The Essential Guide To Baking

them longer than storing in the refrigerator, but it's best to use them quickly.

PROBLEM: I got a little water in my chocolate while it was melting. Now my chocolate is full

of lumps, must I throw it away?

No. Stir in one teaspoon of vegetable oil for each ounce of chocolate. This trick may save

your chocolate when there is not a lot of moisture in it. Be very careful and avoid getting

any moisture in your melting chocolate.

PROBLEM: I tried to melt chocolate morsels in my microwave and they won't melt. I have a

lumpy mess. What can I do?

Some brands of chocolate morsels are not pure chocolate. They won't melt well.

Sometime the chocolate morsels are dried out, old or have gathered moisture from being stored

in your refrigerator. They won't melt well. Pure chocolate morsels (that are fresh) should melt

well in your microwave.

Try adding a teaspoon of oil for each ounce of chocolate. Adding oil may work, but since

chocolate morsels can vary somewhat in composition, it may not work. Read the label and buy

only pure chocolate morsels.

Tips on specific cookies:

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Chocolate chip cookies are probably the most popular of all cookies. Here are some tips to make

them your favorite.

Always add the chocolate morsels last to the mix. It's best when they are very cold. Just

barely stir the morsels in −− don't over mix.

Cream the shortening and sugar well. All the rest of the ingredients can be just mixed in,

but proper creaming of the shortening and sugar is important.

Make sure that your baking pans are cool between cookie batches.

Substitute cherry flavored morsels for 1/2 of the chocolate morsels for a new taste treat.

Drop your cookies extra thick (use an ice cream scoop), flatten the top a little, then place

the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for twenty minutes. Take the sheet from the refrigerator

and bake at 375 degrees until the cookie's edges are slightly brown and you will have a soft

centered delight.

SUGAR COOKIES, LEMON SUGAR COOKIES:

Sugar cookies are really an old fashion treat that is never out of style.

Bake your sugar cookies until they are barely brown around the edges. They will finish baking

after they are removed from the oven.

Cream your sugar and shortening thoroughly. All the rest of your ingredients should be just

mixed in, but good creaming of the sugar and shortening is very important.

Add lemon zest and substitute a little lemon juice for part of the water, plus a few drops

of yellow food color will give you an excellent lemon sugar cookie.

Baking Cookies