Baking cookies in the summer

I love to bake and cookies were one of the first things I learned to bake.  Cookies are relatively easy to bake as long as you measure and follow directions.  Over the years I have played around with substituting ingredients; like ground oats for some of the flour, dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate, adding nuts, using whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of butter or oil, and honey instead of sugar.  Each time the result is slightly different but the cookies taste as good.  My next substitution will be adding hemp flour to my brownies, but until the heat wave cools I am not turning my oven on!

So when the heat wave hits here I stay away from the oven for any cooking or baking, but that doesn't mean you have to go without home-made goodies.  I try to bake a double patch of cookies and freeze about 70% of the cookies, then a few months later I can pull out a batch and they are ready to go.  Almost any cookie recipe can be stored in the freezer.  Just bake your cookies as usual, then once the cookies have cooler, wrap about 10-12 in aluminum foil, place in a freezer ziplock bag or freezable container, label and freeze.  Next time you want a sweet treat take a batch out and defrost or enjoy cold.  Most cookies if wrapped properly can last several months in the freezer.  Chocolate chip, double-chocolate, lemon wafers, biscotti and oatmeal are a few of the cookies I personally have frozen over the years.  Next time you are in the mood to bake, whip up a larger batch and freeze some for later, you will be delightfully surprised at how easy it is.