How to Bake Cookies

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Whether you call them cookies or biscuits, everyone loves them just the same. Cookies come in thousands of shapes, sizes, and flavors, and they're relatively easy to make. While some cookies don't need baking, the ones that do offer more flexibility in terms of crispiness or chewiness. You just need to know how to tweak the ingredients and baking techniques for the desired effect! This article will offer good general instructions for baking cookies; see the related wikiHows section for links to cookie recipes.

Steps

Measure carefully. This is the golden rule of cookie baking. Follow the recipe to the tee (you can always experiment with later batches, testing how alterations affect the final product) and take the time to learn how to use measuring spoons and cups properly.
Check the baking soda or baking powder carefully. Using inactive baking soda or powder can ruin a batch of cookies. Test baking soda by adding a little bit of vinegar, or baking powder by adding it to hot water--if the mixture doesn't bubble, throw it out and purchase fresh.[1]
Add a little extra baking soda for thinner, crisper cookies. Adding .25 to .5 ounce (5 to 15 grams) per 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of cookie dough will increase the pH of the dough, which weakens the structure and lets the dough spread more easily while it's baking. But be careful because adding too much baking soda can increase browning, leave a salty-chemical off flavor, and make the eggs in the mixture turn grayish-green![2]
Use coarser sugar for thicker, chewier cookies. When sugar dissolves, it acts as a tenderizer that interferes with dough structure. This increases spreading in much the same way as baking soda does as described in the previous step because finer sugar dissolves more easily than coarser sugar. So if you want your cookies to remain thick and chewy, use coarse sugar (or use fine sugar for the opposite effect). If you decide to use powdered sugar for extra crispiness, make sure it doesn't have corn starch in it, or you'll get unexpected results.[3]
Mix the dry ingredients first. This is especially important with the baking soda or baking powder to ensure that it's evenly distributed and make sure that you don't end up with big holes in your cookies.[4] Also, since baking powder is activated by water, you want to wait until the last minute before mixing the wet ingredients so that the baking powder doesn't "run out of juice" too early on in the process.[5]
Mix the wet ingredients briefly. You only want to mix just enough so that the ingredients are moistened. Over-mixing will allow too many of the gas bubbles from the baking soda or powder reactions to escape, while also developing the gluten in the flour, resulting in dense, tough cookies.[6]
- Use butter that's at room temperature. Cold butter is stiffer and will require more mixing, which can negatively impact the texture of your cookies. The butter is softened enough when it gives slightly when pressed but still holds its shape, and it blends with little resistance (no cracking or breaking).[7]
Put the cookies on a room temperature or cool cookie sheet. Using a hot baking sheet will cause the dough to start to melt prematurely. Grease the cookie sheet with vegetable shortening or unsalted butter--don't use vegetable oil because it'll burn between the cookies, and that's not a pleasure to clean. Some cookie dough recipes, however, have a lot of shortening or butter in it already and may not need to have the cookie sheet greased at all.[8]
Check the cookies. A time range is often given in a recipe, so once you reach the short end of the range, stick a toothpick right in the center of a cookie, and pull it out quickly. If little or no cookie sticks to the toothpick, they are done. Depending on amount of cookie left on toothpick, adjust cooking time accordingly.
Allow cookies to cool after removing from the oven. It is best to either let the cookies cool on the sheet, or to move them to a cooling rack. If you do not have a cooling rack, just turn a large plate upside down, and place the rack on top until it cools. Once the cookies have cooled slightly, remove them from cookie sheet to prevent them from sticking and breaking later.

Video

Tips

Flouring the cookie sheet after it's been greased can minimize spreading (i.e. a potential solution to cookies that are too thin) and prevent chocolate chips in the dough from sticking to the cookie sheet.[9]
Preheat your oven BEFORE mixing ingredients.
After the baking is finished and the oven has been shut off, keep the oven door slightly ajar to cool off the oven faster. However, if your oven has plastic knobs, check that the heat escaping will not melt the knobs.
Use vanilla sugar for baking for added richness of flavour. Put a vanilla bean in a canister of sugar for two weeks before using. This imbues the sugar with vanilla and enhances cakes, cookies, and even sweetbreads.
Use parchment paper or a reusable Silpat baking mat (more eco-friendly) on your cookie sheet instead of greasing/flouring for easier cleanup and more even baking.

Warnings

Don't under-bake cookies, because that can taste too doughy, there is increased risk from under cooked ingredients (e.g. eggs), and may possibly lead to a stomach ache.
Do not keep opening the oven door to check on the cookies. Each time you open it, the oven cools off.
Make sure you do not put anything that might burn on top of the stove. You can start a fire.

Things You'll Need