Hi all...HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I have a few questions regarding cookies. Can someone please help me?
I have to do cookies for a Baby shower this Saturday so here are my questions.
1. How far in advance can I make the cookies? (I will be doing
sugar cookies with Antonia74's icing)
2. How long do I need to let the icing set before I can package them?
3. Should I package them in cellophane bags? Or is there another type I should use?
4. How long will they keep?
5. Do I need to refigerate them? I live in FL however it has been pretty cool here.
Any and all advice is truly helpful. Thank you all in advance for you help and time.
Carmen
Oops sorry...I am going to be making Sugar Cookies from the Wilton Cookie Blossom Class the recipe is as follows:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
This recipe does not require chilling and I have used it before it is super yummy...but do you suggest I use the No Fail Sugar Cookie receipe that is found here??
Thanks again.
For sugar cookies, it doesn't really matter what recipe you use, you can start baking anytime. The icing may need to dry overnight, depends on the humidity where you are, etc. Use your favorite recipe, the NFSC isn't the only 'good' cutout cookie recipe.
Celophane makes a nice package, but there a poly treat bags that work fine.
Store them in an airtight container (before and after packaging them) to help keep them fresh.
The icing and time tends to soften them some, but it does not effect the taste and look of the cookie.
Okay, so you are making sugar cookies, make sure you use the No Fail Sugar Cookie Recipe from this site. It is the best and the only cookie dough that will hold its shape. DO NOT use the Wilton if you want you cookies uniform in shape and/or you have detailed cookies. I made this mistake a couple of weeks ago and will never vary from the NFSC again! It is best to let your icing set for at least 48 hours to be safe from any smudging or denting. There have been times when I thought the icing was dry but it was not. Packaging them in cellophane bags is a great idea if you want to package them seperatly. Or, you can just lay them out on a platter. These cookies keep for quite a while. If you are making them for Saturday, your best bet is to bake them tomorrow for sure. Ice them either toomorrow or no later than Thursday. Just let them lay out to dry. No, you do not need to refridgerate them and I highly recommend that you do not refridgerate them once they have the icing on them. Hope this helps!
I wouldn't suggest storing them in any container while they dry overnight. They need that exposure to air to dry well. It's not necessary to cover them at all...just leave them out on a nice, flat cookie tray. When they are dry (about 16-24 hours, depending on the humidity in your region) then you can package them right away.
Once packaged, it also isn't necessary to again keep them in a box. They are already unexposed in the cellophane or poly bags. They'll stay fresh and yummy for days. Don't refrigerate them.
I just want to jump back in and say that it really dpes matter what recipe you use when making sugar cookies that you plan on decorting with royal icing. I want to stress this point because I never knew there really was a differance until I decided to experiment. The NFSC, as I stated before, will result in a nice, uniform shaped cookie. It does not spread at all and this is really important if you want uniform shapes and if you are doing detailed cookies. When I decided to try a differant recipe, the Wilton one, the cookies spread and puffed up a little. They lost their origanal shape and were not clean and crisp looking. I just wanted to share this with you because I was dissapointed with my cookies when I used the Wilton recipe and was thankful that I was making them for my daughter's pre-K class and not a customer. Just my 2 cents, good luck!
Patton78, there are other great sugar cookie recipes and many keep their shape. It just depends on the ratio of flour to sugar/fat and how the dough is handled. It is true that the ones that spread are not as nice for decorating, but it is still possible.
the recipe posted is very much like the one I use, and it does hold it's shape (and tastes great, by the way)
I guess I should have stated that in my opinion, I feel the NFSC is the best reipe out there for sugar cookies. Of course your right JoAnnB, something that works well for someone may not for someone else. I took another look at the
Wilton recipe she posted and realized it is differant from the one I used. The one she posted is the same as the NFSC, just cut in half! So yes, that one will work just as well 
.
I guess I should have stated that in my opinion, I feel the NFSC is the best reipe out there for sugar cookies. Of course your right JoAnnB, something that works well for someone may not for someone else. I took another look at the Wilton recipe she posted and realized it is differant from the one I used. The one she posted is the same as the NFSC, just cut in half! So yes, that one will work just as well . I have been baking cookies for years, that is how I got started and I have tried many sugar cookie recipe and really love the NFSC, it is the best for me and I just wanted to share that.
I just want to say that I made NFSC with Antonia's icing for my Mom's party that I was panicing over and made them a week and a half before I flew them out to AZ from MI and then a week later brought home 2 left over as a rememberance and they were still wonderful tasting!!
I did leave them out exposed, uncovered to dry for 24 hours after icing them. I also had left them out exposed, uncovered, before icing as I had no room to store them in containers. Then put them each into individual bags with ties and they looked so pretty. I have found that the NFSC seemed to hold its shape for me. I also have tried Alice's icing as well, both having wonderful results. Air drying is the key to the icing though whichever you use. Good luck.
I have a question on NFSC baking times. When I normally roll them, I use 3/16" size - they seem to bake very well no matter how large the cookie. 
However, to do my cookie bouquets I rolled them a full 1/4" thick, and the larger (4") heart shapes don't seem to fully cook in the center, resulting in a floury taste with edges darker than I would like. 
My question is that with the larger, thicker cookies, would baking at a lower temperature for a longer time be better? 
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