Prepping Sugar Cookies

[Demetrius]

Our oldest daugther (Isabella) is turning two on November 26th, but are going to celebrate a little early while visiting the grandparents over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Because our two children are the first grandchildren on either side of the family, the grandmothers are going a little crazy with ordering cakes, etc... However, my idea is for my wife and I to make about forty heart shapped sugar cookies decorated with icing and then fun messages such as 'Eat Me' on top.

The question I have is that if we bake these cookies on Sunday, will they still be fresh if we are to serve them to Isabella and the guests on Thursday evening after dinner? And, would it make any difference if we were to bake them on Sunday, and then decorate on Wednesday?

Thank you

[mktye]

Not to be completely wishy-washy, but it will really depend on your cookie recipe and the type of icing.

For this type of cookie, I usually use a recipe that is closer to shortbread than sugar cookies. In other words, a recipe that will produce a crisp cookie. The less moisture you have in the cookies, the longer it will take them to get stale. And don't forgot that your icing can also be a source of moisture, so if you can swing it, bake the cookies on Sunday, keep them as airtight as possible and decorate on Wednesday.

Here is my favorite recipe for decorated cookies:

Butter Cookies

Makes ~7 dozen 2-1/2" cookies (rolled 1/8" thick)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temp.

1 cup superfine sugar (or granulated, pulsed in a food processor for 30 seconds)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 whole egg plus 1 yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour

Cream together butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, beat well, then add whole egg and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour and mix until it is just incorporated. Divide dough, form each half into a 1/2" disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

Roll chilled dough 1/8" thick and cut into desired shapes (you can re-roll the scraps a couple of times, but after that, the resulting cookies will be noticeably tougher). Bake on parchment-lined sheets at 375 degrees until evenly golden brown. 6-8 minutes. Cool on rack. Store air-tight.

Recipe adapted from "Cooks Illustrated", Nov '96

[Demetrius]

Thank you mktye!

[zoramargolis]

Not to be completely wishy-washy, but it will really depend on your cookie recipe and the type of icing.

This reminds me. Can you post your recipe for olive oil oatmeal cookies?

[mktye]

This reminds me. Can you post your recipe for olive oil oatmeal cookies?

I was just thinking yesterday that I'd promised someone(s) I post that and I'd never done it. But then the piano tuner showed up... Thanks for the nudge!

The recipe is now here in the Cookies thread.