Cookie Baking Tips

Cookies run the gamut from thin and crunchy to soft and chewy, with several variations in between. Some cookies are crumbly and dense right through, others are light and airy and some cookies have a crunchy outer layer that surrounds a soft, gooey interior.

These are the simplest cookies to make at home. The cookie dough, which is loose and slightly moist, is spooned and dropped onto a cookie sheet keeping the necessary amount of space between each dollop. Almost any cookie dough can be used to bake drop cookies. All you would need to do is add additional liquid to the dough to make it less dense and a little runnier.

Though every drop cookie varies in appearance from the other, it is important that the size of the cookie drops are kept as uniform as possible to ensure uniform baking. If need be, use a measuring spoon to make same-sized drops.

Bake a trial-batch of one cookie to test whether or not you've got the dough at the right texture and temperature for your drop cookies. If your drop cookies spread out too much while baking, it could be to any one of the following reasons:

• The cookie dough was not sufficiently chilled before using.
• The baking pans or cookie sheet were greased too much. Cookie sheets do not need to be greased unless the recipe specifically calls for it.
• Cookie dough was placed on baking sheets that were too warm, which tends to melt the dough and make it runny before it can be placed in the oven.
• The butter was not at the right consistency when making the dough. Butter should be firm and soft, not melted or runny.

Rolled cookies are typically made from stiff dough. The dough is first chilled in order to relax the gluten. When chilled and firm enough, the dough is then rolled out, cut into shapes with sharp cookie cutters or a knife and then put to bake.

When making rolled cookies, it is best to work with a small quantity of dough at a time. Put the entire quantity of cookie dough in the refrigerator to chill for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Dough that is not chilled will be too soft and tends to stick to the rolling pin. Roll out the cookie dough in batches, keeping the remaining portions back in the refrigerator to maintain the desired temperature, consistency and texture of the dough.

Brownies and other bar cookies are softer and more cake-like than any of the other types of cookies. They are baked in greased pans that have sides and are least 1 ½ inches deep.

Brownies and bar cookies should be beaten just enough to blend the ingredients well. Over-beating will cause them to rise too much, too fast with the result that they will fall and crack as they cool.

Pan size is important when baking brownies and bars. Brownies that are baked in a pan that is too large will turn out dry and brittle, whereas a pan that is too small will result in brownies that are more like a cake, rather than gooey and chewy as brownies ought to be.

Baking timings are equally important. Over baking dries out the brownies and makes them dry and crumbly.

Home baked cookies add a certain delicious elegance to any occasion, whether it is a casual garden party, an informal tea party or a Christmas get together. No matter which cookie recipe you choose to follow, here are a few tips to help you get those cookies perfect every time.

Preparing the Cookie Dough

• Dry ingredients as well as liquids should be measured accurately to ensure perfect cookies. For dry ingredients, always use a dry measuring cup. Spoon the ingredients into the measuring cup and ‘cut it' or level off with the straight edge of a knife. Liquids should be measured by holding the cup at eye level.

• Never use butter that is either too hard or too soft. A large part of your cookie baking success depends on the temperature of the butter. Remove butter from the refrigerator, cut into chunks and leave to cool at room temperature. Butter should be soft yet still slightly firm before being added to the cookie dough. If you use melted butter or butter that is too soft the dough will get runny and will spread when put on the cookie sheet.

• If the cookie dough does become too soft and runny, refrigerate for about one hour or until the dough becomes firm enough. If it still too soft and spreads even after chilling, add a little flour at a time till the dough reaches the desired consistency.

Baking the Cookies

• A batch of cookies should be of uniform size and thickness to ensure that all cookies bake evenly in the same amount of time. If in doubt- weigh the cookie dough on a kitchen scale, keeping about ½ ounce for each smaller-sized cookie and 1 ounce for each medium-sized cookie.

• When placing cookies on a cookie sheet, leave enough space between them as most cookies will expand while baking. As a general rule 2 inches should suffice for small to medium-sized cookies, though larger cookies may need more space.

• Make sure your oven is pre-heated to the right temperature before you place your first batch of cookies to bake.

• Timing is important when baking cookies; one minute more can make the difference between cookies that are burnt to a crisp and those that are just crunchy right. Better to err on the side of under-baking. Using an accurate timer, bake the cookies for one minute less than the recommended minimum baking time. Check the cookies for doneness and if necessary, bake them for a minute or two more.

• Cookies are best baked in the lower third of the oven.

• Once baked, cookies should be removed from the cookie sheet immediately to prevent them from baking any further. Transfer the cookies on to a wire rack to cool. Cookies should never be left to cool on the cookie sheet as they tend to stick to the sheet as they cool and can be then very difficult to remove without breaking.

• Cookie sheets should be completely cooled before placing your next batch of cookies as cookie dough will almost definitely melt and spread if the sheet is hot or even warm.