How To Make Holiday Baking Stress-Free: 5 Easy Tips From Pastry Chef Gemma Stafford

Holiday baking is in full swing! With Christmas cookie exchanges, pies for parties and potlucks and sweets for the holiday table, your kitchen can quickly turn into a dessert factory this time of year. Doing all of this requires planning and patience, but the reward is seeing my friends and family light up when they get a treat made from scratch. And it doesn’t have to be stressful. Gemma Stafford, pastry chef and author of Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day, says making five small changes to your holiday baking regimen will make the experience a whole lot sweeter.

How to nail holiday baked treats

Stafford started the Bigger Bolder Baking platform to give home bakers a confidence boost—and to help them simplify recipes, when possible. “With all my years of experience, I realize baking can be daunting. As somebody who has done it literally all of my life, [I can reassure you that] it shouldn’t be,” she says. “It should bring people joy, especially around the holidays when the thought of making a homemade pie crust makes them shiver.”

Here are Stafford’s five tips for preparing holiday cookies, cakes and pies without hassle!

1. Stay organized.

Having a game plan for when and how you’ll prepare your holiday dessert spread makes the process a lot easier. “I write out the desserts I have to make; and, even with a shopping list, I plan everything out and use it as a schedule,” she says. “That also means doing something simple, such as weighing out dry ingredients, the night before [in order] to make baking the next day easier.”

2. Make adjustments for high-altitude baking.

If you live in a higher altitude, it’s best to adjust the recipe accordingly to prevent cakes and baked goods from collapsing while baking. “I used to work in a bakery in South Lake Tahoe, in the mountains on the border of Nevada and California. So, we had to alter all of our recipes to accommodate the high altitude,” Stafford explains. “Adjustments like reducing the amount of baking powder and increasing the oven’s temperature help to combat low air pressure due to increased elevation levels.” (Take a look at Stafford’s guide on high altitude baking to learn more.)

3. Utilize the freezer.

Stafford prefers making cookie dough ahead and keeping it in the freezer until it’s time to bake. “I made mine weeks ago,” she says. “Keep dough in a plastic bag in the freezer, defrost and bake the cookies when you’re ready. Cookie dough will last for up to three months in the freezer.” (Bonus: Check out our story on how to store pies in the freezer for up to two months.)

4. Keep decorations simple.

There’s no need to fuss over cake and cookie decorations as Stafford reveals that less is more. Opting for simpler decorative toppings saves you time so you can focus on other baked goods in your dessert spread. “I also love to keep it simple so that kids and little ones can participate and decorate, too,” she adds.

5. Allow baked goods with icing to dry before packing them.

Worried that the icing on your cookies or cupcakes will be ruined on your way to a festive gathering? Stafford recommends letting the icing dry first prior to packing the treats.”For example, for Christmas cookies with icing and decorations, I decorate the night before, let them dry uncovered, and then pack them up,” she says. “That way icing won’t smear everywhere as I’m traveling with the baked treats.”

Time to bake

If your holiday wish list includes serving delicious desserts, put Stafford’s baking tips to use. Not only will it remove the stress, but for those including kids or grandkids in their baking plans, it will make the process a whole lot smoother. Watch Stafford’s video below for tips on decorating cookies with kids as a fun Christmas-themed activity.