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Hi Reader!

**Some of you may have received this email twice, my apologies!!

My freezer has been working overtime for me this summer! It's the ultimate hack for busy weeknights, last-minute cravings, and making sure delicious food is always within reach, no matter how chaotic life gets!

Here's what's currently in my freezer stash:

Breakfast & Snacks: Sourdough Bagels, Strawberry Hibiscus Jam, Cookies, Blueberry Scones​

Dinner Essentials: Pizza Dough, Pizza Sauce​, Hamburger Buns, Pizza Focaccia Dough​

Quick Fixes & Pantry Staples: Zucchini Relish, Wheel of Brie & Strawberry Jam (again!)

Below, I'm sharing all my favorite tips and tricks for the above recipes (with links!), from how to thaw pizza dough to throwing together a quick cheese board.

Ready to transform your weeknights? Pick one recipe from my stash and give it a try this week!

I hope you're enjoying last week's berry crumble. I still can't get enough of it!

PS This is a long one! So grab a drink, put up your feet and enjoy!

PPS The wheel of brie isn't complicated. Buy a full wheel of brie, and then cut it into equal-sized wedges. Wrap each wedge tightly in plastic wrap and then place them back in the container and freeze. When the frozen brie is placed on the counter at room temperature, it should soften up pretty quickly. Or a quick blip in the microwave can hurry it along. I love having snacks and delicious things at my fingertips! ;)

If I've left out any details, please leave any questions on the recipe post and we'll respond asap! 💗

Freezing Pizza Dough

Whether you're making Pizza Focaccia or My Favorite Pizza Dough, you can mix the dough, stash it in a lightly oiled airtight container (turning to coat) and pop it in the freezer for up to several months.

• The night before serving, transfer the dough to the fridge to defrost overnight.
• About 1 to 2 hours before baking, set the pizza dough on the countertop and proceed with the recipe instructions (see the Notes section below recipe for more details).
• For the Pizza Focaccia, set the focaccia dough in the prepared pan and let it come to room temperature and expand in the pan. Then proceed with the recipe instructions as written!

These mixing bowls with airtight lids are great for storing pizza dough!

My Favorite Pizza Sauce Recipe

I love this easy breezy no-cook pizza sauce that takes minutes to throw together and stores perfectly in these Mason jars.

• When freezing, keep the lid loose until the sauce is frozen solid and then tighten the lid.
• To defrost, set it in the fridge overnight (like you do the pizza dough). Then set on the counter to come to room temperature.
• Don't put cold sauce on the dough just prior to going in the oven. It can make the pizza dough gummy and underbaked in spots.

Homemade Hamburger Buns

I've been using this King Arthur Baking Hamburger Bun recipe for years, and I love it! You can add sesame seeds or poppy seeds to the top, but I love to brush them with melted butter and sprinkle some flaky sea salt over the top.

• To freeze, I wrap each bun in plastic wrap and then place it in an airtight container.
• You can either defrost in the fridge overnight or just set them on the counter when ready to use (they defrost pretty quickly). I don't cut the hamburger buns before freezing (but you could!).

These are so great for a last-minute hamburger, and I've been loving this easy Turkey Burger recipe from the NYT (that should be a gift link!).

Lemon Blueberry Scones

These blueberry scones FREEZE LIKE A DREAM!

They call for buttermilk, but I've replaced the liquid with whole milk and added 1 to 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice (to curdle the milk). I've also made them with heavy whipping cream and added the lemon juice as well. The acid in the buttermilk or from the lemon juice tenderizes these scones to a place that can only be described as heaven.

How to perfectly freeze scones:

• Once you whip up a batch of the scone dough, portion it out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and set it in the freezer to freeze through. That should take an hour or two.
• I like to add the egg wash to the scones before freezing. It's one less thing to do once you're ready to bake and eat your scones!
• Once the scones are frozen, wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in an airtight container and stash them back in the freezer.
• When ready to bake: Set the frozen scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then preheat the oven. Sprinkle with sparkling or Demerara sugar, if using.
• You'll need to add 3 to 5 minutes of bake time. Look at the area closest to the blueberries to determine if the scone is baked through. If the dough looks wet, give it another minute or two in the oven.

I love this large scoop for portioning out the scone dough!

*The photo above is from last weekend! They're breakfast! They're snacks! They're perfect!

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Strawberry Hibiscus Jam

I have been pulling out jars of this strawberry jam to go with the above blueberry scones, smeared on toast and with oozy brie.

• When freezing, don't screw the lid on tightly; keep it loose to allow for expansion while the jam freezes. Once frozen solid, squeeze the jar lids tight.
• To defrost, you can either set it in the fridge to slowly defrost overnight or place it on the counter to come to room temperature.
• I don't recommend setting the jars in warm water because I have shattered them, and nothing devastates me more than lost homemade jam. (kidding...there's so much but where to begin...).

Mega Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies and...

I take my cookie freezer stash seriously!! I almost always have some combination of the Mega Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies (this is a larger batch version of this recipe!), Double Chocolate Chip Cookies and/or Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies.

All three of these doughs freeze SO WELL.

• Whip up the dough, portion it out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and then set it in the freezer for about 1 to 2 hours. Drop the dough balls into an airtight container (I love Stasher bags for cookie dough).
• When ready to eat: Set the portioned dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and then preheat the oven...that will give the dough balls a bit of time to warm up a bit. You'll need to add 2 to 3 extra minutes of bake time to the cookies.

I love to use this small rimmed baking sheet for just 1 to 2 cookies!

*Note: frozen cookie dough can darken in color while stored. The very top photo of this newsletter is the malted chocolate chip cookies after the dough has been stored for a bit! I love this cookie so much!

Overnight Sourdough Bagels

I've re-fallen in love with this sourdough bagel recipe this summer!

• Make and bake this recipe all the way through. Let the bagels cool completely and slice horizontally. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then store in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to use.
• You can set them on the counter to defrost (pretty quickly) or some toasters have a defrost function.
• If you make cinnamon raisin and everything bagels, store them in separate containers to prevent them from sharing flavors.

They're super chewy and soft and I just can't say enough about how a bagel with cream cheese is the perfect snack, breakfast or sometimes dinner with fruit and scrambled eggs with scallions.

Join Me In Zucchini Relish Living!

I get it, spiced zucchini relish sounds weird! But sometimes weird is good! It's so delish and such a fun project and it makes me infinitely happy to have this recipe of my mom's on DH!

• I love to store this in small jars because, unless you're having a large party, we're typically not barreling through large quantities of zucchini relish.
• To defrost, again, the fridge overnight or set it on the counter until it comes to room temperature. It will need several hours, depending on the size of the jar.

The relish is great served on a charcuterie tray, mixed with ketchup and mayo for a delish burger spread, added to a hot dog...

​ "Following up on her acclaimed debut, The Cookie Book, writer, photographer, and recipe developer Rebecca Firth tackles cake in her new book. You may have trouble picking which recipe to start with: Chocolate Stout Cake with Champagne Buttercream or a tart, sticky Glazed Tangerine Donut Cake?” ― Epicurious, 25 New Baking Books for Cozy Fall Treats THE CAKE BOOK

​ "Writer, photographer and queen of cookies, Rebecca Firth teases my sweet tooth and I am not mad about it. Love following her and her tempting creations and can't wait to see what she comes up with next." ―Tiffani Thiessen, actress and author of Pull Up a Chair ​ ― Food & Wine, Best Baking Cookbooks to Own Right Now THE COOKIE BOOK