Guide for Baking Cookies
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It's easy to get the hang of baking cookies if you start with a decent recipe (there are about a billion good ones out there) and follow a few simple guidelines. Let's go through some of these so you can bake cookies with ease.
If the recipe doesn't specify, use a baking sheet that is non-stick so that you don't lose a bunch of cookie (and make a mess) while trying to get it off the pan after it bakes. Or take a regular aluminum pan and grease it with a no-stick spray. OR if your cookies have a lot of toppings or fillings, like chocolate chips, M&M's, nuts, etc., consider putting parchment paper on top of the pan to keep the toppings from ending up in direct contact with the pan and burning. If you are especially looking to get moist, soft cookies coming out of the oven, you can use brown sugar instead of white sugar, the moisture in brown sugar will make your cookies more moist. Granulated white sugar will result in a cookie that is crispier and thinner. |
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Be careful about how long you bake your cookies, especially if you are going for a softer cookie. As always, the residual heat of the pan will continue to bake things after you pull it out of the oven. Remove your cookies from the oven as soon as the edges start browning.
Also don't be afraid to use milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate for your chocolate chips (if you are using chocolate chips). Milk chocolate will give you an especially creamy (and sweeter) taste than other types of chocolate chips.
Check out the range of baking times that your recipe calls for. If you want a softer cookie, be especially careful to check your cookies as you approach the shorter end of the cooking time range. And believe it or not, a dark pan will bake things faster. If you want to test your cookies press down on them gently with a spoon (or kitchen implement of your choice) - if the cookie is done, it won't deform when you press on it.
If your cookies are really flat, it's possible you let your butter soften too long before adding it to your batter. One option is to put your cookies in the fridge to chill for 10 to 20 minutes - it's a good idea if you want thick cookies, no matter what has happened with the butter.
Let your cookies cool, then eat them or if you're saving for later, put it in a tupperware or other plastic container. You can also freeze and keep your cookies for a couple months. Put them in plastic wrap, then tinfoil, then put in the freezer. If you're going to eat the cookies within 3 or 4 days, you won't need to freeze them. Beyond that, consider freezing.
You can also freeze your cookie dough. The beauty of this method is that you can put your frozen cookie dough on the cookie sheet and bake immediately (without letting it defrost), as long as you've formed it before freezing (for chocolate chip cookies, you'll want to form the cookie dough into balls before freezing).
Also don't be afraid to use milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate for your chocolate chips (if you are using chocolate chips). Milk chocolate will give you an especially creamy (and sweeter) taste than other types of chocolate chips.
Check out the range of baking times that your recipe calls for. If you want a softer cookie, be especially careful to check your cookies as you approach the shorter end of the cooking time range. And believe it or not, a dark pan will bake things faster. If you want to test your cookies press down on them gently with a spoon (or kitchen implement of your choice) - if the cookie is done, it won't deform when you press on it.
If your cookies are really flat, it's possible you let your butter soften too long before adding it to your batter. One option is to put your cookies in the fridge to chill for 10 to 20 minutes - it's a good idea if you want thick cookies, no matter what has happened with the butter.
Let your cookies cool, then eat them or if you're saving for later, put it in a tupperware or other plastic container. You can also freeze and keep your cookies for a couple months. Put them in plastic wrap, then tinfoil, then put in the freezer. If you're going to eat the cookies within 3 or 4 days, you won't need to freeze them. Beyond that, consider freezing.
You can also freeze your cookie dough. The beauty of this method is that you can put your frozen cookie dough on the cookie sheet and bake immediately (without letting it defrost), as long as you've formed it before freezing (for chocolate chip cookies, you'll want to form the cookie dough into balls before freezing).