Nothing beats some fresh savory Hawaii cookies and a cup of Kona mountain coffee for brunch.
In fact, with every bite of crunchy Macadamia nut cookies, you’re sure to feel yourself on the beautiful coast of Hawaii’s Big Island.
Hawaiian cookies are already an American sensation, and rightfully so. A one-of-its-kind taste that includes Hawaii’s exotic Macadamia nuts and chocolate is sure to keep you coming for more.
Hawaii cookies are shipped to you fresh across the US.
You’d like to store your cookies and relish them every day. Won’t you?
However, storing your cookies for a long time and keeping them fresh all this while can be a task.
You see, the main adversary that keeps your cookies from being fresh is the air. Any starchy food exposed to air for prolonged periods is sure to get stale.
When kept open in the air, your food is exposed to evaporation and eventually dries. That’s true for your Hawaii cookies too.
Minimizing exposure to air, among others, is key to storing your cookies for a long time.
Methods of Storing Different Hawaii Cookies
Stored right and you can enjoy Hawaii cookies fresh everyday
As you saw, prolonged exposure to air can indeed spoil your cookies.
You want your Hawaii cookies to taste as fresh from the baker’s oven. Don’t you?
But keeping cookies fresh is a challenge, and it’s here that storing gains importance.
You see, how long your cookies last depends on the type of cookie and how you store it.
Stored the right way, and your cookies can even last for up to six months. They don’t lose their taste, texture, and consistency; and are sure to taste fresh.
You should know that the method of storing and keeping the freshness intact differs for different kinds of cookies.
For instance, how you store dry cookies will be completely different from soft cookies.
So, let’s see the ways of storing cookies in detail.
Dry Hawaiian Cookies
Dry Hawaii cookies like Macadamia nut, shortbread, and chocolate chip Kona cookies usually stay fresh for a long time because they are very low in moisture.
They become stale from all that moisture in the air, making them lose their crisp texture.
Here are a few ways you can store these dry cookies in a way that retains their freshness and crispness.
How to store dry cookies:
#1. You should make sure your cookies are completely cool before you store them.
Warm cookies can retain moisture which will make them soft and soggy. Also, if you store cookies at a high temperature, chances are they will not last for long.
#2. Store your dry cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature. Tupperware is an excellent air-tight container that can keep cookies fresh and crisp for a long time.
#3. You should store different flavored cookies separately.
Flavors from intensely flavored cookies like coffee crunch seep into mildly flavored ones like shortbread. That is sure to affect the taste of your cookies.
Hawaii cookies are all about their uniqueness, and you don’t want to lose that. Do you?
So it’s always a good idea to have a separate container for each flavor.
You can keep different flavored cookies in air-tight bags if you have limited containers. That will keep the flavors from mixing.
#4. Put wax paper between your cookies if you’re keeping them in layers.
This storage method should keep your cookies fresh for two to three weeks, depending on the cookie recipe.
Dry Hawaii cookies are all about their crunchiness. The reason why storing them the right way is so important.
Soft Hawaii Cookies
Soft Hawaiian cookies like peanut butter or chocolate-dipped cookies are hard to keep fresh.
These cookies are mostly soft in the middle and crisp on the outside. So you get a smooth and chewy texture from the finely balanced moisture content in the cookies.
The cookies quickly lose moisture and get stale if not stored correctly, as exposure to air makes them hard and brittle.
Storing soft cookies is similar to the storage method of dry cookies.
Let’s Look at them more closely.
Storing soft cookies:
#1. Just like dry cookies, you should let these cookies cool down before storing them.
#2. While exposure to moisture is a problem for dry cookies, loss of moisture makes soft cookies inedible. Thankfully, an air-tight container works best for both.
You can keep your cookies in an air-tight container and rest assured of their freshness.
#3. Like dry cookies, you should use separate containers for different flavors.
#4. You see, placing layers of wax papers or parchment is more important for soft cookies since they are chewy and can stick together.
