Okay so here goes: I have a big cookie order for October. I need 185 cookies to be shipped to kentucky from New York for October 28th. They are going to be royal icing and mmf decorated butterflies, daisies, and hearts. I am going to make 62 of each cookie. My question is when can I start to bake and if I bake early how do I store them? And when I ship them out will they still be good? How long do sugar cookies stay good? Any and all ideas are welcome, baking early, storing, freezing, shipping......etc. i am clueless, I just hope they make it in one piece and not crumbs Thanks so much for all your help, I really appreciate it

bump, please!!!!

You can absolutely bake ahead and freeze naked cookies. I use good airtight 9 by 13, 6 to 8 inch deep. you can stack two to three layers between parchment in each container. (I've broken some bottom ones by too many layers) When decorating, I would do the assembly line thing. Someone else may be able to answer if you can freeze after decorated, but MMF I think wouldn't hold up well after thawing.
I have shipped in very thick sturdy box, actually a laptop was shipped to us in, and good layer of bubble wrap between layers, and around sides Hope this helps! I'm by no means any kind of cookie expert! BTW. What does this 'bump' mean? I've seen it before
Shiney

Thanks so much. The "bump means" that if no one has answered the posters questions the original poster puts that just so they dont have to type there question over.....hope that makes sense Thanks again!!!

Sugar cookies have a pretty good shelf life, but I like to not go past a week. Others have gone a month or more, and say the cookie is fine! I freeze the naked cookie (shiney...love that phrase, by the way) in freezer bags and in plastic containers all the time. They stay good for a long time. I don't freeze decorated cookies, but I know it can be done. Once you've decorated them and the icing is set, bag them to keep them fresher longer.

i had a question,
when you ship like that do you add extra to the order in case of breakage?
just curious

I would, just to be sure. That would be your choice if you want to.

When I have a lot of cookies to do, I cut the shapes out and freeze them unbaked in layers with waxed paper in between. The day before I bake them, I cut all the fondant shapes out and layer them between parchment on a large tray which I cover tightly with plastic wrap. On baking day, I put the frozen cookies on the baking sheets and they go right in the oven to bake with no problems at all. I like to do it this way so I can lay the fondant on the cookies as they come out of the oven and don't have to use corn syrup to make them stick to the cookie. It only took me about 4 hours to bake and decorate 250 cookies.

Shellzey, I almost always over bake in case of mess-ups, so on multi individual cookie orders, usually have at least a couple extra, and I just go ahead and include in case there's breakage.

GeminiRJ, the looks we get when a certain friend comes over for a gathering, and asks where I'm hiding her naked cookies! (She likes them not so sweet)
Shiney

Allow plenty of time for packing all those cookies! I was just going to suggest maybe making the cookies a little thicker then normal, to keep from breaking. It seems the shape cookies you are doing are not real fragile. I always make my odd shape cookies a little thicker - hammers, cocktail glasses, flamingos, etc. I can't imagine shipping all those cookies!! I pack my cookies using the large bubble wrap and never have problems, except I've never shipped more then a few dozen at a time. If you are bagging the cookies, that will help cushion them, however, that takes up so much more space. Layer the bubble wrap in between each row of cookies, and also on the sides. When I'm ready to ship, I shake the box and have no movement at all! You don't want to use a really large box, because I'd think the shipper might stack many heavy packages on top, with your box on the bottom. Good luck!

Sorry about the double post!

hey kden
where in upstate NY are you?

Im about an hour away from lake placid (not sure if you've heard of that) and 15 minutes from the canadian border

my arms are aching from doing 144 yesterday. i like to bake and freeze (since i'm home and don't have a large kitchen i do mine over a couple of days in small batches) i did freeze decorated cookies with fondant and RI (not mmf as it doesn't thaw well i've heard) this time i just did it all over 3 days and wrapped after completely dry (not something i would do again). i have only shipped once and i used a small box, packed with tissue-the cookies were also individually wrapped too and my cousin said they were perfect-if you could i would ship in smaller quantities and definately label fragile hth

I start baking Halloween cookies in September, Thanksgiving in October and Christmas in October and November. I freeze them both "naked" and with a RI base so all I have to do is add details.

With the cookies that are decorated, I allow them 24 hours to dry before I freeze them. Pack them in 2 freezer bags (just to be on the safe side so they don't taste like the freezer). Take them out 48 hours before I need them. Leave them in the bags and don't open them. Put them in a room temperature room. After 48 hours, they are ready to go--finish detailing or pack for shipping.

not an expert...but i freeze both naked and decorated...i do a lot of fondant -covered ones....i use satin ice...and some with antonia's royal...they all freeze very well...well wrapped as everybody said....the few i've mailed were well wrapped also,and at 1/4 inch thick,none broke....

Freezing RI decorated, What a time saver. I've got a lot to do for the first weekend in october, and a lot for halloween. Mac, is it the decorated ones you thaw 48 hours previous before doing detail work? I know I've thawed out naked cookies just a few hours before decorating. Don't remember any problems. What about freezing Toba's glace? What's your advice?
Thanks
Shiney

I don't use Toba's glace...I would tend to think that one would become sticky. I only use RI. Some of my thawed cookies are completely finished and others may need a few details.

If I have a huge wedding order or some times alot of extra wedding cake cookies left over...I will ice them white and leave off initials and freeze them. THen if someone else wants the wedding cake cookie, all I have to do is take it out, thaw and then decorate with initial.
Hope that helps--Pam

So you can freeze cookies with RI on them? They dont crack from getting so cold ?