Mixing
- Butter and eggs should be left on the counter to come to room temperature before mixing.
- It's better to have more room when mixing so use a large bowl.
- Butter and sugar should be mixed as long as specified in the recipe. If mixing time isn't specified, mix just until all ingredients are incorporated because over-beating can result in a too-soft mixture and batter that spreads too much during baking.
- Dry ingredients should be sifted and mixed together and then added at low speed in batches, not all at once. If unspecified, stir in dry ingredients in 2 batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.
Scooping or Piping
- Smooth cookie batters (no chunky ingredients like nuts, raisins, dried fruit) can be piped from an icing piping bag with a large nozzle end.
- Instead of a spoon, use a cookie scoop (like a small ice cream scoop) to place batter on the cookie sheet. This way the cookies will all be the same size and should all finish baking at the same time.
Baking
- Aluminum baking sheets/trays with shallow sides are best for heat circulation and cookie browning.
- Baking sheets shouldn't touch oven sides or the door when it's closed.
- When baking 2 trays of cookies at a time, there must be 2 cm of space between the racks and at all sides of the cookie sheets. If you don't have a convection oven you can alternate the position of the trays and rotate the pans half-way through the baking time
- Electric ovens bake best in the lower half, gas ovens in the top half. A convection oven, when working properly, can bake 4 sheets of cookies at a time without alternating shelf positions or rotating cookie sheets. Check your oven manual for instructions.
- Use an oven thermometer to test oven temperature every few months. If the displayed oven temperature is not the same as a reliable oven thermometer displays, adjust the baking temperature for your recipes accordingly. For example, if an oven thermometer consistently shows the oven is actually at 320 degrees F when the oven display reads 350 degrees, I will have to see if setting the oven to 380 degrees gives me an actual 350 degree cooking temperature. Adjustments or repairs to the oven thermostat might be needed.
- Cookie batter should be placed on room-temperature baking sheets. If putting a second batch in the oven, use a different cookie sheet or cool down the first sheet before re-using it, by rinsing the bottom in cold water and drying.
- Greasing baking sheets can usually be skipped if you line them with parchment paper, which does not need to be greased.
- Check cookies by peeking in the oven door while baking. Cookies don't rise much so opening the oven door a crack shouldn't affect results.
- Push a cookie gently with your finger to test if it's finished baking. If a cookie can move on the cookie sheet without breaking, the cookies are done.
- Squares usually look a little soft when finished baking but become firmer as they cool.
- Follow directions and cool the cookies on cooling racks if instructed.
Storing
- Cookies and squares should cool completely before storing.
- Cookies should just fit into the container with minimal air space.
- Don't assemble cookies with cream or jam fillings until serving or they will soften.
- Keep crisp cookies in a separate container from cake, bread or scones or they will absorb moisture and soften.
