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Does the thought of baking for the holidays leave you in a holiday-daze? Frozen with fear that you won’t get it all done?

Instead of baking to a frazzle this holiday season, try chilling out. Bake ahead and freeze cookie dough to avoid last-minute hassles. Freezing cookie dough works better than baking the cookies then freezing. If the dough is packaged correctly, no one will ever know your secret to getting all the cookies baked and have all the other holiday preparations finished.

Below is a recipe for the best cookie of 1940-1945. During this time period, the World War II efforts brought the need to simplify baking. Men went off to war and women took their places in the production lines. Cookie baking and other home tasks had to be speeded up. Refrigerator cookies were popular because the dough could be mixed one day, sliced and baked the next. Home freezers weren’t introduced until 1946. Today, the dough now can be frozen as freezers are available in just about every home today.

Here are some guidelines to help you start

First, it is important to use freezer containers or wrappings that are moisture-vapor-resistant. Suitable freezer wrapping materials include freezer paper, plastic freezer bags, plastic wrap designed for freezer use and extra heavy or heavy duty freezer aluminum foil. If you are in doubt, check the wrapping labels for specific information about whether the wrappings work for freezing.

Other suitable materials include rigid freezer containers such as food grade plastic. It is important to choose a container that fits the amount of food you’re freezing. If there’s greater than about a 1/2 inch space between the surface of the dough and the top of the container, wrap the food with a layer of freezer wrapping before placing it in the container. This helps prevent moisture loss.

Some containers aren’t suitable for freezing. For example, milk and cottage cheese cartons aren’t moisture-vapor-resistant enough for freezing. Label each package with the type and amount of the contents and the date it was frozen.

Next step, check your freezer internal temperature. Foods should be frozen at 0 F or below. Avoid overloading your freezer with too much dough for freezing at one time.

When ready to bake the cookies, thaw in the refrigerator. One day should be sufficient for most foods to thaw. For thawing at room temperature, allow only one to two hours for the food to thaw.

Now to get started, here is the best cookie from 1940-1945

Caramel Refrigerator Cookies

1/4 cup margarine

1/4 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Cream together margarine and butter. Add sugar, beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, cream again. Stir flour and baking soda together. Add to creamed mixture. Form into a roll 2 and 1/2 inch width. Wrap in wax paper. Freeze. Thaw in refrigerator one day before baking. Slice 1/8 inch. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes approximately 5 dozen. Note, the instructions were adjusted for using an electric mixer.