As a busy working mother, I’m short on time, especially
during the holidays, but baking Christmas cookies is a family tradition
I’m unwilling to give up.

Over the years, I’ve come up with many ways to make the
process of baking a large variety of cookies go much smoother and take
less time out of my busy life.

In addition to the 6-step method, I’ve found an
efficient way to prepare a large variety of cookie dough with minimum
fuss by setting up a cookie assembly line. The best part about this
process is that you can make 12 different batches of cookies and only
have to wash the dishes once! This process assumes that you have
already chosen your recipes and gone grocery shopping. You will want to
use your longest available expanse of countertop for this. My assembly
line turns two corners as it winds around my small kitchen, but that is
fine.

You may need to make some adjustments depending on your
individual recipes, but for most recipes, you can set up your assembly
line like so:

Flour Line:

• Large mixing bowl
  

• Measuring cups and spoons
  

• Fork for stirring
  

• Flour
  

• Baking powder and baking soda
  

• Salt
  

• Cocoa powder
  

• Spices
  

• Any other dry ingredients that are added to the flour in your recipes
  

Butter Line

• Another large mixing bowl (or the bowl from your stand mixer)
  

• A second set of measuring cups and spoons
  

• Electric mixer
  

• Wooden spoon
  

• Rubber spatula
  

• Butter, shortening, margarine and/or cream cheese
  

• Sugar (white and brown)
  

• Eggs
  

• Vanilla and other extracts
  

• Chunks such as raisins, nuts, chocolate chips
  

• Rolled oats
  

• Any other ingredients that are added to the butter and eggs in your recipes
  

• Plastic wrap
  

• Felt-tip marker
  

To avoid transferring flavors from one recipe to another, you
will start with basic recipes that have no spices, chocolate, or other
strongly flavored ingredients. Starting with your first recipe, go down
the line measuring out the amount of flour, baking powder/soda and salt
into one bowl. Then, combine the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla in your
larger bowl as directed. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the
butter mixture. After that, stir in any chunks.

Next, scrape down the edges of the mixing bowl so that
it’s fairly clean, shape the dough into a ball, and wrap it in plastic
wrap. Identify the recipe by writing its name on the plastic wrap with
a felt-tip marker, and refrigerate it. If it is a slice-and-bake
refrigerator cookie, form it into a log instead of a ball, according to
the directions in your recipe. If you plan to bake much later, you can
even freeze the dough. Most cookie doughs freeze very well. Defrost at
room temperature while still wrapped in plastic wrap, and unwrap only
when dough is thoroughly defrosted. Otherwise condensation could add
too much moisture to your dough.

When your first batch of dough is prepared, wrapped, and
stored in the refrigerator or freezer, return to the beginning of your
assembly line, without washing your dishes, and begin preparing the
next batch of dough. When you have prepared all the recipes that
contain no spices or cocoa, move on to the recipes that contain cocoa,
and finally those that contain spices. This way, you will only have to
do dishes once at the end of the process, and you will have several
different kinds of dough waiting to be baked.

When all your dough is prepared, then you can finally
put away all your ingredients, clean up the kitchen, and do your
dishes. Now if you plan to finish your baking today, you’ll have lots
of space for rolling out your dough or setting out your cooling racks.
If you plan to bake another day, you’re done!