Alrighty, so I got my Wilton baking sheets, my friend sent me some silicon baking mats (since I can't find them anywhere around here), and I'm going to be buying a silicon rolling pin as I had a terrible time using a wooden one.
After my first attempt at cookies, I am frustrated but don't want to give up yet! I really want to send my hubby and his soldiers cookies for Halloween, so I have some time yet to practice some more. I'm hoping I can get some advice on a few areas!
I bought plastic bottles from Sugarcraft, and I believe they have a #2 tip on them. I did the safe method and outlined the cookies before flooding, but it seems like it takes SO long to flood a single cookie! Only so much icing comes out of the tip at once, and I'm not sure how close together I should be spiraling around the cookie (does that make sense?). Am I trying to cover all areas of the cookie as I'm flooding it, or is the point to roughly spiral around the cookie and then shake it around to fill in the gaps?
I used a simple round cookie cutter - I believe it was a 3" (a Wilton comfort grip). After each step (mixing, rolling, cutting), I put the dough in the fridge to chill as it seemed to get soft really fast. Even with putting cold dough into the oven, my cookies seemed to spread. I'm not sure what is 'normal' spreading though. Are the cookies supposed to stay the same size as the cutter, or will they come out larger in size after they have been baked?
I love the look on many cookies where 2 totally different colors are used to outline and flood. For example, there was a yellow ribbon cookie where the inside was yellow, and the outside was outlined in blue. For this type of look would you still outline first and then flood? I'm guessing the point on the outline is that it should be thick enough that when flooding it doesn't go over the outline?
Last question - I know you have to allow a significant amount of time for the cookies to dry in between each decorating stage. If the initial time I leave the cookie to dry is around 12 hours or so, do you just leave the cookie sitting out in the open, or do you put them in some sort of container? I'm just worried the cookie will be stale after it sitting out for 2 days by the time its completely finished.
I know these questions are pretty novice in nature, but I'd really appreciate your input! This site has just been a wealth of knowledge for me so far. 
- Allyson
Ok. The only thing I can answer is about baking the cookies since I've never tried the flooding thing. I'm not really sure what it is. 
When cooked the cookies will spread out. I have noticed that the thicker I cut it the more spreading I get. You might can PM someone who has a picture of cookies tat you like & ask them. 
I can help with flooding... You need to pipe the edge of the cookie with thick icing. Then when that is set nice and hard, thin down the icing so that it is quite runny - but not toooo runny - still needs to be able to set. I use a teaspoon and spoon in small amounts and use a paint brush to push it to the edges... if you need to smooth out the outline piping a damp paint brush lightly brushed over the icing when it's just about dry and it will help smooth it over.
Hope this helps
Fi
If you are doing alot of cookies and want to get them done quickly. I suggest using rolled fondant. I ice all my cookies with satin ice rolled fondant, i use the same size cookie cutter to cut the fondant as i do for the cookie. The cookie spreads enough that there is an edge to the cookie around the fondant. Then to get a different color edge i either use royal icing for the decorations or i use the food color markers by americolor for the details. The best thing about using fondant is within an hour the cookie can be done and bagged and ready to go.
Welcome to the wonderful world of cookie decorating! You'll be hooked before you know it. 
I have done quite a few decorated cookies, I hope some of what I can share is helpful.
First a question about the bottles you got from sugarcraft. Are they the type that you can use your own decorating tips in (the squeez-it bottles)?
Those are the ones I use, and I generally outline with a tip 3 and fill with a tip 5. If I'm outlining and filling at the same time, I use the tip 5 for all of it, unless I have a cookie that needs a very precise outline on it. Doing circles, squares, flowers, etc, I've found that the tip 5 is fine.
Using a #2 size tip for flooding will take nearly forever, as you've discovered. 
I would recommend reading Antonia74's tutorial if you haven't already done that. It's in the Articles section here, near the bottom of the page. The method I use is the one she describes, of outlining and then flooding all at once, so the outline and the flood icing blend and you can't see a line. I like that smooth look when it's all the same color.
The cookies will tend to spread a bit, due to the action of the baking soda or powder in the dough. I had a recipe years ago that made cutout cookies that didn't spread at all, but it was a shortbread type recipe. The texture of the cookies was different, though. I use the no-fail recipe most of the time now, and they do spread a bit, but not too much.
As far as leaving the cookies on the counter for the icing to dry, I've never had a problem with them getting stale. You can start to decorate an hour or two after you flood the cookies, in most cases, then leave them to dry for 12-24 hours, depending on the humidity, and they'll be ready to package.
One other recommendation I have, is to roll your dough out between parchment paper sheets. That way the dough doesn't stick to your rolling pin (because it never touches the pin), and you don't have to add any additional flour to the dough. You can re-roll the scraps several times without the cookies becoming tough from the extra flour. It's less messy, and when you're finished rolling them, you can toss the parchment and not have so much to wash.
I hope some of this is helpful. Keep asking questions, you'll be a pro in no time!
Laura.
