Drop cookies: Use a cookie scoop or roll into balls and drop the dough onto a wax- or parchment-paper- lined cookie sheet. Drop them close together. Freeze for about an hour to harden so they hold their shape, then transfer them into plastic baggies and freeze. When you’re ready to bake, you can thaw them for half an hour at room temperature, but there’s no need to thaw them before baking.

Freeze baked and cooled cookies, too. Put into a tin, plastic storage container or freezer bag. Use wax paper in between layers so they don’t stick together.