Can You Reheat Store-Bought Cookies And How Do You Do It?
Nothing beats fresh, hot cookies straight out of the oven. They can be easy, like three-ingredient peanut butter cookies, and to make extra chewy cookies, skip the sugar and use agave syrup. But when you're having a dinner party, you've already been in the kitchen preparing, and you want to enjoy the wine and conversation rather than messing with fresh cookies, can you reheat store-bought cookies and pass them off as homemade? Yes, you can. Trick your friends into thinking store-bought cookies are fresh with just a couple simple steps.
Store-bought reheated cookies work great in the microwave or oven. And you can make them well-done, so they break with a nice crisp, or toast the exterior and melt the insides for a delicious, no-one-would-know-they-weren't-fresh, chewy interior. These methods also work to reheat store-bought pie and cinnamon rolls just like homemade, so your guests will think you're a true kitchen master or had help on the payroll waiting in the wings.
When it comes to microwave reheating, you just need a little extra moisture for your store-bought cookies. Wrap them in moist paper towels and microwave them for about 15 seconds (depending on how many cookies you're working with). They'll come out chewy and gooey — the microwave cooks from the inside out. Just be careful not to zap them for too long because, even with the added moisture, as the microwave could dry them out.
Low and slow is the way to go when you reheat in the oven
Reheating in the oven takes a few extra minutes, but it will make your kitchen smell divine — just like fresh-baked — and get everyone in the mood for dessert. If you've been using the oven for dinner, it's simple: Set it to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and put them on a parchment-covered cookie sheet for about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how crispy you want them to come out. This will fully reheat the interior, but be careful with time, so they don't burn.
For larger, softer cookies, put them in at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for just a few minutes. It will crisp the exterior and warm the interior, so they're browned on the outside but remain nice and chewy. This method also works great to reheat store-bought cinnamon rolls or pie, but it might be best to cover them, so the exterior doesn't dry out, and they can be left in for a little longer — 10 to 15 minutes should be good. When done right, reheating store-bought cookies is simple and can make them crunchy and crispy for an ice cream dip, or perfectly melty and chewy on their own.