Cookie Baking Tips
Cookies are not complicated (at least they shouldn’t be), but here are a few things the pros know about how to bake them better:
1. CHILL OUT
Many cookie dough recipes call for chilling the dough, so it’s important to read the recipe before you begin baking to allow for chill time if needed (NEVER skip this step if it’s called for). Chilling has several benefits: it firms up the dough, which decreases the possibility of over-spreading; it ensures a thicker, more solid cookie, and can even enhance flavor. Even though not technically necessary, I chill my chocolate chip cookie dough because it helps develop a heightened buttery, caramel-y flavor. Cold cookie dough is also easier to handle and shape.
If you chill your dough before scooping or rolling, let it sit out for 5-10 minutes before handling so it’s easier to work with. If you make a dough that calls for rolling into balls, and the dough is super sticky after mixing, chill the dough twice: right after mixing for about 15-20 minutes, roll into balls, then continue chilling for however long the recipe calls for.
2. BE MINDFUL OF TEMPERATURE
Baking/Oven Temp: Unless you have a regularly calibrated oven, your oven’s temperature could be inaccurate (by a little, or a lot). While this might not seem like a big deal, it is a big problem for cookies (over-browning, excess spreading, underbaking in the centers, and/or uneven baking). Purchase an oven thermometer and place it in the center of your oven; they’re inexpensive and irreplaceable in a baker’s kitchen. Keep it in your oven so you always know the actual temperature and can adjust accordingly.
Ingredient Temp: If a cookie recipe calls for room temperature eggs, butter, or any dairy ingredients, make sure you allow time to bring these ingredients to the proper temperature before you begin baking. Room temperature ingredients emulsify much easier, which prevents over-mixing and creates a uniform texture. Butter temperature is crucial—it can make or break your cookies. If your butter is too cold, it’s almost impossible to cream it into a soft consistency necessary for cookie dough. Same goes for eggs—cold eggs will take longer mixing to properly incorporate, which could mean over-mixing your dough. When your eggs are at room temperature, they incorporate into the dough more readily and make it easier to add volume to the dough.
But what exactly is room temperature? In terms of butter, it means it should be cool to the touch and have a slight give (it should leave a slight indent when pressed with a finger). Keep in mind that properly temped butter might be colder than your kitchen. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, remove butter from the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to using, and keep an eye on it. If it becomes too soft, just pop it back in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
3. MEASURE INGREDIENTS PROPERLY
The easiest way to ensure your ingredients are measured properly is to use a scale, but not everyone has a scale (and not all recipes are written in weight). Flour is most crucial. If you under measure your flour, your cookies can spread too much in the oven (because there’s not even flour to absorb all the wet ingredients). If you over-measure, your cookies will be dry and crumbly. If you don’t have a scale, here’s how to measure common baking ingredients:
Flour: Properly measuring flour is crucial, so follow the spoon/level method: use a spoon to lighten the flour in the bag, then scoop the flour into the measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level off the top. Do not pack the flour down and do not tap the measuring cup, as both cause the flour to settle. If your recipe calls for sifted flour, pay attention to the order of the wording: if “sifted” is before the ingredient name, sift first then measure. If “sifted” is after the ingredient name, sift after measuring.
Sugars: Granulated (white) sugar should be measured by scooping the measuring cup or spoon into the container/bag until it is overflowing, then leveling it off with the back of a knife. Brown sugars are almost always listed as packed, so scoop them as you would granulated sugar, then pack into the cup, adding more sugar and packing until it’s level in the cup. Confectioner’s sugar should be measured like flour, but since it’s almost always lumpy, sift it before your scoop and level.
Leavening agents: Before you measure baking powder or soda, shake the container first, then dip your measuring spoon and scoop it up, leveling off the top with the side of the container or a small knife. If you’re not sure how old your leavening agents are, you can test them in a small amount of white vinegar before using. They should bubble and foam when added to the vinegar. One thing to keep in mind—soda and powder are NOT the same and cannot be used interchangeably.
Cocoa Powders: Measure cocoa powders the same as confectioner’s sugar; sift first then measure as you would flour. There are two types of cocoa powders—natural and Dutch process. Natural is just that, natural with nothing added. It’s acidic and bitter, with a very strong and concentrated chocolate flavor, and is most often paired with baking soda because of the way they react with each other. Dutch process cocoa has alkali added to it, which makes it neutral, so it’s almost always paired with baking powder. It is darker in color but less “chocolaty” than natural cocoa powder. If your recipe does not use leavening agents, feel free to use any type of cocoa powder you’d like. Here’s my general rule of thumb for using cocoa powder when leavening agents are added:
· If the recipe calls for ½ cup or less of cocoa powder, use whatever type you’d like, depending on your flavor preference.
· If the recipe calls for more than ½ cup cocoa powder, use whatever type is called for in the recipe.
