UPDATE:
People are either screwing with me (though I asked people who don’t know one another so it’s highly unlikely) and they consistently say that they either never heard of that or that it should be 3-4 weeks maturation time. Primarily because honey and some spices have antibacterial features, so it doesn’t go bad
In: 1305
Some recipes are geared for it some are not. Most modern ones wont be due to changing tastes, time, and lost traditions.
Many of these aged recipes count on the complex interactions happening inside the dough to create multiple layers of complex and myriad flavors. Most of the old recipes seem very very dry compared to modern cookie doughs, and because it was common knowledge at the time, many don’t mention that you mix in more liquids before rolling and baking. By being on the dry side you significantly reduce the possibility of bad things happening inside the dough. Most of them also use higher acid or base ingredients to further skew the dough away from bad things happening.
Sugars of any type, be it plain white sugar, honey, molasses, etc etc function as a preservative in some conditions. Those conditions being generally dependent on the liquid content that is present. Mix a pound of sugar in 10 gallons of water then leave it exposed to air and you will have fermentation of some kind fairly quickly. Mix a gallon of water in 10 pounds of sugar and you will have fermentation as well, but it will take a lot longer due to the overly hostile environment the sugar creates. There was an experiment run a while back about preserving milk at room temp, it was found a small amount of sugar added to a gallon of milk will actually give you an extra day or two before it goes bad. No I don’t remember the exact reference but its out there.
Controlled fermentation and/or rot brings some of the most delicious foods to your senses. A 60 day dry aged steak is not for the faint of heart, but on a completely different level of flavor. Fermented garlic sauce, I wouldn’t eat it straight, but it adds umami to dishes that can’t be matched by anything unfermented. I do not enjoy lactic fermented items like sauerkraut but many people do and its a common ingredient. Most Worcestershire sauces contains anchovies that are part of fermentation process as that is the original way to make it. Worcestershire sauce is also relatively tame compared to some of the fermented sauces out there.
A good rule of thumb one of my chefs taught me is look at the ingredients. Are they shelf stable? as in room temp stable for lengths of time? then yes its probably geared for storage. Got things like eggs and dairy in it? then probably not meant for long term maturation and storage.
I myself have a ginger/molasses cookie recipe from late colonial era that you mix up most of the ingredients then store for 4-6 months in a cool dark dry place. Then when your about to bake; you mix in the chemical leaveners , add some more liquid, roll thin, then bake. The finished cookies are shelf stable and when properly stored in airtight containers they will last for 9 months. Though I have fudged it a bit by simply re-baking them for a minute or two so they crisp up.
Is any of it food safe according to your local governing bodies? probably not. But I will take good flavor over food safety any day of the week. Please don’t think I am unaware of the dangers, I am well versed in the dangers of the kitchen. Taking uneducated risks is vastly different from educated risks.
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