My thought would be to divide the dough into 1/4's and leave 1 quarter sitting out and if it's too soft to roll on its own knead another quarter into it and then while working with the softer dough take another quarter out to be softening then when you start on that one if you still have time do the same with the final quarter. And if you run out of time to bake all of them you can always wrap and freeze the dough you don't use. What a great way to be the cool aunt!!

Edie, these aren’t the kind of cookie that is rolled out and cut. They are rolled into balls that spread as they bake. Prior to baking, the recipe calls for rolling the balls in sprinkles (my favorite - I like the crunch) or rolling them in sugar.

I guess my question has two components: (1) food safety, and (2) dough chemistry.

How long can the dough safely set out?

How much will the rising of the dough be affected by setting out?

Tangential question: Does dough “rise” or does it “raise”? I’ve always said “rise” or “rising” but recently I’ve seen people commenting about their dough “raising.”

Ah gotcha, sorry I misunderstood.

Well, you had a super plan for cookies that are rolled out and cut!

btw, if anyone is wondering why this says ”Second Try,” I posted my original question, waited an hour and it didn’t show up on the thread. So, I posted a second time. It only took SEVEN HOURS for it to show up. First try and second try showed up at the same time. I deleted the original one.

These sound like the same rolled ball type cookies that I bake several times a month. You can mix the entire batter and put it in the refrigerator for several hours, but make sure it's covered so it stays moist. Take it out when they get there and give it 15 minutes to warm up a bit.

Personally, I would roll them into balls and refrigerate them til ready to roll in the sprinkles. Just because of the egg. I do that myself when I want to serve warm cookies at the last minute.

Leavening/soda makes dough rise.

Proving/proofing shows that the yeast is alive (not an issue with dry granulated yeast, but absolutely necessary for cake yeast and starters).

Rising is what the dough does.

Commercial bakers nowadays proof yeast in the dough while it rises because the yeast is so reliably alive that they skip the step where you feed the yeast and make sure it bubbles up before wasting a batch of flour on it, which is the original meaning of proofing your yeast. They just look at the risen shaped loaves to see the proof. This has become so prevalent that bakers are using the word proof and rise interchangeably.

You raise your hand and your crops, and rear your children. :)

Plllog, I’m going to cite you and Edie the next time I see someone use ”raise” when it ought to be “rise.” And thanks to you both!

It could also just be a regional variation. :) Texas has some interesting vowels. ;)

Have a great time with the cookies and the nieces and have a great Christmas!

Raise is transitive and takes an object....you raise your hand....but rise is an intransitive verb and takes no object. Dough rises, a seedling rises from the ground.

I agree with those above to keep refrigerated. All ready to go rolled into balls. They will be plenty sticky to take the sugar sprinkles/sanding sugar.

You could bake up a half dozen so your home smells amazing. I think of that age liking to work from example. Seeing the cookie and you asking if she would like to help. Sometimes I get a shy twenty minutes even with the outgoing young ones. Even if she just watches you roll in sugar the first batch...

Good idea about baking up a few, sleevendog! Sort of “priming the pump.”

In my limited cookie repertoire is also Jacques Torres’ Chocolate Chip Cookies. The dough is refrigerated overnight to allow the gluten to relax. I have had it take me a couple of hours for the dough to warm up enough to be able to scoop it out of the bowl. I’m hoping to avoid a similar situation with the sugar cookies. I think refrigerating the formed balls will take care of that.

Definitely form the balls in advance for the fridge...or freezer, if necessary. I almost always chill similar cookie doughs overnight. I'll either just form the chilled dough into balls to bake, or form the balls in advance for the fridge. If you form the balls in advance, it can be helpful to give the dough a quick chill first...maybe 20-30 minutes. Depending on the dough, that can make it a bit easier to handle.

Well, you know what they say about best laid plans. Mine definitely “gang aft agley“ to quote Burns. Pivot! I made the cookie dough this morning (about 5:30!). It is in a zip lock in the fridge. I mushed the dough out in a gallon zip lock bag thinking that the thinness would help it more quickly come to room temp. I also invited the niece and family to brunch so that I have a time certain when they will be here. Now I just have to make cheesecake and gumbo tomorrow and pack. I think I’ve got it covered! Cross your fingers.

I don’t know that I’m ready to declare myself “the cool aunt,” but our cookie baking venture could not have gone better! She left here with cookies that she “made.”

Now, as to the dough, it didn’t soften up as I expected it to. After setting on the counter for about an hour, it was still pretty stiff, too stiff to scoop. I threw it in the KA mixing bowl and gave it a couple of twirls and that softened it up. Our house is kept at about 70 degrees during the day and the oven was on. It was probably close to 74 in the kitchen. I would have thought it would have been really soft under those conditions.

You sound like a pretty cool aunt to me. Bless you for taking the time and effort to make such a special experience! You know, it's weird, sometimes lately I've set out butter to soften and it doesn't get super soft like it used to always do. Makes you wonder...