Cookies

Goodston Production

Quick Notes• Cookies are easy to prepare. Many

people consider homemade cookies well worth the little time and effort they require.

• The main difference between cookies and cakes is that cookies have very little liquid. This gives the cookies a heavier texture than cakes.

More Notes

• Cookies vary in texture from soft to crisp.

• They can be made in assorted shapes and decorated in many ways. There are 6 basic kinds of cookies.

Types of cookies1.BAR COOKIES- Baked in a square or rectangular pan. The cookies are cut into squares.

Cake like texture to chewy.Examples: Brownies, lemon bars

2. DROP COOKIES- Made from a soft dough, dropped by tsp into a baking sheet. Spreads to make a thick cookie.Examples: Chocolate chip

3.MOLDED COOKIES- Made from a stiff dough and shaped by hand. Rolled out & cut with cookie cutters. Examples: peanut butter, snickerdoodles

Types of Cookies Cont’d.4. PRESSED COOKIES- Made by pushing dough

through a cookie press. A variety of shapes are possible.Examples: Spritz

5.ROLLED COOKIES- Stiff dough, rolled out and cut with cookie cutters.Examples: Sugar, Gingerbread

6. SLICED COOKIES- Also called refrigerator cookies. Dough into long roll, refrigerate. When chilled, sliced and baked.Examples: Pinwheels, sugar

Vocab

•Creaming- refers to combining shortening and sugar.

Beat them together using an electric mixer until soft, smooth, and creamy.

Ingredients

• Fats – butter, margarine, oil, and shortening. Function as the spread. The more fat, the flatter and crunchier the cookie. Less fat = puffy, cake-like cookies. The type of fat used creates major variations in cookies.

• Flour – All purpose. Makes the cookie flatter, darker, and crispier.

Ingredients

• Baking Powder and Soda – Leavening agents. BP makes lighter colored and puffier cookies.

• Sugars – Granulated/white sugar makes the cookie crispy. Brown sugar absorbs moisture, helping cookie to stay chewy.

• Eggs/Liquids – Make cookies puff and spread. Eggs act like glue.

Tips for Making Cookies

• Dip utensils in flour or sprinkle some on the rolling pin. Too much flour will make the cookies tough and hard.

• Make all the cookies in a batch the same size and thickness. If some are thin and some are thick, the thin ones will be done before the thick ones.

• Check the recipe for how to space the cookies on the sheet. Some types of cookies spread as they bake.

Some more Tips• Prepare the pan according to recipe

directions. Allow hot cookie sheets to cool before using them again. If you put cookie dough on a hot baking sheet, the dough will melt and spread .

• An extra minute or two of heat can over brown cookies. Watch them carefully. Test bar and drop cookies for doneness by pressing lightly with your finger. The imprint of your finger should show slightly.

• Follow directions for cooling cookies. Some can cool in the pan. Others are removed while hot and cooled on a wire rack. Use a spatula or a turner.

Baking Tips

• Use a cookie sheet.

• Follow recipe directions for prepping pans.

• Let sheets cool between baking.

• Do not let pans touch sides or back – or each other. One pan is best.

• Bottom and sides are lightly browned – shiny pans are best.

• Cookies continue to bake after out of oven

Storing Cookies

•Store cookies in a tightly sealed container.

•Wax paper between layers will keep them from sticking together. Cool before storing

•A slice of bread stored with cookies will keep cookies moist.

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