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Baking Cookies
The information below covers many of the basic features about making cookies. Whether you bake
from scratch or use mixes or frozen dough, the basic information below will help you do it
better.
Mixing cookies:
Mixing cookies has come a long way since the days of a big mixing bowl and a wooden spoon.
Proper preparation will make the mixing process go smoothly and quickly.
*
Check your recipe and assemble all the ingredients you will need. Crack eggs or weigh them
before you do anything else. Mix dry milk with water and have it ready. Chop nuts if needed
and measure or weigh them. Make sure you have enough of each ingredient before you start mixing.
The mixing process should flow from from one stage to the next to finish without interruption.
Many scratch made cookies have the same basic mixing instructions.
Cream the sugar and shortening together well.
Add the eggs and/or other liquid. Then scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
Mix the eggs in slightly.
Add the dry ingredients, nuts, chips and the extracts (flavors)
Mix to incorporate thoroughly. Do not over mix the dough.
The tips below will help you make a variety of cookies:
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When your cookie dough mixture is dry, add an egg yolk instead of water. Water makes a dough
tough. The fat content of an egg yolk will keep the dough tender and its emulsifying action
will help keep it moist after baking.
*
When using a package mix, follow the directions on the package and if the cookies come out
perfect continue to do so. However, since your kitchen environment is unique you may need to
make changes in your mixing times, baking times or oven temperature. Directions are used as a
starting place to doing things correctly and sometimes must be changed to make cookies the way
you like them.
*
Crumbly cookies may be caused by over mixing the batter. Cream the shortening and sugar
together, add liquids and then carefully mix in flour, fruit, chips and nut−meats. Over mixing
the flour will cause crumbly cookies. Care should also be taken to use only cool liquids.
Mixing generates heat from bowl friction. Heat may melt the shortening and most certainly will
cause the baking powder or baking soda to begin its chemical action.
*
Dry, hard cookies are caused by over mixing the batter, over baking, dry fruit/coconut, too
much water or a lack of fat. Excessive salt can also cause your cookies to be hard.
*
Duplication of other people's baking is very difficult. Invariably they do things to the
recipe that is not written down. A little extra vanilla, or even a change in mixing time will
make a noticeable difference in the finished cookie. Also, their oven will always have
different baking characteristics than yours. You must first pinpoint the differences between
your cookies and theirs. Then you must make the changes in the recipe to offset the difference.
You must determine by crust color, taste or texture where theirs is different. Crust color
being lighter or darker will usually mean a difference in oven temperature or baking time.
Baking Cookies
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