Baking questions

Mrs. Mo

Before I start to plan on making these, I want to make sure I do not create any unrealistic goals for myself. The last thing I want is to be up all night the night before baking.

If I was to have a party on a Saturday, how far in advance can I make these without risking them taste bad? Is this something I can do the weekend before (so appx 7 days)?

Also, what is the best means of storing them between the time I make them & the party (in/out of the fridge, air-tight container, plastic-wrapped plate, not covered at all, etc)?

- cupcakes frosted with buttercream frosting
- formed candy (just melted from the Wilton candy melts)
- sugar cookies with a layer of rolled buttercream fondant on them
- sugar cookies decorated with color flow

I will need to make appx 60 cupcakes & 60 cookies. For the cookies, I have not yet decided if I will use the fondant or color flow. The storage time & method may be the deciding factors.

cantalopes24

For the cupcakes I know when my friend got married one of the cake ladies baked huge batches of cupcakes in her flavor samples and froze them and dethawed them for tastings. I would never have known if she hadn't told us. They were really good. I know we had no issue dethawing our wedding cake.

Chunstad

I'm sure that you can make the cupcakes ahead of time and freeze them.  Then you can take them out day-of and frost them.  My MIL makes and freezes sugar cookies with frosting with no effect in their taste.  I'm not sure about freezing fondant, though, and I don't know what color flow is.  Good luck!  Can you get any helpers?

pennysuedog

Your cupcakes can be baked earlier in the week or the week before and frozen, (un-iced).  Some will argue they could dry out but honestly they will be fine.  I would freeze then in those rubbermaid/gladware containers(large ones).  Do not stack them and make sure they are completely cool.

You can also make your candies earlier in the week. Keep them in a air tight container and at room temp.

To be honest I think that fondant cookies will be the quicker route to go, and will be just as cute.  The hardest part is rolling out the fondant.   (You need to have a really steady hand for tracing with flood work and if you are not experienced you may become frustrated.)    

Fondant on your cookies will dry out if you make them too early. I would do those Thursday at the very earliest (Sat.party?) I would also keep those in a box or air-tight container at room temp.  Make sure you buy cookie cutters do not try to cut it free-hand.

I would decorate your cupcakes the night before or the morning of.  You can make your frosting up on Thursday.  Some recipes can be stored at room temp some should be refrigerated (bring it to room temp to ice)  You can also purchase icing from most bakeries.

I think you can also make your sugar cookie a week in advance or more and freeze them undecorated. You can stack these between wax paper

At the bakery I work at we leave cookies out in metal cans (cabinets) for a week or two.   Our cookies have preservatives in them though, so that is why I would freeze, homemade goodies.

 

pennysuedog

Do not freeze fondant it will sweat, and get really slimy.

Chunstad

pennysuedog:

Your cupcakes can be baked earlier in the week or the week before and frozen, (un-iced).  Some will argue they could dry out but honestly they will be fine.  I would freeze then in those rubbermaid/gladware containers(large ones).  Do not stack them and make sure they are completely cool.

You can also make your candies earlier in the week. Keep them in a air tight container and at room temp.

To be honest I think that fondant cookies will be the quicker route to go, and will be just as cute.  The hardest part is rolling out the fondant.   (You need to have a really steady hand for tracing with flood work and if you are not experienced you may become frustrated.)    

Fondant on your cookies will dry out if you make them too early. I would do those Thursday at the very earliest (Sat.party?) I would also keep those in a box or air-tight container at room temp.  Make sure you buy cookie cutters do not try to cut it free-hand.

I would decorate your cupcakes the night before or the morning of.  You can make your frosting up on Thursday.  Some recipes can be stored at room temp some should be refrigerated (bring it to room temp to ice)  You can also purchase icing from most bakeries.

I think you can also make your sugar cookie a week in advance or more and freeze them undecorated. You can stack these between wax paper

At the bakery I work at we leave cookies out in metal cans (cabinets) for a week or two.   Our cookies have preservatives in them though, so that is why I would freeze, homemade goodies.

Oh my goodess, I didn't know that!  I would TOTALLY do this if I were you, Mrs.Mo!  Talk about a time saver!  Good tips, Penny.

Mrs. Mo

pennysuedog:

Your cupcakes can be baked earlier in the week or the week before and frozen, (un-iced).  Some will argue they could dry out but honestly they will be fine.  I would freeze then in those rubbermaid/gladware containers(large ones).  Do not stack them and make sure they are completely cool.

You can also make your candies earlier in the week. Keep them in a air tight container and at room temp.

To be honest I think that fondant cookies will be the quicker route to go, and will be just as cute.  The hardest part is rolling out the fondant.   (You need to have a really steady hand for tracing with flood work and if you are not experienced you may become frustrated.)    

Fondant on your cookies will dry out if you make them too early. I would do those Thursday at the very earliest (Sat.party?) I would also keep those in a box or air-tight container at room temp.  Make sure you buy cookie cutters do not try to cut it free-hand.

I would decorate your cupcakes the night before or the morning of.  You can make your frosting up on Thursday.  Some recipes can be stored at room temp some should be refrigerated (bring it to room temp to ice)  You can also purchase icing from most bakeries.

I think you can also make your sugar cookie a week in advance or more and freeze them undecorated. You can stack these between wax paper

At the bakery I work at we leave cookies out in metal cans (cabinets) for a week or two.   Our cookies have preservatives in them though, so that is why I would freeze, homemade goodies.

