Solutions To Make Peifect Holiday Cookies
An infinite variety of cookie
recipes are made during the holi
days. Some cookies are soft,
some are crisp, some spread dur
ing baking and some hold then
shape. In order to produce the
characteristics we want and cor
rect faults, it is useful to know
what causes these characteristics.
Crispness
Cookies are crisp if they are
very low in moisture.
The following factors will con
tribute to crispness:
1. Low proportion of liquid in
the mix. Most crisp cookies are
made from still dough.
2. High sugar and fat content.
3. Evaporation of moisture
during baking due to high tem
perature and/or long baking.
4. Small size or thin shape, so
the cookie dries faster during
baking.
5. Proper storage. Crisp cook
ies can become soft if they absorb
moisture.
Softness
Softness is - the opposite of
crispness, so it has the opposite
causes, as follows:
1. High proportion of liquid in
mix.
2. Low sugar and fat.
3. Honey, molasses, or corn
syrup included in formulas.
These sugars are hygroscopic,
which means they readily absorb
moisture from the air or from
their surroundings.
4. Underbaking.
5. Large size or thick shapes,
retains moisture.
6. Proper storage. Soft cookies speed. For light cookies, cream
can become stale and dry if not until the mix is light and fluffy,
tightly covered or wrapped. to incorporate more air for
.. Chewiness leavening. For a dense, chewier
jj^istureis necessary for che-. cookie, ■cream only slightly,
wmess, biitnther factbris are also*' the eggs and liquid and
required. In other words, all blend in at low speed.
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chewy cookies are soft, but not
all soft cookies are chewy.
1. High sugar and liquid con
tent, but low fat content.
2. High proportion of eggs.
3. Strong flours or gluten de
veloped during mixing.
Spread
Spread is desirable in some
cookies, while others must hold
their shape. Several factors con
tribute to spread or lack of
spread.
1. Sugar: High sugar content
increases spread. Coarse granu
lated sugar increases spread,
while fine sugar or confectioners’
sugar reduces spread.
2. Leavening: High baking
soda or baking powder content
encourages spread.
3. Temperature: Low oven
temperature increases spread.
High temperature increases
spread. High temperature de
creases spread because the cookie
sets up before it has a chance to
spread too much.
4. Liquid: A slack batter
that is, one with a high liquid
content spreads more than
stiff dough.
5. Flour: Strong flour or acti
vation of gluten decreases
spread.
6. Pan grease: Cookies spread
more if baked on a heavily greas
ed pan.
Mixing Method
1. Measure ingredients accu
rately. Have all ingredients at
room temperature.
2. Place the fat, sugar, salt,
and spices in the mixing bowl.
Cream these ingredients at low
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4. Sift in the flour and leaven
ing. Mix until just combined.
Some recipes require that the liq
uid and flour be added in steps in
order to blend uniformly.
Dropped Cookies
Dropped cookies are made
from a soft dough. They are fast
and easy to make up.
1. Make all cookies of uniform
size and thickness.
2. Drop the cookies onto the
prepared baking sheets. Allow
enough space between cookies
for spreading.
3. Rich cookies will spread by
themselves. If the formula re
quires it, flatten the mounds of
batter slightly with a weight
dipped in sugar.
Bagged Cookies
Bagged or pressed cookies are
also made from soft dough. The
dough must be soft enough to be
forced through a pastry bag, but
stiff enough to hold its shape.
1. Fit a pastry bag with a tip of
desired size and shape. Fill the
bag with the cookie dough.
2. Press out cookies of desired
shape and size directly onto pre
pared cookie sheets.
Rolled Cookies
Cookies rolled and cut from a
stiff dough. Leftover scraps when
re-rolled make inferior, tough
cookies.
1. Chill dough thoroughly.
2. Roll dough out Mi-inch thick
on floured canvas. Use as little
flour as possible for dusting, to
prevent tough cookies.
3. Cut out cookies with cookie
cutters and place on prepared
baking sheets. Cut as close to
gether as possible to reduce the
quantity of scraps.
Molded Balled
Icebox Cookies
These cookies are called mold
ed because they are sometimes
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vidual portions of dough may be
rolled into balls by hand. The
dough may also be rolled into
cylinders in waxed paper and re
frigerated until ready to bake
hence the name icebox cookies.
1. Roll the dough out into long
cylinders about one-inch thick,
or whatever size is required. (Re
frigerate the dough if it is too soft
to handle or if being stored for
future use.)
2. With a knife cut the roll into
pieces as recipe states.
3. Place the pieces on prepared
baking sheets, leaving two-inches
of spaces between each.
4. Flatten cookies with a
weight (such as a glass) dipped
in granulated sugar or flatten
with a fork.
Sheet Cookies (often referred
to as bar cookies)
Sheet cookies vary so much
that it is nearly impossible to give
a single procedure for all of
them. Some of them are almost
like sheet cakes, only denser and
richer. They may even be iced
like sheet cakes. Others consist of
two or three layers added and
baked in separate stages. The fol
lowing procedure is only a gener
al guideline.
I. Spread cookie mixture into
prepared sheet pans. Make sure
the thickness is even.
2. If required, add topping or
brush with an egg wash.
3. Bake as directed. Cool.
4. Cut into individual squares
or rectangles.
1. Use clean, unwarped pans.
Place dough on a cool cookie
sheet.
2. Lining the sheets with
parchment or nonstick sheets is
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Preparing The Pans
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fast, and it eliminates the neces
sity of greasing the pans.
3. A heavily greasld pan in
creases the spread of the cookie.
A greased and floured pan de
creased spread.
4. Some high-fat cookies can
be baked on ungreased pans.
Baking
1. Most cookies are baked at a
relatively high temperature for a
short time. Preheat the oven.
2. Too low a temperature in
creases spreading and may pro
duce hard, dry, pale cookies.
3. Too high a temperature de
creases spreading and may burn
the edges or bottoms.
4. Even a minute of overbak
ing can burn cookies, so watch
them closely. Also, the heat of
the pan continues to bake the
cookies even after they are re
moved from the oven.
Cooling
1. Remove cookies from pans
while they are still warm, or they
may stick.
2. If cookies are very soft, do
not remove from pans until they
are cool enough and firm enough
to handle. Cookies may be soft
when hot but become crisp when
cool.
3. Do not cool too rapidly or in
cold drafts, or cookies may
crack.
Storing
1. Cool completely before stor
ing.
2. Store each type of cookie
separately.
3. Freeze cookies up to nine-12
months in a foil-lined container
separating each layer with plastic
wrap. Tightly seal container,
label and freeze. Thaw cookies in
refrigerator or at room tempera
ture.
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t #.