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All About Cookies

Source of Recipe

Stephanie Jaworski


Recipe Introduction

DID YOU KNOW that "cookie" comes from the Dutch word "koekje or koekie" and refers to a small cake. 'Cookies' in North America are defined as small, sweet, flat or slightly raised baked goods. In the U.K. they are called biscuits; in Spain they are called galletas; in Germany they are called kels; and in Italy they are called biscotti. Every country has its favorite. In the United States and Canada it is chocolate chip, in the U.K. its shortbread, in France its sablés and macaroons, and in Italy biscotti.Cookies are one of the fastest and easiest things to make. Generally they are a simple combination of all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, granulated and/or brown sugar, large eggs, baking powder/soda and flavorings. They come in many different shapes, sizes, textures and flavors.

List of Ingredients


CLASSIFICATIONS:

Bar - a soft batter is spread evenly into a shallow pan, baked, and cut into individual bars or pieces.

Drop - a firm batter is "dropped" onto a baking sheet using a spoon or ice cream scoop. Each cookie should be of equal size and spaced evenly on baking sheet.

Molded or Hand-Formed - a firm batter is shaped into balls, logs, etc. or pressed into a mold. The cookies are then placed on a baking sheet and baked.

Piped or Pressed - batter is either put in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip or placed into a cookie press. The batter is then piped onto a baking sheet or pushed through the cookie press into fancy shapes and baked.

Refrigerator or Icebox - batter is shaped into a log, refrigerated until firm, evenly sliced into rounds, placed on a baking sheet and baked.

Rolled - a firm batter is rolled into a thin layer, shapes are then cut out using a cookie cutter, cookies are placed on a baking sheet and baked.

METHODS USED FOR MIXING BATTER:

Creaming - The fat and sugar are placed into a mixing bowl and creamed together. The eggs and any liquid are added. Finally, the flour and leavening agent are added and mixed just until combined.

One-Stage - All the ingredients are placed into a mixing bowl and blended together until a smooth batter is formed.

COMMON PROBLEMS:

If cookies brown too quickly - check to see if your oven is calibrated properly and not reading too high. You can do this with a free standing oven thermometer. Another reason for over-browning is from using dark-colored baking pans or sheets which promote browning. Either reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees F (15 degrees C) or use aluminum pans or sheets.

If cookies brown too quickly on bottoms - the same reasons as above but also your oven rack may be too low or the batter has too much sugar in it.

If cookies brown too quickly on top and the bottoms are not cooked enough - the oven rack may be too high, the temperature is too high, or you are using dark-colored baking pans or sheets.

If cookies spread too much - dough may be too soft. This is remedied by placing the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up. Also, never place cookies on a warm baking sheet as the batter will start to soften and spread even before you place them in the oven. Cookies can also spread too much if placed on a greased baking sheet, when the recipe states using an ungreased baking sheet. Cookies made with butter have the tendency to spread more than cookies made with shortening.

If cookies are too dry and hard - it may simply be that the cookies were over baked. Also, if the oven was not hot enough, they will take too long to bake and this causes them to dry out. The batter could contain too much flour or not enough egg or liquid.





Recipe

Bakers usually classify cookies by the way they are made. Drop cookies, such as oatmeal and chocolate chip, are made from soft, thick dough that is dropped onto a pan with a spoon or a scoop.

Sugar and shortbread are two examples of cookies made from dough that is stiff enough to roll out and cut with a cookie cutter.

Icebox cookies, such as checkerboards, are made from dough that is shaped into rectangular or cylindrical blocks and then refrigerated. You can pull the dough from the refrigerator, slice, and bake it at a moment's notice. The dough for bar cookies, such as spice bars, is shaped into logs that are flattened on a pan and baked. After cooling, you cut them diagonally into thin, chewy bars.

Sheet cookies are baked in a thin layer and can be either cake-like or chewy brownies and blondies are just two examples. Regardless of the type, make cookies uniform in size and carefully space them to ensure even baking.

Remember, cookies bake for just a short time, and will continue to bake after you pull them from the oven. Watch them carefully and remove them about a minute before they are completely done.

----From the Cooking Information Center: The Bake Shop---

Bar Cookies:
Be sure to use the right sized pan. If it is too large, the cookies will be thin and overbaked.
If the pan is too small, the cookies will be thick and underbaked.

Bar cookies are done when the edges begin to appear dry and pull away from the pan, and
when a slight impression remains when lightly touched. Also, a toothpick inserted near the
center of cookies that are cake-like will come out clean when baking time is complete.

Some bar cookies need to be cut while they are still warm, others need to be completely cooled before cutting. To get perfect-looking bar cookies, follow your recipe for cooling and cutting instructions.

When making cookies that are cooled in the pan before cutting, line the baking pan with foil
to make cookie-cutting easier and reduce cleanup. If recipe directions include greasing the
pan, be sure to grease the foil. After baking and cooling, transfer the cookies to a cutting
board using the foil. Cut nice even bars without the pan getting in the way.

Dip knife in warm water between each cut.


Cut-Out Cookies:
To make rolling out the dough easy, work with small amounts at a time and keep the rest of
the dough refrigerated until ready to use.

To keep the cookie dough from sticking to the counter when you are rolling it out, lightly
sprinkle the surface with flour.

To avoid having the dough stick to the cookie cutter, dip the cutter in flour before each cut
is made.

To get the most cookies out of each portion of dough, cut cookies as close together as
possible.

Gently press dough scraps together. Avoid overhandling or dough will become tough.
Reroll the dough on a lightly floured surface and cut.

Cut-out cookies are done when the edges are firm and the bottoms are very lightly browned.


Drop Cookies:

Cooling the cookie sheet between batches, or changing it out to an already cooled one,
will keep drop cookie dough from flattening too much during baking. Don't run the cookie
sheet under cold water or you will warp your pan.

Drop cookies are done when a slight impression remains when cookies are lightly touched
with a fingertip, or .when the edges and bottoms are only lightly browned.


Sandwich Cookies:
Place filling on the bottom of one side of cookie and place the bottom side of the second
cookie on top.


Shaped Cookies:
Some cookies made from batters are shaped by rolling the very thin baked cookie around
a wooden dowel or the handle of a wooden spoon. This needs to be done while the cookies
are still warm and flexible. If the cookies become cool and brittle before they are rolled,
soften briefly by reheating them in the oven, or for only a couple of seconds in the microwave.

Shaped cookies are done when the edges and bottoms are lightly browned.




Sliced Cookies:
Finely chop nuts or fruit that you add to the dough for easy slicing.

For clean slices, cut the chilled roll of dough with a thin, sharp knife, clean the knife
occasionally during slicing or dip the knife in warm water before making each slice.

To get nice round slices, occasionally turn the roll of dough while you slice it. This prevents flattening on one side of the roll.

Sliced cookies are done when the edges are firm and the bottoms are lightly browned.