I discovered a 1 1/2 week roll of cookie dough in the fridge, took it out and let it come to room temp. It remained hard and crumbly no matter what I did, and I gave up and used it up by grabbing and flattening big crumbly fistfuls and baking them for my kids - they look disgusting (the cookies, not my boys, who only ACT disgusting but are kinda cute, so I think I'll keep them). Anyway, this was chocolate cookie dough(recipe from this site) which works beautifully when I've just made it - very pliable. I've kept no-fail sugar dough in the fridge before, and it's behaved properly once at room temp. Should I just not ever keep this choc. dough in the fridge, just make sure I bake it all? Could I have done something to salvage it, maybe?

Also, I'm getting conflicting info on luster dust/metallic paints. Are they edible or not? Will anyone actually die, or just get a bellyache or the runs? If they'll die, I won't use them, natch! If it's the runs I can say they must have had bad mayo, or that darn flu going around. LOL I've read on some sites that they are for decorative purposes only, and some are edible, some are not. Do I tell people to pick off the little bits of silver with their fingernails?! Do they throw away the bits with luster painted on? I'm soooo confused

Marina

That's a good question about the luster dust. I read on the sugarcraft website that the FDA is recommending the silver dragees for decoration only. Saying that ingesting too much silver can be bad for you. I don't know about the luster dust though, if it's made from actual silver or not? I was reading another post about this and believe that they{the company} put the warning about decoration only on the bottle so they won't be held liable if it is found to cause harm. 'Cause why on earth would you sell a product meant for cake decorating that was not edible. Not everyone is going to eat the gumpaste flowers, but I'm sure someone will try one.

The cookie dough probably dried out in the refrigerator. If you are not going to use it in a few days, it must be very well wrapped, and frozen for longer storage.

Some "metallic" dusts are now labeled food safe. The dragees are still considered decorations and not for eating. However. eating a few does not seem to be harmful (except to your teeth).

I think if the luster dust contains iron blue oxide and another metal (which I can't remember off the top of my head!) then they say not to eat it. We've been using and eating silver balls in the UK and Europe for a very long time and I'm not aware of anyone dying or having bad side effects yet