Pro Cookie Making Tips
What’s better than a fresh cookie and a glass of milk? YUM!!!
Cookies can be deceptively challenging to make. That’s for sure.
If you are not an experienced baker, or just need a refresh, we’ve compiled some basic best practices to make baking cookies easier. Enjoy this great list and hope you learn a few pro tips!
Our Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies are sure to be a crowd pleaser!
Room Temperature Ingredients- when called for, use room temperature ingredients such as butter and eggs. Typically this means leaving the ingredients out for 2-4 hours on the counter top. If you forget to take the eggs out, carefully place them in a bowl of warm tap water and let them sit for 10 minutes.
Prep the Baking Sheets- use parchment paper to line baking sheets so the cookies won’t stick and for easy clean up.
Our Let It Snow Cookies are an easy and classic winter treat!
Proper Measurements- measuring ingredients is especially important because the core cookie recipe (such as the ratio of butter, eggs, sugar, flour, liquid, raising agents, etc.) is a precise equation. Measure with the "spoon and sweep" method- for example, spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level it with a knife.
Even the Playing Field-try to make your cookies a uniform size using tools like a melon baller, small or large ice cream scoop, depending on the recipe. Uniformity is important so the cookies bake at the same rate. Bonus tip: when scooping cookies, try not to allow any chocolate chips to directly touch the baking sheet, with your hand cover them with dough. Some bakers even use a scale to measure each cookie.
Our Black Forest Cookies are rich and brownie like and best of all very hard to mess up!
Chill Out- chill the cookie dough for 30-60 minutes before baking. This helps marry flavors, in some cases relax the gluten in your dough and reduces the risk of the cookie spreading as it bakes.
Change it Up- rotate the baking sheets halfway through the baking time so cookies bake evenly. If the recipe calls for the cookies to bake for 10-12 minutes, set the initial timer for 5 minutes, rotate the sheets, then set the timer for another 5 minutes. This leaves 2 additional minutes just in case the cookies need longer.
Our Chocolatey Popcorn Cookies are loaded with just the right amount of salty and sweet.
Rest Up- cookies can be pulled from the oven once they are just cooked or slightly underdone and then left on the baking sheet for a few minutes once they come out of the oven. This residual baking time or resting helps to gently continue to cook the cookies without direct harsh heat. This is especially true for chocolate cookies. Use a large spatula to move the cookies to a baking rack.
Before Decorating or Storing- cool cookies completely before decorating with icing or storing.
VISIT US ON INSTAGRAM @EXPANDKITCHENANDHOME AND TAG US #EXPANDKITCHENANDHOME