Freeze Storing Hawaii Cookies
Did you know freezing is a great way to store your cookies for months?
By freezing fresh Hawaiian cookies, you can preserve their flavor and texture for a long period and enjoy a fresh-from-oven taste every time.
Like other storing methods, you want to let your cookies cool before freezing for the best results.
Also, you should wrap your cookies properly, so they don’t come in contact with air. Unwrapped cookies are exposed to freeze burn and ice build-up, making them inedible.
Here’s how you can freeze and store your Hawaii cookies.
#1. Keep your cookies in a freezer bag and squeeze out as much air as you can from the bag. As you know, exposure to air can make your cookies soggy and stale.
#2. Put this freezer bag in an air-tight container and close its lid tightly. A Tupperware is ideal for storing your cookie bags.
#3. Storing your different flavored cookies in separate containers is a great way to preserve their unique flavors.
You can put a label on each container along with the date you’ve stored them on.
You can’t store your cookies forever, can you?
Labeling allows you to keep track of how long you’ve stored the cookies.
#4. It is highly possible that your soft cookies, like peanut butter cookies, may stick together. So it’s a good idea to place wax papers between your cookies.
You shouldn’t put plastic sheets between your cookies, as plastic can off-gas and emit toxins. You don’t want your cookies to have harmful toxins.
If you store your cookies this way, they will easily last you between three to six months.
You can defrost them whenever you crave some delicious Hawaii cookies and enjoy fresh Hawaiian taste bursting with flavors.
Amazing, isn’t it?
How to thaw your frozen Hawaii cookies?
Hawaii Cookies thawed at a perfect temperature taste as fresh as at the baker’s
You see, freezing your cookies is the best way to store them for months.
But you don’t want to consume them frozen. Do you?
You need to defrost your cookies before eating. The easiest way to do this is to keep them at room temperature.
One to two hours outside of the freezer, and your cookies are ready to serve. They taste fresh and flavorful if you store them right.
However, Hawaiian cookies taste best when they’re warm.
There are a couple of ways to enjoy your frozen stored Hawaii cookies as warm and fresh as from a Hawaiian bakery.
So let’s see them in detail.
Thawing Hawaii cookies in an oven:
Defrosting your cookies in an oven is a great way to relish them warm. Here’s how you can thaw your cookies using a traditional home oven.
#1. Place a layer of parchment or foil on a baking tray and put your cookies on it. You shouldn’t use wax papers on a baking tray as they are likely to catch fire in the high oven temperature.
#2. Keep your oven temperature between 250 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit. You see, your cookies are already baked, and all you want is to warm them. A high oven temperature can burn your cookies.
#3. Heat your cookies for eight to ten minutes or until they’re warm.
#4. Check if the center of your cookie is warm. The center portion of your cookie is the last to warm, so once it’s warm, your cookie is all set to be served.
Thawing your cookies in a microwave:
You might wonder if it is possible to thaw your cookies in a microwave?
It is possible to do so.
If you like your cookies instant, you may think of defrosting them in a microwave.
What better way to enjoy some warm Hawaii cookies fresh?
But, thawing cookies in a microwave can be tricky. Done wrong, and your cookies will lose their texture.
Your cookies get soggy instead of being soft at the center and crisp at the edges.
Also, not microwaving correctly makes your dry cookies lose their crunchiness and become soft.
However, microwaved the right way, and your cookies taste as good as oven thawed cookies.
You can do so by heating your cookies in a microwave at a medium setting for 60 seconds. If you want them warmer, you can add 30 more seconds.
There you have it, warm and fresh Hawaii cookies made instant.
Conclusion
Hawaii cookies are best enjoyed fresh.
And keeping them fresh thousands of miles away from the Hawaiian islands is a billion-dollar question.
However, there are some simple and smart ways to store your Hawaiian cookies for months without losing freshness.
The reason why we’ve compiled the different ways you can store your cookies for both short and long periods.
