|
|
|
|
Bar Cookies
- Use the pan size called for in a recipe. Bar cookies made in a too-large pan will be overbaked; those in a too-small pan will be underbaked.
- No choice about the pans you use? If it's larger than called for, use a shorter bake time. If it's smaller than called for, use a longer bake time and reduce the oven temperature 25°F.
- For easier cutting, cool bars completely and use a plastic knife or table knife.
Drop Cookies
- You may want to use an electric mixer to mix the sugars, fats and liquids together. Air incorporated into the fat acts like a leavening. Then just stir in the dry ingredients by hand. Too much mixing, especially if you have a heavy-duty electric mixer, will make cookies tough.
- Use 2 tableware spoons to drop dough onto a cookie sheet. Scoop dough with 1 spoon, then push onto cookie sheet with the other spoon. Or use a spring-handled ice-cream scoop to drop the dough.
- Drop dough about 2 inches apart (or as directed in the recipe) onto a cookie sheet to prevent cookies from baking together when dough spreads.
Rolled Cookies
- To prevent sticking, dust the rolling surface and rolling pin with flour, or you can use powdered sugar.
- A pastry cloth helps prevent sticking, too. Or you can roll dough between 2 pieces of waxed paper or cooking parchment paper.
- Roll only part of the chilled dough at a time, keeping the remaining dough refrigerated.
- Roll dough to an even thickness by rolling over wooden dowels or rulers.
- Cut cookies with a cutter dipped into flour or powdered sugar-baking cocoa for chocolate doughs--as close together as possible on rolled dough to avoid re-rolling (re-rolled dough will be a little tougher).
- Lift cookies to a cookie sheet with a wide metal spatula that's at least as wide as the cookie so the cookie doesn't lose its shape.
Hand Shaped Cookies
- You may want to use an electric mixer to mix the sugars, fats and liquids together. Air incorporated into the fat acts like a leavening. Then just stir in the dry ingredients by hand. Too much mixing, especially if you have a heavy-duty electric mixer, will make cookies tough.
- If dough is too soft to handle, cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm.
- Cookie dough sticking to your hands? Try this quick trick: Wet your hands with cold water occasionally when shaping cookie dough into balls, and the dough won't stick to your palms.
- For even baking, make sure cookies are the same shape and size.
|
|
|
|
|
