I have tried a couple different recipes. One puffed big time and tasted funky and the next recipe just tasted funky, third batch is the Martha Stewart recipe. They didn't puff and taste ok but they seem to dry out and turn into a dry, hard and crumbly cookie. Any tips? I chilled one portion for several days before I was able to bake them and the second batch sat on the counter to thaw (from freezer) for several hours. This very well be the problem. I am doing a birthday party mid September so I would like to get this figured out before hand. I will be icing them with royal icing.
I had the same problem as you did a couple months back. I tried an endless amount of cookie recipes only to end up with puffy indistinguishable cookies. But, luckily one day I was browsing through some blogs and came across bakeat350. Her recipe does not need the butter to come to room temperature (which is a great for when your in a hurry) and they come out perfect every time. And while your there you should try her royal icing recipe it is to die for. And you want her Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookie.
Tips for storage? I just don't want dried out cookies the day of.
I use SugarBelle's recipe. They are yummy and they keep the shape. Also very simple!
http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2011/06/basic-sugar-cookie-recipe-2/
And here she explains it in detail and give some tips.
http://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2011/11/baking-the-perfect-sugar-cookie/
I second SugarBelle's recipe. As she says in the tutorial, you need to add enough flour so it reaches the right consistency. That takes a bit of practice. My first batch was a bit wet. But delicious.
I read hers and would like to try it. I may have to ditch the cookie idea for this upcoming party. The party is Sept 14 and I doubt know that I will be able to make, bake and decorate them in time. I work M-F 8-5 and we are fairly busy during the weekends so I was hoping for a recipe that I can make and freeze one weekend and thaw and bake the next weekend and so on. Hers doesn't sound freeze-able really.
SugarBelle's recipe notes state that 'The cookies freeze well '. However I don't know if this means the dough freezes well or not.
AYou make sugar cookie cut out dough the might before. Stick it in the fridge. Bake the next day.. Roll cut and bake . You can freeze most cookies 6 months in a sealed container... If you are going to RI them .. Make sure you set them out to room temp first . Then RI. Otherwise you will get condensation on the cookies. Make the cookies fresh them freeze them ..
I understood it to mean that the baked cookie froze well. Is that how you understood it also? I may try next weekend to make and bake a batch and freeze them and see how it goes.
AIf you freeze them frosted i would use wax paper in-between .. Make sure they are totally dry !! First
Sugarbelle's recipe is good, but I've also tried the one from Bakeat350 and that is now my go to recipe. When Sugarbelle said the cookies freeze well, she is talking about already baked cookies, undecorated. And they do freeze and keep well. Its all about the trial and error and that is the most fun lol
Yes, I took it to mean the bakes cookies froze well. Good luck!
AWhere is my comment cake central?!!! Post it already geeze
How about a baked decorated cookie? How do you avoid them drying out after you've decorated them and you're waiting on the RI to dry completely?
Well, unfortunately, I can't access the bake at 350 site at work due to it being a blogspot site. ("social networking" filter). Can anyone post the recipe here?
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How about a baked decorated cookie? How do you avoid them drying out after you've decorated them and you're waiting on the RI to dry completely?
I leave my cookies on a cookie sheet while the icing dries. I look at it as the cookie sheet kind of seals the bottom of the cookie, and the icing seals the top, so it stays fresh. I also found that if the edges are exposed, naturally they will dry out a little, but once I get them in a cellophane bag, they soften right back up. If I need to add some shine to my icing, I use a small fan on low and it gives a nice sheen to the cookies.
Well my daughter is participating in the County Fair this weekend with a chocolate cake so I guess I will take this weekend to try out a couple of these recipes and see if I can't get a keeper.
What do you all think about using powdered sugar in place of flour for your rolling surface when called for?
I've never used powdered sugar, always a light dusting of flour. My cookies have always come out just fine. They also say that you aren't supposed to keep re-rolling the scraps...I do that, too with no problems. Having a baking and decorating schedule will help, also.
Schedule--haha that's funny. Kidding. We have a very busy, chaotic "always on the go" family. There is little to no routine with us. I am going to plan for making the dough Friday and may bake some Friday night if not Saturday and hope to decorate Sunday.
Hello. I generally leave my cookies on the flat surface to dry, and it helps to use a small oscillating heating fan to speed up the drying process, in the humid I use dehumidifier. Generally though without the heating fan I usually leave cookies out overnight for the icing to dry, and they are fine. Store them in the airtight container or wrap them individually, from m experience sugar cookies are good for up to at least 2 weeks if stored properly. Hope this helps. Hani
I'm afraid of a cute, gross cookie. I've got a decent had at the decorating part but the ones I've tried so far end up cute and gross. Dried out and hard and crumble when you bite them or try to break off a piece.
I really appreciate all the input everyone had contributed. I have a couple more recipes to try. I will post an outcome here if anyone is interested.
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Schedule--haha that's funny. Kidding. We have a very busy, chaotic "always on the go" family. There is little to no routine with us. I am going to plan for making the dough Friday and may bake some Friday night if not Saturday and hope to decorate Sunday.
That is a schedule lol bake and make icing on x day, decorate x day. Everything will work out just fine! Please post an update, I'm always interested. 
Well that is the tentative idea. That's as far as scheduling gets in our family. Here's to hoping!
Well did some baking this weekend. First batch was really good. Little puffing and good flavor. Second batch, I added about 1/2 cup of sugar to the recipe and they puffed quite a bit :( My 13yo son suggested that I just use the cutter to cut off the excess (I've also read that here some where) and It was a life saver because I was bummed that I ruined them. I apparently outline a cookie like a 2 year old! And my black dots look pitted. Over all i am 'OK' with them. Not very proud of them bc there is some puffing to some and the outlining is downright pitiful. I still have bones and paw prints to decorate but I ran out of RI mix. Praying that the order I put in today gets delivered before the weekend so I can do the rest of the cookies. Eek! I made about 100 cookies between the bones, paws and #2's.
I added cocoa to my red because it was a pink color and was not turning red. I think that is what made my outlines dull and matte. I don't know if it played a part in the texture and the way the outlining went.
Which one? Or all of them? I have watched a bunch of videos while planning for this. I feel like adding the cocoa to the red changed the texture which affected the piping?
no matter what you add, you still need to thicken or thin to the consistency that you need to either pipe, spread or pour. try this one:
http://sweetopia.net/2011/02/video-royal-icing-consistency-made-easy-the-10-second-rule/
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