Cookie Baking Newbie ..help!

Baking By gin2ham Updated 28 Nov 2010 , 11:42pm by gin2ham

gin2ham Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
gin2ham Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 3:14am
post #1 of 7

Hi everyone,

I have been baking cakes and cupcakes for a while but this will be the first time that I will be making cookies. I have a few question that I hope you guys can help me out.

I will be making decorated sugar cookies, with all of the discussion about the best recipe to use I was just wondering if I should just opt for Betty Crocker mix? is it any good? or would it be a waste of money? Is it a MAJOR sin if I do not do it from scratch??? I am sort of giving them away for christmas which is why I want them to taste good.

How long can I store them? I am planning on putting them on tin cans. How long can it be kept in there and still stay fresh?

I know you guys must have answered these questions a million times and I am thanking you guys in advance for answering it yet again!

Thanks so much again!!

6 replies
MariaK38 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MariaK38 Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 3:23am
post #2 of 7

Hi! I've never tried the Betty Crocker mix, so I can't tell you how they turn out. But I've used the recipe below for all of my sugar cookies, and they always turn out well. I find that they stay fresh for at least a couple of weeks, especially if they're wrapped in plastic wrap first. You can also bake and freeze them ahead of time and decorate a couple of days before you give them out. Good luck with your cookie baking!


1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour

cream butter, sugar, salt for 3 min. at medium speed. add yolk, beat well. add egg, vanilla... beat until well incorporated. add flour and beat at low speed, just until flour is mixed in. don't overmix.
on the website, karen says to divide dough into halves or thirds, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour and then roll out. I do it differently... after mixing, I roll out between two sheets of waxed paper to about 1/4 to 3/8 " thick, cut out my shapes (don't remove the shapes), slide the dough and waxed paper on a cookie sheet, and freeze for about 30 min to an hour. then I take the shapes out and put on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 9-10 minutes. I find that doing it this way helps the cookies keep their shape better than rolling it out with flour and moving it over with a spatula.

gin2ham Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
gin2ham Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 2:48pm
post #3 of 7

Thank you maria for the reply.

Should I pack the cookies individually before putting them inside the can? how should I pack it? sorry for the stupid questions...just wanted to make sure I do it right! thanks so much!

MariaK38 Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
MariaK38 Posted 23 Nov 2010 , 3:00pm
post #4 of 7

hi! if you pack them individually, they will remain fresher longer. but it's a pain in the neck! I'd probably just put a layer of plastic wrap in the tin and one over the cookies to make sure they're covered. Since they're gifts, they'll probably go pretty fast!

AlwaysAmy Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
AlwaysAmy Posted 25 Nov 2010 , 1:26am
post #5 of 7

I personally love the Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix, but even adding in the extra flour as it tells you, you will have some spreading. Not so much that it renders the shape unidentifiable or anything like that, but I know a lot of people here are really looking for that perfect shape. I'm just a hobby baker, baking mostly for family stuff and friends, so it's this isn't a big deal.

People also always say they taste great, but I guess this is always a personal thing; they might be too sweet for someone who doesn't like a sweet cookie because the mix is made to be able to be used as plain drop cookies as well. I've never thought this, but from a lot of the comments here it might be a concern. (The taste preference of a professional 40-something could easily be very different from this 17-year-old hobbyist.)

As for the money part, my mom often gets it just just cents between sales and coupons. Almost all of the cost comes from the egg and butter, which you would have to be paying for regardless of whether you're making from scratch or mix most likely.

soledad Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
soledad Posted 27 Nov 2010 , 6:24am
post #6 of 7

gin2ham... I am also new in cookie baking, but this is what I do...If wrap individually mine stay fresh for 5 days tops. There is something about the tin cans, My cookie techer said they will keep fresh the longest in the tin can.
When it is for my family I usually put it in tin cans, which I buy at the dollar store. I can fit three 3"in. pumpkin cookies at the bottom, before the next layer I put a piece of wax paper. I do this until I filled it, and the decoration are not disturb at all! icon_smile.gif
CIAO

gin2ham Cake Central Cake Decorator Profile
gin2ham Posted 28 Nov 2010 , 11:42pm
post #7 of 7

Thank you everybody for the replies. I am thinking of putting like 8 pcs cookies (snowflaes, christmas tree, snowman..etc) on each tin can. I got some tin cans at Walmart, I just hoep they are not too big or the 8pc would not fill the tin can nicely.

what would normally be your time line for everything..I mean from baking until shipping? I am just afraid that by the time it gets to them it won't taste fresh?

Truly appreciate all the answers..hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! icon_biggrin.gif

Quote by @%username% on %date%

%body%