Ten Tips For Cookie Baking Success

Homemade cookies are one of life's simple pleasures and often one of the first things we attempt to bake since they're relatively easy to make. Unfortunately, many cookbooks and recipes are written by experienced bakers for experienced bakers, so they leave out important details that can mean the difference between cookie baking success and frustration.

If you are new to cookie baking or have experienced erratic results here are some important tips to help insure success with your next batch of homemade cookies.

Cookie Bake

1. Use high quality ingredients. They can make a big difference in the flavor of your cookies. Cookies taste better when they are made with real butter, real vanilla extract (not imitation), good chocolate, and fresh flour and nuts.

2. Measure accurately. Baking requires precise measuring with special measuring tools including measuring spoons in 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, and 1 tablespoon increments, dry measuring cups and liquid measuring cups with spouts. Be sure to measure everything carefully, especially flour, which needs to be fluffed up before being spooned into the cup and leveled off.

3. Use the type of fat specified in the recipe. Fats have different melting points which will cause different results, such as more or less cookie spreading as they bake.

4. When room temperature butter is called for, this means butter that is softened to 65 degrees. It should still look and be firm to the touch, not beginning to melt.

5. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. This will produce thicker cookies that cook more evenly and are much less likely to burn on the bottoms.

6. Place cookie dough on cool cookie sheets. If the cookie sheets are warm, the cookie dough will melt and spread too much before the cookies have a chance to bake properly.

7. Bake one sheet at a time. For best results bake only one cookie sheet at a time on an oven rack placed in the center of your oven.

8. Use size pan specified when baking bar cookies and brownies use the pan size specified in the recipe. Otherwise your cookies may end up being too thin and overcooked or too thick and mushy.

9. Place an oven thermometer inside your oven to make sure your oven is at the right temperature before beginning to bake. Adjust your oven temperature as necessary to achieve the correct oven temperature. If your oven temperature is too low your cookies will spread too much and if it is too high they are likely to burn.

10. Keep a close eye on the oven. Cookies bake quickly so check them at the earliest time specified in the recipe and then every minute or so thereafter until they reach desired doneness. Since they will continue to cook for a few minutes once removed from the oven, cookies should be removed when the edges are set but tops still appear a little soft.

Ten Tips For Cookie Baking Success

Martha McKinnon is an avid home cook and cooking instructor who loves sharing everything she has learned through her years in the kitchen with those who are interested.

Her website, http://www.best-ever-cookie-collection.com is dedicated to publishing the best cookie recipes

And her blog, http://www.simple-nourished-living.com explores easy recipes, tips, and hints.

Thanks To : cuisinart multiclad unlimited 4 quart saucepan