Yes, I am using the bottles where you can use your own tips. I will definitely be trying out a #5 tip! I definitely don't have enough patience to use a #2! LOL
I have read Antonia74's tutorial, and I think I will be using the silpat method to roll out my dough. I tried using 2 sheets of parchment paper and I just ended up getting extremely frustrated as my paper was sliding all over the place.
I also used Martha Stewart's recipe my last try, so I think I am going to give the No Fails a try!
Thank you all so much for your help! I'll be sure to let you know how my next batch goes - and maybe even post pics if I feel bold enough. 
I just made a batch of 'No Fail' cookies with the wedding cake cookie cutter turning it into a b'day cake. I need to practice before I send them out in December for a birthday. The 'no fail' cookies are not sweet so the icing balances them. They did NOT spread and held their shape.
I used Antonia's icing recipe. I did the outline but I did let the outline dry a little because even when I thinned out the icing to do the flooding, it spread over the edge on a couple (Obviously I added to much icing to the cookie). I did still have to spread it with a knife to get to all the edges, although some recommend using a toothpick. I let that dry overnight so that I could add more flooding on top of the original flooding with another color. Then when that was dry I thickened the rest of the icing I had and wrote wording on the cookie. Point is, my cookies are now 3 days old sitting on the counter and I tried one today and they were very good! My next test with them is sealing them up and sending them.
So....use the no fail recipe first off. The icing will balance the sweetness. I do like Antonia's and Alice's icing recipes. What I need to do now is practice packaging and sending it out with success. I think I have the cookie and icing down pat.
Try the no fail recipe, icing, and you're good to go! My son is in the Army so please send my well wishes to your husband/troops with a big THANK YOU also!
Ok, now might be a good time for me to ask my NFSC question that I've been thinking about for a few days. I made the dough a few days ago and didn't have time to bake the cookies so I put the dough in the fridge in a glass bowl with saran wrap over it. When I went to roll out some cookies yesterday, the dough was a bit too sticky. I hate to add more flour but I'm thinking that that's what it needs.
Any thoughts or suggestions???
Thx
I made my dough one day and started them the next day. Yes, mine were a little sticky, but I went ahead and tried to roll them directly onto my silpat and what a disaster! I scraped them off of it, put my silpat back onto my cookie sheet and started over by putting a 'little' flour onto my board and rolling them out like I've always done. I did NOT pre-roll them onto parchment like the directions say because I didn't have time. So I used my tried and true method and they turned out fine. I did not add flour to the dough, but to the board to roll on.
One other recommendation I have, is to roll your dough out between parchment paper sheets. That way the dough doesn't stick to your rolling pin (because it never touches the pin), and you don't have to add any additional flour to the dough. You can re-roll the scraps several times without the cookies becoming tough from the extra flour. It's less messy, and when you're finished rolling them, you can toss the parchment and not have so much to wash.
YES! Parchment paper is my new best friend!!! i'm so glad I heard this technique! And try putting your dough in the freezer instead of just the fridge.
I'll give the parchment paper a try. As of today, the dough has been sitting covered, in the fridge for about four days, so it's REALLY cold and hard. But once it warms up a bit, it is sticky. I'm losing my patience with this recipe as I haven't had a problem with other sugar cookie recipes in the past. 
I may try Martha's recipe next.
Thx,
Suzanne
I'll give the parchment paper a try. As of today, the dough has been sitting covered, in the fridge for about four days, so it's REALLY cold and hard. But once it warms up a bit, it is sticky. I'm losing my patience with this recipe as I haven't had a problem with other sugar cookie recipes in the past.
I may try Martha's recipe next.Thx,
Suzanne
Thats the problem I had with Martha's Recipe. Have you tried using silicone mats to roll it on? I'm thinking of even investing in a silicone rolling pin. To me it has to be easy and fun; I have no patience if things don't work properly!
My husband's platoon has 30 guys, so I am really worried I won't be able to fulfill my plans...LOL!
As I posted earlier, I had no problems with this recipe, but I did go back to tried and true about a 'little' flour on the board and then rolling out. I tried the Silpat for rolling and it stuck. Will keep my Silpat just for baking on. Didn't try pre-rolling (right after you make it) in parchment, but that does seem to be a time saver, although I don't have room in my frig for a big cookie sheet of dough waiting to chill. So I still just stick the 'clump' of dough in a baggie and chill. Then roll out when chilled. A little extra flour isn't going to change the taste since these are kinda bland to begin with. I've made them 3 times now with success although the first time I used Alice's Icing and then used Antonia's Royal Icing. Both are excellent. I just sent out (I had only 6 big cookies left) from Michigan to Arizona to check on how shipping cookies like that goes, so my mom should get them by Wednesday. I wrapped the one I liked the best in the bag as a decoration. The others I put into a sandwich baggie. Then I bubble wrapped all of them. All I know is....the box didn't weigh ANYTHING but shipping was still a lot. Go figure! Will let you know how they survived in shipping. That may help you out too knowing how to ship properly. Hang in there. The cookies WILL turn out!!
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%