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Baking Drop Cookies
13 Jul 2011, 11:01 am
I don't know about you, but on more than one occasion I've gotten a cookie recipe that didn't have the complete instructions. Luckily, I can usually figure out what to do, but I realize that not everyone bakes as many cookies as I do. Here are the steps I follow when making a drop cookie recipe. Be sure to print yourself a copy just in case you get one of those directionless-recipes. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 20 Here's How: - Clear a working area for making dough and cooling cookies.
- Gather the ingredients. (Most recipes work better if the ingredients are at room temperature.)
- Prepare baking sheets either by greasing lightly (spray and wipe off), cover pan with pan liner or parchment paper.
- Get out other necessary equipment such as: mixing bowls, electric mixer, measuring cups (dry and wet), measuring spoons, rubber spatula, spoon for measuring flour, spoon for scooping out cookie dough, cooling racks and metal spatula.
- Preheat the oven.
- In the mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter* and sugars**.
*Margarine or shortening may be used according to the recipe.
**Granulated, brown sugar and so on. - Add eggs and other wet ingredients such as milk, water, extract. Combine completely.
- In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients such as flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt with a wire whisk.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Combine completely.
- Hand-stir in any extras like chocolate chips, nuts, coconut and so on.
- Drop by teaspoons or tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet. (I take the dough and roll it into a ball first.)
- Some recipes bake as is. Some recipes direct that cookies be flatted by a glass or a cookie press dipped in sugar or flour.
- Bake for the specified time, which can be anywhere from 325 degrees F. for 15 minutes to 375 degrees F. for 8 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes on cookie sheet.
- Remove from pans with metal spatula to wire cooling racks. Cool completely before storing them.
Tips: - Re-read your ingredient list a couple of times to make sure you've got the correct amounts.
- Don't add the flour too quickly. It'll go everywhere and your cookies may not come out as you desire.
- If you're someone who likes to eat raw cookie dough like me, be sure to use clean, un-cracked eggs. This is not a guarantee that you won't get ill from the raw eggs, but, most fortunately, I've never, ever had a problem.
- To avoid cookies from flattening-out, never put cookie dough on a warm baking sheet. Plus, be sure to keep dough cool in between batches. I put mine in the refrigerator.
- If you want your cookies to stay soft, keep them in an airtight container. If you want to keep your cookies crisp, place them in a cookie jar with a loose lid.
What You Need: - A good recipe.
- A clean working area.
- The right ingredients.
- Mixing and cooking equipment.
- Lots of milk to drink while eating the cookies.
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