I'm making 50 cookies to match the bday cake I'm making for a June 7 bday party. How far in advance can I make these cookies and still have them tasteworthy? And how should they be stored if I use Antonia's RI? Or how should they be stored if I use MMF or Rolled Buttercream fondant?

TIA!

B2B

I have made and frozen cookies up to 4 weeks ahead of time and have not had any problems. After baking and decorating, make sure the icing is properly set and then layer them in a container and make sure you put a sheet of wax paper between each layer. I them wrap the container with gladwarp (saran warp for you guys in the USA) and freeze. I have only decorated with RI, MMF and store bought fondant so I cannot tell you if the same applies to RBC.

When the cookies are needed, I take them out and lay them on cooling racks in a single layer until they are defrosted. I have never had a problem with the icing colours bleeding. Even the red icing I used at Christmas did not bleed.

I know that some people also say to leave the cookies in the container and do not unwrap container and take out the cookies until they are fully defrosted.

Either way seems to work. Good luck.

Hi!

BarbaraK is right, layer them and freeze them in a tupperware container and you are good. I have to do some this next weekend and they will be in the freezer for 3 weeks. I do however leave them in the container to thaw. That way the condensation from thawing goes to the waxpaper and not the top of my cookie. I have also dont this with fondant and had great sucess. Good luck!

Kim

Does anyone have advice for freezing RBC? I am thinking of trying this...

Thanks for the freezing info! I have never tried freezing the cookies before, as I was afraid of what the outcome might be!

I rarely freeze mine (I usually use the NFSC recipe and royal icing) because I am very sensitive to freezer tastes/smells - even though other people don't notice it, I do.

I have experimented, though. In my experiments, I find that left in my freezer for up to a week, I think they still smell and taste fine. But, they are more crispy after they have been frozen than they are if I store them at room temperature.

So, I try to make them as close to time that they are going to be used as possible (knowing it takes 1-2 days to dry thoroughly for packaging). I store them in single layers in air tight containers until I'm ready to pacakge them. Beause I'm a food-safety fanatic (lots of family members with food and gastrointestinal issues), I don't let them sit, even in air tight containers, for more than 5 or 6 days. But, I know that some people have kept them for up to 2 weeks and said they were still perfectly fine and delish!

Bonnie, I would never freeze them for more than a wwek. It is also nice to know that the can be stored for 5 days safely @ room temperature. Yes. My dau. and I have very sensitve stomachs, so I do understand!

WOW!! Thank you all for the great advise. Very helpful. I feel much better about making these a little in advanced.

Karen

This has also been very helpful to me - thanks.

I was also wondering what the shelf life would be for these - not in airtight containers but individually wrapped in cellophane bags.

Lucia

I wonder if its any difference between the cellophane bags or the plastic bags???

TIA