When freezing the cupcakes/cookies, do I just put them in the containers or individually wrap them in plastic wrap first?

 Can I make the fondant in advance (prior to Thurs) & put it in an airtight container wrapped in pastic wrap or is it better to just make right before I use it?

Would just slightly brushing the fondant with water be enough to get it to stick to the cookies or should I use some light corn syrup? I plan on using the same anchor shaped cookie cutter to cut the fondant as I am using for the actual cookies. I know that it won't fit perfectly (since the cookie always ends up bigger) but it will be close enough.  

pennysuedog

Mrs. Mo:

pennysuedog:

Your cupcakes can be baked earlier in the week or the week before and frozen, (un-iced).  Some will argue they could dry out but honestly they will be fine.  I would freeze then in those rubbermaid/gladware containers(large ones).  Do not stack them and make sure they are completely cool.

You can also make your candies earlier in the week. Keep them in a air tight container and at room temp.

To be honest I think that fondant cookies will be the quicker route to go, and will be just as cute.  The hardest part is rolling out the fondant.   (You need to have a really steady hand for tracing with flood work and if you are not experienced you may become frustrated.)    

Fondant on your cookies will dry out if you make them too early. I would do those Thursday at the very earliest (Sat.party?) I would also keep those in a box or air-tight container at room temp.  Make sure you buy cookie cutters do not try to cut it free-hand.

I would decorate your cupcakes the night before or the morning of.  You can make your frosting up on Thursday.  Some recipes can be stored at room temp some should be refrigerated (bring it to room temp to ice)  You can also purchase icing from most bakeries.

I think you can also make your sugar cookie a week in advance or more and freeze them undecorated. You can stack these between wax paper

At the bakery I work at we leave cookies out in metal cans (cabinets) for a week or two.   Our cookies have preservatives in them though, so that is why I would freeze, homemade goodies.

When freezing the cupcakes/cookies, do I just put them in the containers or individually wrap them in plastic wrap first?

 Can I make the fondant in advance (prior to Thurs) & put it in an airtight container wrapped in pastic wrap or is it better to just make right before I use it?

Would just slightly brushing the fondant with water be enough to get it to stick to the cookies or should I use some light corn syrup? I plan on using the same anchor shaped cookie cutter to cut the fondant as I am using for the actual cookies. I know that it won't fit perfectly (since the cookie always ends up bigger) but it will be close enough.  

You do not have to individually wrap them. If you wanted you could lay a piece of parchment of wax paper on the tops of them, before you put the lid on.

I personally would put a thin coat of buttercream on my cookies ( I would just use a piping tube with a flat ribbon tip) and then apply the piece of fondant.   You can adhere fondant to another piece of fondant with a little bit of water (or a little dot of butter cream usually works too)

I never make my own fondant I just get mine through work.  We keep fondant in plastic bags inside plastic tubs and it lasts for months.   I think you could make that quite early just make sure it is air tight!  

Mrs. Mo

pennysuedog:

Mrs. Mo:

pennysuedog:

Your cupcakes can be baked earlier in the week or the week before and frozen, (un-iced).  Some will argue they could dry out but honestly they will be fine.  I would freeze then in those rubbermaid/gladware containers(large ones).  Do not stack them and make sure they are completely cool.

You can also make your candies earlier in the week. Keep them in a air tight container and at room temp.

To be honest I think that fondant cookies will be the quicker route to go, and will be just as cute.  The hardest part is rolling out the fondant.   (You need to have a really steady hand for tracing with flood work and if you are not experienced you may become frustrated.)    

Fondant on your cookies will dry out if you make them too early. I would do those Thursday at the very earliest (Sat.party?) I would also keep those in a box or air-tight container at room temp.  Make sure you buy cookie cutters do not try to cut it free-hand.

I would decorate your cupcakes the night before or the morning of.  You can make your frosting up on Thursday.  Some recipes can be stored at room temp some should be refrigerated (bring it to room temp to ice)  You can also purchase icing from most bakeries.

I think you can also make your sugar cookie a week in advance or more and freeze them undecorated. You can stack these between wax paper

At the bakery I work at we leave cookies out in metal cans (cabinets) for a week or two.   Our cookies have preservatives in them though, so that is why I would freeze, homemade goodies.

When freezing the cupcakes/cookies, do I just put them in the containers or individually wrap them in plastic wrap first?

 Can I make the fondant in advance (prior to Thurs) & put it in an airtight container wrapped in pastic wrap or is it better to just make right before I use it?

Would just slightly brushing the fondant with water be enough to get it to stick to the cookies or should I use some light corn syrup? I plan on using the same anchor shaped cookie cutter to cut the fondant as I am using for the actual cookies. I know that it won't fit perfectly (since the cookie always ends up bigger) but it will be close enough.  

You do not have to individually wrap them. If you wanted you could lay a piece of parchment of wax paper on the tops of them, before you put the lid on.

I personally would put a thin coat of buttercream on my cookies ( I would just use a piping tube with a flat ribbon tip) and then apply the piece of fondant.   You can adhere fondant to another piece of fondant with a little bit of water (or a little dot of butter cream usually works too)

I never make my own fondant I just get mine through work.  We keep fondant in plastic bags inside plastic tubs and it lasts for months.   I think you could make that quite early just make sure it is air tight!  

That sounds good to me ! The more I can make the weekend before, the better. Since I am planning on making buttercream for the cupcakes, I'll just use some for the cookies as well.

Thanks for all your help !