Making homemade cookies is a rewarding activity. It's even more rewarding if the cookies are great tasting, soft, and buttery. The tips below will help you take your homemade cookies from good to amazing!
1. Butter or Shortening? Knowing the differences between butter and shortening can help you decide which ingredient is right for your cookies. The main reason for using shortening instead of butter is that it has a higher melting point. This helps the cookies maintain their shape during baking, leaving you with a puffier, more cake-like cookie. Butter's lower melting point increases the spread of the dough during baking, resulting in a flatter, browner, and crispier cookie. Butter also has water in it naturally, while shortening does not. If you plan to use shortening in a recipe that calls for butter, you may want to add some water to the dough; about 1.5 teaspoons per ¼ cup of shortening. Most people will still prefer the taste of butter over shortening.
2. Do Not Over mix. With most cookies, mixing the dough too long can result in cookies that are dry and tough. Once the flour is introduced to the dough, only mix until the flour is incorporated. Once flour is moistened and mixed or kneaded, the gluten in the flour develops a strong network which gives structure to the dough. If you prefer soft cookies, be sure to keep the mixing to a minimum.
3. Do Not Over bake. Follow the baking directions on the recipe, but consider removing cookies from the oven at the low end of the suggested baking time. Cookies should look underdone in the center when they are removed from the oven. If the centers appear done, the cookie will cool a bit too crunchy and lose its soft and chewy quality. Do not remove them from the cookie sheet right away, because they will continue to cook and set up on the hot sheet. After about 2 minutes, it is safe to move them to a cooling rack. Cooling on a rack helps keep them from getting soggy bottoms.
4. Use a Good Baking Sheet. Shiny baking sheets work the best for cookies. Sheets which are dark can cause the cookies to get too brown on the bottom and around the edges. It is best to allow baking sheets to cool between batches, as well. Cookies dropped onto hot cookie sheets can melt too quickly, which causes them to spread too much.
5. Store Cookies Properly. Once cookies are completely cool, they should be stored in a plastic container, a cookie jar with a tight-fitting lid, or a plastic zipper-bag. This will keep them from drying out and getting too hard or crunchy. If your cookie has frosting, be sure to separate layers with wax paper or parchment paper, otherwise the cookies will stick together. Most cookies can be frozen in plastic containers and thawed prior to serving.
BONUS TIP: Always "poison-check" your dough and cookies before serving! After all, the one who makes the cookies should get the first taste!
Jennifer Stott is a wife, mom, blogger, piano teacher, cookie maker, self-help nut, and super hero. I've gained all my cookie-making skills from experience, and a little wisdom from those who have gone before me. Get insights and great recipes at my blog,
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