Baking Tips for Cookies
Source of Recipe
Aunt Saunny
Cookies
Helpful Hints for Perfect Shortbread
Shortbread is so easy to make, and so utterly delicious. The
simplicity of the butter, sugar, flour recipe can't, in my opinion,
be beat. To make yours come out perfectly every time, there are just
a few simple directives to follow:
Bake your shortbread in the top third of your oven. This way you
won't get too much bottom heat that will cause the bottom of the
shortbread to overcook before the top is done.
To make sure that your shortbread releases from the pan cleanly, be
sure it is completely cooked in the middle before you remove the pan
from the oven. Directions for shortbread baked on a cookie sheet
often tell you to cook the shortbread only until the top of the
cookies just barely begin to color. This is not the case with
shortbread made in one of the Brown Bag Cookie Art Shortbread Pans.
Since you will be cooking your shortbread in the top third of the
oven, you will get some top browning as the cookie bakes. The
surface of the shortbread should be a toasty light brown when it is
cooked. It should never appear raw or slightly opaque in the middle.
If it is under-baked in the middle, it will probably stick in the
pan when you go to unmold it.
Be sure to let the shortbread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before
you flip the pan over to unmold it. This gives the delicate cookie a
chance to firm up a bit. After cooling for 10 minutes, hold the pan
parallel to and 1" above a wooden or plastic cutting board, face
down, and unceremoniously drop it. This jars the shortbread, and it
drops right out of the pan.
Slice the shortbread into serving pieces using a thin, sharp knife,
while it is still hot. If you wait until it cools, it will become
flakey and too fragile to cut cleanly.
SECRET Tips for Successful Cookies
Making the perfect cookie involves more than just having the perfect
recipe. You need to know the secrets to having your cookies turn out
perfect every time.
* * *
While you don't have to follow a recipe exactly, neglecting some
important details can make a finished product less than desired.
In her book Cookies and Brownies (1999, Warner Book, A Time Warner
Company, New York) Alice Medrich states that "inaccurate
measurements do not always spoil the cookies." You can toss in extra
raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, or even vanilla. You can
substitute dried fruits for nuts or vice versa and experiment with
extracts and flavors. But if your flour measurement is inaccurate,
your cookies may be tough, dry, doughy, or leaden.
Always measure the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and especially
flour accurately. Before measuring the flour, stir it with a spoon
if it is compacted. Then lightly spoon flour into your measuring cup
until it is heaped above the rim. Do NOT shake or tap the cup to
settle the flour, or you will have more flour than you need. Slide a
spatula or knife across the top to level.
When measuring liquid ingredients, use a clear plastic or glass
container with lines up the sides. Set the container on the counter
and pour the liquid up to the appropriate mark. Lower your head to
read the measurement at eye level.
When you mix the flour to the moist ingredients, stir just until
blended. Be careful not to over mix or beat your cookie dough,
unless you like tough cookies! One helpful hint is to mix the dry
ingredients thoroughly first. You want the dry ingredients to be
fluffed up rather than compacted so it blends easily with the dough.
You can use a wire whisk to mix the dry ingredients.
Another helpful hint in making any recipe is to get the necessary
ingredients ready in advance. Some ingredients, such as butter, may
need to be at room temperature. If you're mixing with an electric
mixer, use butter at room temperature, but if you're mixing by hand,
you will want to soften the butter to the consistency of mayonnaise.
(You can soften the butter in the microwave at 30 percent power for
a few seconds at a time.)
When baking cookies, choose light-colored, dull-finished, heavy-
gauge cookie sheets. Old cookie sheets that are dark can make the
bottom of the cookies overly brown. Shiny sheets work best for
cookies that should not brown too much on the bottom. Do not use
insulated sheets for cookies high in butter, shaped cookies, and
some drop cookies. The butter may start to melt and leak out before
the dough sets. If this happens, the cookies may have thin edges.
