Now that we have talked about baking and decorating cakes in advance what are the rules for decorated cookies. How far in advance can these be made and how long after decorated can they remain fresh? I want to make some this weekend for my niece so any suggestions would be helpful.

Dru

I think antonia74 was going to write an article about cookies. You may want to PM her...she makes awesome cookies!!!!
traci

You can freeze cookie dough, so I'm guessing you could make cookie dough now, for cutout cookies in October. They'll keep fresh in an air-tight container up to two weeks. I find that royal icing dries out the cookies, so I use the recipe for cookie glaze. I can't wait to do cookies for Halloween!

I freeze mine up to three months.
I make my dough about a week in advance of when I need to bake and decorate. I divide it into about five plastic bags and keep it in the frig. until about an hour before I need to roll them out.
I use royal icing to decorate. When they are totally dry I put each one in a party bag and tie it with ribbon (really tight). They stay fresh for several days.

I had a lady that bought several from me last christmas for stocking stuffers. She put a raindeer in her husbands stocking and about six weeks after christmas she found it in a kitchen drawer, she ask him why he didn't eat it...he thought it was a decoration for the tree....they ate it and she said it was still good after all that time.

Sherryb

I have a few pictures in my photos. I have some more, but haven't had time to upload them yet.

Thanks for the suggestions ladies, I will keep all in mind while trying to accomplish my task. Sherry I love your cookies, you are so talented. Everyone here does such good work I only hope mine look half as good.

Dru