How Long Does Cookie Dough Stay Fresh?

Food columnist Dorie Greenspan answers questions about baking.Q: How long can I keep cookie dough in the refrigerator before baking the actual cookies? I'd like to prep the dough on a weekend, then bake the cookies on Thursday or Friday. All three doughs require some chilling time, but is it okay to keep them chilled for four to five days?A: You should be fine keeping these doughs in the refrigerator for four days. Make sure to wrap them well. Depending on the cookie, you may need to let the dough soften at room temperature a bit before scooping, rolling into balls, etc.Q: I was gifted a lot of chocolate, which I've stored in the refrigerator, but I'm worried about it going bad. How do I know if it's good to use in baking?A: Milk chocolate can be kept for about one year, dark chocolate longer and white chocolate shorter. However, I'd get the chocolate out of the refrigerator - chocolate doesn't love humidity. It's best kept in a cool, dry place away from light. It takes a long time for chocolate to go bad (I've had very old milk chocolate turn on me, but never dark chocolate). If you're concerned, taste it. If the chocolate has bloomed - that is, if it's cloudy or has a gray haze on it - it's not pretty, but it's fine to use.Q: Do you experiment with different varieties of vanilla, such as Madagascar bourbon, Mexican or Tahitian?A: I've worked with all of these vanilla beans. I have a soft spot for Tahitian because they are so wildly aromatic. No matter which beans you choose, make sure that they are plump, super fragrant, moist and pliable - you should be able to bend the bean without cracking it. There is sometimes a silvery sheen to the bean, which is fine.© 2016, The Washington Post(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)