k SO I am new to this - I just baked the no fail sugar cookies, I made the number 100 out of 3 separate cutters but pushed the cookies close to each other so that they were touching - they seem fragile do they harden up more and stick together better as they cool ??

Yes! Don't try to move them till they are cool. Then let them rest on a rack till they are nice and sturdy. Good luck!

Just so you know, if the dough is cold, they should puff less in the oven. I roll my dough, put it in the fridge and then cut and bake (like the NFSC recipe says). I saw a cookie guy on Martha Stewart say that at his shop they chill, cut, then chill again before putting them in the oven.

HTH

yes, let them cool, then decorating them as one maybe. That would look good

Welcome Pabs!

Yes, let them cool so they strengthen. Also, did you roll them really thin? One of the nice things about the No Fail Sugar Cookies is that they don't have to be super thin. If you are going to do another batch (and you think they might be too thin), roll them a little thicker.

I, too, roll them between sheets of parchment. Chill the dough(actually, I chill mine in the freezer) take them out, cut them, then put them back in the freezer about five minutes before I pop them in the oven. As well, I keep the cookie sheets in the freezer so they are nice and cold as they go in the oven.

thanks for all the tips girls !!!! they turned out nice and sturdy :O) HOOORAY I was FREAKING out :O) they are for my daughters 100 day party at Kindergarden...

I was told to use the Antonia74 royal icing...I need advice/tips....

Thank you !!!

How long do they need to dry before they can be packaged and tagged ?

I would let them dry overnight before packaging/stacking.

Remember, let them dry between layers, or you will get bleeding. Can't wait to see the pics!

Thanks ! do they just stay out ?? to dry - like not refrigerated ?

Not that I recommend this but I have left these cookies out for weeks, uncovered and they were STILL delicious. I had gone on vacation and forgotten to put them away. When I came back, they looked good, I was hungry and well, you know...

Skirt, that's one mean cookie recipe!! I dry mine in rubbermaid airtight containers, just because I like fresh as possible, and when you have several layers to do, serving them within a day or two is sometimes impossible.

SO sealed container to dry ?

LOL on the post holiday cookies thats awesome !

Watch the container you store them in. If the container smells 'plastic-y', your cookies can take on that 'taste'. Does that make sense? That is why I switched to cello bags when I package them as the ones I orginally tried imparted a 'taste'.