Baking cookies is fun; it’s a sweet pleasure and quite satisfying for some people. So, why don’t more people bake the cookies themselves?
Maybe lack of time, perhaps they have tried baking before with less-than-stellar results, maybe they find baking a big hassle, or perhaps they don’t know how to do it properly. If you’re one of them, the following are some simple tips for baking cookies the right way; you can achieve delicious results in no time!
Tip 1: Read the recipe
Before you begin, read the cookie recipe from beginning to end to determine how much time you'll need and what steps you'll need to take while baking. Before mixing, you may need to soften the butter or bring the eggs to room temperature.
The recipe also specifies what ingredients and equipment you'll need. Nobody wishes to make a last-minute trip to the grocery store while baking cookies. Before you begin, you must retrieve the 13 x 9 pan you lent to your neighbor.
Tip 2: Measuring correctly
When it comes to making cookies, the most common error is mismeasurement. To measure water, milk, or oil, use clear liquid measuring cups, place the cup on a flat surface, and examine the measurement at eye level.
For dry ingredients (flour, sugar, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda), use dry measuring cups and measuring spoons, always leveling off components with a straight-edge instrument before adding them to your dough.
Tip 3: Handle the dough well
Add the ingredients in a specific sequence listed in the recipe, and avoid the number one no-no in preparing cookie dough: overbeating. Overbeating the dough of the cookie, whether creaming butter and sugar together (which creates air pockets) or when adding flour (that activates gluten, creating air and volume), causes cookies to fall flat and become too tough.
Tip 4: Keep a check on the oven
As you prepare the cookies, make sure to preheat the oven. The outcome is affected by placing cookie dough in a cold oven. Before making cookies, check the temperature of your oven with an oven thermometer.
However, don't just put the batch in the oven and forget about it. Most cookie recipes specify a baking time frame ("Bake for 10-12 minutes"). To avoid overbaking your cookies, keep an eye on them for the specified amount of time so they won’t get overbaked.