Non-stick cookie sheets are easier to clean and help ensure even
baking; however, the dough may not spread as much and you may end up
with a thicker cookie. On the other hand, rich cookies can spread if
baked on a greased sheet. Note the directions in the recipe, and
only grease the cookie sheets if specified. When you do grease a
pan, use a light coating or your cookies can flatten or spread too
much. (If you'd rather not grease, you can line the pan with
parchment paper or use a Silpat Liner.)
Except for bar cookies, don't use cookie sheets with high sides
which can deflect heat and also make it difficult for you to remove
your cookies. Your sheets should be two inches narrower and shorter
than the oven to allow for even baking. If you don't have enough
cookie sheets, you can invert a jelly roll pan or use heavy duty
foil. Put the foil on the cookie sheet as it comes out of the oven
and bake immediately.
For any dough that needs to be rolled out, refrigerate the dough for
a couple hours (or overnight). Use a rolling pin and lightly flour
your work surface. If you use too much flour, the dough will absorb
it and become tough and dry. You can also roll the dough between
sheets of wax paper (or a cut-apart plastic bag). Since the dough
softens quickly, only work with part at a time. Keep the rest cooled
until ready to use. The thinner the dough, the crispier the cookie.
If you're cutting out cookie designs, dip your cookie cutters in
flour to prevent sticking or tearing of the cookies. Cut the cookie
shapes as close as possible to lessen scraps. Save the scraps until
the end. Press together gently and roll. (Don't handle the scraps
too much or they will become tough.)
When making sliced cookies, finely chop any nuts or fruit that you
add to the dough to make it easier to slice. Chill the dough and cut
with a think sharp knife. Wipe the knife occasionally with a clean
paper towel. Occasionally turn the roll of dough while you slice it
to get nice round slices.
For drop cookies, make your cookies about the same size so they bake
evenly. A cookie scoop helps form equal-size lumps. Space all
cookies evenly and leave enough space between each cookie to allow
for spreading while baking.
Preheat the oven which takes about fifteen to twenty minutes,
depending on your oven. Use the upper and lower thirds of the oven,
reversing sheets from upper to lower and front to back about halfway
through the baking period to ensure even baking. If you use only one
sheet, position the rack in the center, and change from back to
front halfway through the baking cycle.
Always cool the pan before baking another batch. A warm pan causes
the dough to melt which can cause overspreading, deformed cookies,
or altered baking times. If you place cookies on parchment paper of
foil pan liner, you may slide the cookies onto the warm cookie
sheet, as long as you place it directly in the oven. (Baking times
may be a bit shorter.)
To check cookies for doneness, press down lightly in the middle to
see if it bounces back. Bake sliced cookies until the edges are firm
and the bottoms are just lightly browned. Generally, cookies are
done when the edges begin to brown, or when they are golden. Every
pan bakes differently, depending on the material, thickness, weight,
and surface reflection.
To fine-tune the baking of cookies, test bake a couple cookies. If
your cookies spread too much (and you didn't over grease the pan),
then you may need to add a tablespoon or two of flour. If you're not
certain of the time for baking, you can test bake four cookies, and
remove two of them a minute or two earlier than the others. Let them
cool before tasting them.
Place cookies on wire racks to cool evenly, so the bottoms don't get
soggy. You can transfer some cookies immediately to the wire racks,
while others need a couple minutes to cool. If the cookie bends or
breaks when transferring, wait another minute before trying.
Thoroughly cool cookies before storing them to prevent them from
become soggy. Store cookies in air-tight containers such as tins,
cookie jars with tight-fitting lids or zipper-type bags. Clear
plastic containers are the best since the plastic preserves
freshness, and the clarity lets you see what's inside. For delicate
or frosted cookies, use a wide container and put parchment paper
between the layers. Separate the hard and soft cookies and cookies
with different flavors. If you store them together, the soft cookies
will cause the crisp ones to go limp, and the flavors often mix.
|
|
member logon
