But...

I haven't delved into making cookies yet and I REALLY REALLY want to. I really like the soft sugar cookies with buttercream icing, but I know that for bouquets and individually packaged cookies that might not work. So, I know that Antonia's royal icing recipe is the best to use, and that you can flavor, etc so it will taste better than "regular" plain jane royal icing. BUT, are the cookies hard as rocks? I know on the buttercream cookies, the frosting keeps them nice and soft, but with the royal icing drying hard, what is the effect on the cookies.

I know....dumb! But I'm curious about trying it and want to be able to have someone actually eat the cookies and enjoy them. (Not look at me with a smile and say "no, I don't need another!"

TIA!

Edited to add: I know that they must taste good or nobody would be selling any or willing to EAT any! I'm more worried about the texture and "stiffness" of the cookie I guess! Thanks again!

I'm not an extremely experienced cookie decorator either, but I do know that you can cover the cookies with fondant and they stay soft. I put a thin layer of buttercream and then the fondant. The buttercream keeps the cookies soft, like you mentioned, and fondant actually tastes pretty good on sugar cookies! Not to mention, you can buy Fondarific and get some REALLY good fondant flavors!

When I made these cookies with buttercream and fondant, I evens shipped them from Florida to TX and only 1 broke! Everyone at the baby shower loved them - so they're sturdy AND yummy!

I always use royal icing and mine are not hard. I think it has more to do with the thickness of the cookie when baking than the icing.

Thanks!

I actually kind of thought about fondant over buttercream. I should learn to trust my instincts a little bit more, huh?! And I do love the MMF - love to add flavorings and stuff. It's so versatile! I guess I know what I'm doing this weekend!!!!

My RI cookies stay soft for several days. The cookie part itself stays fresh for 5 day. And then the RI doesn't dry super hard until day 4 or so. Personally, I like all the cookies to be eaten by day 5. But they are still good for 2 more days (just not as fresh). I use Antonia74's recipe and absolutely love it!! They just make the best cookies!

If you're looking for that buttercream type taste, RBC is wonderful. You can detail on top with RI immediately without the dry time, and they taste YUMMY!

Is RBC royal buttercream? Can't figure that one out. I know, I know....

Sorry, RBC is rolled buttercream. There's recipe on CC, but I leave out the oils and knead in lots of PS, or else it's a bit greasy. Once you get the consistency right it's wonderful. I roll it very thin, because it's so sweet. Another tip, after rolling it very thin, stick it in the freezer for several minutes, much easier to cut and move to cookie, and just 'glue' onto cookie with light corn syrup. I've tried placing on warm cookie, and it does stick, but mine have come unstuck when cooled.

Thanks shiney!

I'm thinking my mmf is pretty much the same as rbc. I already put butter/vanilla flavoring to my mmf and it tastes awesome. Am I right in thinking they're pretty much the same?

I've never used MMF, but I think plenty of cookiers do. I bet it will be yummy!

Shiney,
You leave out the 1 cup of shortening when you make the rolled buttercream icing??? Have you ever tried to cover a cake with it? I wanted to check with you before I attempted to make the icing and omitting the shortening.
I have used the MMF and absolutely love it!!!!!!
Sandy

Sandy, there is a recipe on CC for rolled buttercream (fondont alternative) and I just leave out the oils. Like I said, I knead a lot of PS into it. I have tried to cover a cake with it, but it was TOO dry, (you can see in my photos) I think had it not been so dry, it would have worked. Also, I have never made a cake, e v e r, so that was my result for first time.

I use a modified version of the NFSC recipe (in the recipe section here on CC) for my cookies. They are crisp, but not rock hard, I also use a modified version of Antonia74's RI recipe, and I think it does soften the cookies up a little bit.

Just a purely scientific note. Cookies will generally NOT get hard as rocks. Sugar is a hydroscopic compound which means it draws in water. Cookies will actually get softer as they "age" rather than harder, unlike bread or something like that.

Also, you can try a glace icing. There are a couple different recipes here on the site. It doesn't dry as hard as royal icing. I get rave reviews for it. It doesn't hold a shape like royal does, but there are several ladies here who work miracles with it.

Vstar, I agree, TG (Toba's Glace) gets rave reviews on taste. Often I will outline with RI and flood with TG, then detail with RI, works out great!

Pinkflower, they will do just fine. TG hardens plenty to bag, stack and ship. When I ship mine, I roll out the bubblewrap a bit, place two cookies giving them enough space in between and edges, depends on the size of the cookie, then two more cookies, etc, etc, and essentially I'm rerolling the bubble wrap with cookies inside, gives plenty of padding, and never had any break. Then I put the roll in a box, padd the edges, and away they go!

Yup! They ship just fine. Just give them enough time to dry. Normally I won't package for about 24 hours. The way I've done it is to use wax or parchment paper and a vacuum sealer. One layer of cookies, smaller than your box. Then a layer of wax paper, then another layer of cookies. I've done 4 layers just fine. Then in a vacuum seal bag. Pull out MOST BUT NOT ALL of the air, then seal. It actually makes a relatively sturdy package.

Then I wrap that whole thing in bubble wrap and box up. I use the flat rate boxes from the PO and they work great. I shipped cookies from Guam to Florida and they arrived in perfect condition.

I used glace for the first time and the flooding cracked after drying.........never had this with RI>

good question and suggestions