It was quite overwhelming to receive them along with other questions on the basics of baking. As we all prepare for the coming holidays, allow us to tackle queries which we think will benefit our readers in time for the Yuletide season.

Adoree: Mari, you can freeze egg whites for later use. They can be kept in the freezer for at least one month. Just put them in an airtight container in a size your freezer can accommodate. Before using, transfer the container to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.

Mari, I am worried though that the egg whites will not whip as nicely as fresh ones. Freezing will definitely affect their whipping capacity. If you plan to use them for applications which do not need whipping, then by all means freeze leftover whites and just thaw before use. But if you plan to use them for meringues, I am afraid the result will not be that nice.

Jun Jun: When you have a leche flan business you should also have a meringues business too, so that you can immediately use the egg whites. When I do my flans or custards I already plan it way in advance so I usually make some sans rival wafers with the egg whites. I have used refrigerated and frozen meringues but the frozen ones will not whip as well as the fresh ones which both me and my partner, Adoree, have already discovered. Chilling them for 2 – 3 days will prolongs their life but make sure that you already have something to do with it within that period.

Q: Is it alright to freeze cheesecakes? I love cheesecakes but I usually can not finish it in a couple of days, even weeks. I am thinking of freezing it to extend its shelf life. (Linda Rivera of Makati City)

Adoree: Linda, I am assuming that the cheesecakes you are talking about are the dense-type, namely, New York cheesecakes. I love those too. If they are those types then go ahead and freeze them. They will keep for a couple of weeks if frozen. Just thaw out for a couple of hours in the refrigerator before serving. For fluffier cheesecakes, freezing them might not be a good idea. Since they are fluffier, bigger ice crystals will surely form in each air pocket and these ice crystals will water when the cheesecake is thawed out.

Jun Jun: There are actually numerous cake shops that offer cheesecakes that come in from another country that are frozen. So it is a welcome idea to freeze leftover cheesecake, as is what usually happens in you case. As to the refrigerated type, it becomes ice cream when frozen but it usually can go back to its original texture. However, at times, it becomes a little watery and the crust becomes soggy. Cheesecakes are a joy to eat.

Adoree: Thank you for following our column, Cristy. We are just glad to be of help to all our readers. Technically, you can freeze heavy cream for a couple of months. This is done if you want to ensure that the heavy cream will not spoil quickly and will really keep until its best before date. However, I have observed that freezing it affects its whipping capacity. Based on experience, heavy cream that has been frozen does not double up when whipped. It performs unpredictably. At any one time it can be at soft peak stage, and at other times you may end up with overwhipped cream. Lumps become visible since the cream does not incorporate much air. The end product is really not pretty at all.

Jun Jun: Heavy cream, when frozen, freezes its milk fat content; and when returned to room temperature the fat is already combined with some of the water present in milk. It also tends to get overwhipped very fast. It also has some water left at the bottom of the mixer. Just buy what you need and use it immediately. There is non-dairy cream which can be frozen, chilled and used but cannot be refrozen again.

Adoree: When freezing, just remember to avoid common problems like freezer burns and gummy textures of the baked products. I do not think there will be a problem in freezing plain cookies, bars and cupcakes. Freezing them with frostings is another thing. Consistency and texture of the frostings will surely change if frozen so that is what I am more concerned about.

Regarding plain cookies, bars and cupcakes, just wrap them in foil and then wrap them in plastic before freezing to prevent freezer burns. Before thawing out, remove the wrappings so that condensation is minimized and the gummy texture is prevented.

Jun Jun: Cookies and bars kept in a jar with a tight lid can sustain a cool room temperature environment for months or longer if kept in the freezer. You have to take the precaution of sealing the containers you put it in since cookies, bars and cakes absorb the flavor and smell of whatever is beside it. If kept too long it will have the taste of whatever your freezer smells like. What Adoree answered earlier also holds.