I love baking cookies from scratch so I made it a tradition to bake cookies every Christmas when I was young. That lasted until I moved away from home into my own apartment and then I discovered frozen cookie dough. Yes it is yummy, but nothing beats a cookie made the old fashion way. Fresh hot with prime ingredients that you put in with your own two hands will always win me over. As a matter of fact my husband proposed to me while I was baking cookies. I guess that means that I am so good at baking cookies my skills can help you find a mate too. Anyway, here are 6 cookie baking secrets and tips that you should keep in mind when baking those delicious morsels.
1) Get the real deal
I know that everyone wants to do what they can to lose a few pounds by eating healthier and low fat this and that, but a cookie requires real butter, real sugar, and real flavorings. If you want your cookie to taste the very best do not use artificial flavorings, shortening, or low fat anything. Be real or stay home.
2) Give the dough a break
Fresh cookie dough is much more manageable if you allow it to chill in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. I like to make my cookie dough, roll it into two long cylinders, and place it in the freezer covered in plastic wrap. I then clean up my mess while they chill and get my pans ready for baking.
3) The pan makes a difference
Cookies seem to bake better on a light colored pan such as aluminum. The darker pans may cause the cookies to cook quicker on the bottom before they are done on top which may result in burned bottoms.
4) Wax paper
Some people call it parchment paper but my grandma called it wax paper and she used this in the bottom of her cake pans and the cakes turn out wonderfully. If you put wax paper at the bottom of your pans instead of greasing them your cookies will have a more even browning on the bottom, with less mess.
5) Save some for later
When I bake cookies, I always have left over dough that I save for later. Sometimes a few cookies are all I want and my dough will last me for months if I freeze it. Place the dough in a freezer safe container and it will be there when you are ready for more.
6) Take your time
Don’t fill the stove with two or more pans of cookies at a time. Only cook one pan at a time on the center rack and your cookies will come out perfectly everytime.
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