We can all agree that cookies are among the best dessert options ever! They are simple to bake at home, and a warm batch of cookies can make anyone smile.
Following a few simple tips, you can make delicious cookies at home even if you aren’t a professional baker. Making cookies is very simple, but there are certain things to remember while baking cookies to ensure their taste is good.
Various types of cookies are available for you to try, each demanding a different preparation and cooking technique. If you want to learn the best tips for baking perfect cookies every time, read on…
Helpful Tips for Baking Perfect Cookies Every Time
1. You should chill the cookie dough
You should chill the cookie dough before baking cookies for several reasons. It improves the cookie texture and makes them easier to shape and bake.
Cooling the dough also helps concentrate the flavours better, allowing the cookies to taste amazing. If the recipe you are following suggests chilling the dough, you should definitely chill the dough! It also helps to stop the cookies spreading and becoming one giant cookie mass when baking.
2. Follow the recipe well and measure carefully
When making cookies, it is essential to look up a proper recipe and follow it as closely as possible. Adding a little here and a little there might mean you completely ruin the batch of cookies.
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I suggest using kitchen weighing scales to correctly measure everything you put in the batter. Getting the measurements of the ingredients right is the first step to ensuring the cookies bake properly and taste amazing. So keep this in mind when you bake your next batch of homemade cookies.
3. Prepare the cookies by shaping them
After preparing the dough, it is the right time to shape your cookies so you can put them into the oven. I recommend using an ice-cream scooper to scoop the dough, so all cookies are similar in size and therefore bake evenly.
If you don’t have an ice cream scoop, you can use spoons. Some cookie recipes call for rolling cookie dough and cutting shapes, eg Simple Sugar Cookies Recipe or Cranberry White Chocolate Shortbread. You can shape them by hand (roll them into equal size balls if the dough is firm enough) or use cookie cutters if you want. You can also roll the dough into a log and cut it into even pieces.
Evenly shaped cookies also help ensure they bake the same and get enough time in the oven.
4. Ensure that the oven temperature is right!
A thing to learn when baking cookies is that temperature can easily make or break the recipe. When you’re baking a batch of cookies, getting the temperature right is a must!
Follow the recipe guidelines for setting your oven temperature. Every oven is different, so you may find an oven thermometer to be useful. Place the thermometer on the shelf you’re baking your cookies on to get an accurate reading. Allow your oven to preheat and get to the correct baking temperature before you put the cookies in.
5. Cookies need space to bake well
If you have a lot of cookies to bake, you should bake them in batches because they need some space to expand once they start baking. You don’t want them to rise too much, or spread too much, and ruin other cookies on the baking tray, so watch out for that.
If you’re busy it can be tempting to try and fit as many cookies on a sheet as you can, but I’d really advise against this. They’ll spread when baking and you’ll end up with with a huge cookie mass rather than lovely individual cookies.
6. Choose the right baking time
Ideally, you don’t want cookies that are undercooked or overdone (unless you DO, for example you’re baking chewy American style cookies). If you nail the baking time you’ll more than likely get a perfect cookie. Generally, I suggest baking each batch for about 10-12 minutes to achieve the right in-the-middle cookie texture.
If you follow a specific recipe, follow the baking time mentioned there. Otherwise, I suggest keeping a close eye while your cookies bake and pulling them out when they look about done to you. You can always put them back in if they need to be baked a bit more.
7. Give the cookies time to cool down
Pulling the cookies off the baking sheet as soon as they are out of the oven is really tempting. But giving the cookies time to cool down after they are baked allows them not to let them break or crumble. Some cookies, such as Easy Oreo Cookies Recipe need to cool completely before you take them off the wire rack otherwise they’ll be too gooey and hard to eat.
You should go back to the recipe to check if anything is mentioned about the cooling time. Make sure to check so you don’t ruin your precious cookies (and have to eat all the rejects).
Everyone loves cookies – they’re easy to make, so delicious and great for getting kids into baking. I hope these tips for baking perfect cookies every time were useful for you, whether you’re a baking beginner or more experienced. Use these tips to ensure every batch of cookies you make is perfect and delicious!
Some easy cookie recipes you may like:
Honey and Lavender Shortbread Cookies
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
