I have been reading that some people allow the "base coat" of their cookies to dry overnight before adding details with royal icing. While the cookies are "drying" how do you store them? Are you leaving them out on a countertop over night or do you place them in a single layer in an airtight container? I am wanting to try cookies but I don't want them to go stale while they are drying. Thanks for any help! Angie

My secret ingredient to cookies is a bit of powdered instant vanilla pudding when creaming the sugar and butter together... that little bit of 'preservative' makes them stay fresh for quite a bit longer.

If you are heath not and don't want preserv's of any kind than I guess I would skip it but it really does add something...

Which recipe do you use for your cookies? Do you think this would work with most recipes?

I use the sugar cookie recipe but I will add this to anything I make that I want to remain fresh. If they are chocolate, use the choc. pudding and most everything else goes with the vanilla.

I also add the pudding to all my cake recipes for the added freshness...

Thanks for the help! I will definitely give that a try.

I leave mine out overnight to dry and decorate in the morning and I have never had any complaints about my cookies only yummy and delicious compliments. I don't think it hurts to leave them out one night to dry they do pull in the moisture from the icing as well.
Kathy

I also leave mine out, in the open air, for overnight drying. Adding the mix for preservative value is an excellent idea - thanks for the tip!

I put mine in a single layer in large tupperware containers and seal them or in a jelly roll pan and then cover the pan with that new saran wrap (the one that sticks to almost anything) so that the saran wrap touches the pan edges not the cookies.

That way, the cookie icing dries and I don't have to worry about cookies getting stale or attracting bugs.