Baking for Dummies Read online

  Spacing your cookies far enough apart

  When scooping cookies onto the baking sheets, be sure to leave enough room for them to spread. Most recipes will tell you the amount of space to leave, but if not, use 2 inches as your general rule. This includes space from the edge of the sheet, too. All the cookies on one tray should be the same size and shape to ensure even baking, otherwise the smaller cookies will burn while the larger cookies are still uncooked.

  Always bake a test cookie. A test cookie will let you see what an entire batch of cookies will turn out like before they’re baked. That way, if you want to make any adjustments, you won’t waste a whole batch of cookie dough in the process. If you find your test cookie has spread too much during baking, add 2 tablespoons of flour and bake another test cookie. Also try chilling the dough before baking for at least 30 minutes — it really works wonders. If you find your cookie is too dry, add 2 tablespoons of milk or water and test again.

  Drop Cookies

  Like their name suggests, you form drop cookies by dropping the dough onto the baking sheet. Use a regular spoon, not a measuring spoon, to drop the cookies onto the sheet, usually the teaspoons in your silverware drawer are perfect. Use two spoons — one to scoop up the dough and the second to push the dough onto the baking sheet.

  When I worked in a bakery, we used spring-handle ice cream scoops to make cookies all the same size and shape (see Figure 7-1). You can use this trick at home. Ice cream scoops are sold by number; this number corresponds to the amount of level scoops you will get out of a quart of ice cream. I suggest choosing a #70 scoop if your recipe calls for dropping the dough by rounded teaspoons. It’s a pretty small scoop, but you’ll discover how easy it makes scooping out uniform cookies and keeping your hands clean.

  If you like rounded cookies and you find your dough is spreading too much in baking, try chilling the dough for an hour or so. To speed this process, you can also scoop out the dough and place it in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.

  Always check the cookies after the minimum amount of baking time given. Also, you should remove cookies from the baking sheets with a wide spatula so that they don’t break once they’re done baking, unless the instructions say otherwise. Don’t let cookies cool on their sheets. They become harder to remove.

  When making drop cookies, make a large batch of dough, form into balls, and freeze on a cookie sheet. When frozen, put them into self-sealing plastic bags and store in the freezer. Later, just remove the amount you need from the freezer, place on cookie sheets, and bake while still frozen — just remember to add an extra 2 or 3 minutes to the baking time.

  Figure 7-1: Use an ice cream scoop to make all of your cookies the same size.

  An American favorite is born

  The invention of the chocolate chip cookie can be attributed to a very smart lady, Ruth Wakefield, owner of the Tollhouse Inn in Massachusetts. Legend has it that, in 1940, she was substituting a chopped-up chocolate bar for the nuts in the butter cookies she was making. She expected the bar to melt evenly throughout the cookie, but instead she was left with a lovely chocolate-studded cookie. A guest at the inn described the cookie to a friend at a Boston newspaper, word got around, and soon the cookie became a local favorite. Then Nestle got involved, bought the recipe, and began marketing chocolate chips, offering Ruth’s recipe on each package. And the rest, my friends, is history. So let that story be an inspiration to all bakers — you never know what you may invent!

  Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

  For chocolate chip cookie lovers, the debate is strong. Do you love crispy cookies, perfect for dunking in cold milk? Or do you yearn for the soft, chewy kind that you gobble up right out of the oven? This recipe can do both (see the color section for a photo). If you want a softer chocolate chip cookie, omit the shortening and increase the butter or margarine by 1/2 cup. Also, remove them from the oven after 10 or 11 minutes of baking. Just let the edges of the cookie brown and don’t let them get golden brown all over.

  Preparation time: 25 minutes

  Baking time: 10 to 12 minutes

  Yield: 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies

  2 1/2 cups flour

  2 teaspoons baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

  1/2 cup shortening

  1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

  1/2 cup sugar

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  2 tablespoons milk

  2 eggs

  2 cups chocolate chips (12 ounces)

  1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

  1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

  3In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla, milk, and eggs together until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Stop as necessary to scrape down the sides.

  4In three batches, add the flour and mix together well. Stir in the chocolate chips and, if desired, the walnuts.

  5Drop the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies onto a wire rack.

  Per serving: Calories 122 (From Fat 60); Fat 6g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 14mg; Sodium 107mg; Carbohydrate 16g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 1g.

  Chocolate Drop Cookies

  Thin and crispy, these slightly sophisticated cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream.

  Preparation time: 15 minutes

  Baking time: 8 to 10 minutes

  Yield: About 4 dozen cookies

  1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

  1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

  1 egg

  2 cups flour

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2Melt the chocolate chips and butter together over low heat in a small saucepan. Set aside.

  3In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and egg until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the chocolate mixture and stir. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.

  4Drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

  Per serving: Calories 58 (From Fat 28); Fat 3g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 77mg; Carbohydrate 7g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 1g.

  Classic Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies

  These cookies are my dad’s favorite. To keep the raisins plump, I like to soak them in hot water before adding them to the batter. You can start the soaking 30 minutes before you start the recipe, for plump, moist raisins, if desired.

  Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes for chilling

  Baking time: 10 to 12 minutes

  Yield: About 4 dozen cookies

  1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

  1 cup sugar

  1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

  2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  3 eggs

  1/4 cup milk (low-fat is okay)

  2 1/2 cups flour

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon baking powder

  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  3 cups rolled oats (not instant)

  1 1/2 cups raisins

  1 cup walnuts (optional)

  1In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the milk.

  2In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. In three batches, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins, and, if desired, the walnuts. Chill the dough for 30 minutes.

  3Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drop the dough by the teaspoonful
1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 1 minute before transferring them to a cooling rack.

  Vary It! Jazz up ordinary oatmeal cookies by adding 1/2 cup chocolate chips, or substitute chocolate-covered raisins in place of regular raisins. Or you can update the classic by using dried cranberries or blueberries in place of the raisins.

  Per serving: Calories 131 (From Fat 41); Fat 5g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 24mg; Sodium 91mg; Carbohydrate 21g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 2g.

  Everything Cookies

  The great thing about Everything Cookies is that they have everything in them! They start as peanut butter cookies with oats, chocolate, raisins, and nuts. You can add whatever you like, too. Stir in your favorite candy or nut.

  Preparation time: 15 minutes

  Baking time: 10 to 12 minutes

  Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

  3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

  1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

  1 cup sugar

  1 cup light brown sugar

  2 eggs

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  2 cups flour

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  1/4 cup milk

  1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)

  1 cup chocolate chips

  1 cup raisins

  1/2 cup peanuts or walnuts

  1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs and beat well for 1 minute, stopping the mixer once to scrape down the sides. Add the vanilla and beat for 15 seconds to combine.

  3Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and blend well. Stir in the milk to blend. Add the oats, chocolate chips, raisins, and peanuts. The mixture will be somewhat thick.

  4Drop rounded teaspoons of dough 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Let the cookies cool for 1 minute before transferring them to a cooling rack.

  Per serving: Calories 213 (From Fat 95); Fat 11g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 22mg; Sodium 142mg; Carbohydrate 28g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 4g.

  Chocolate-Coconut Macaroons

  The cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites, so you don’t want to leave it out. You will need to line the cookie sheets with parchment paper so that they won’t stick as you remove them from the sheet. If you don’t have parchment paper, you can use waxed paper, but it might smoke a little as you bake the cookies.

  Preparation time: 20 minutes

  Baking time: 20 to 25 minutes

  Yield: 3 to 3 1/2 dozen cookies

  1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

  1 cup confectioners’ sugar

  1/4 cup sugar

  3 large egg whites

  1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1/2 teaspoon almond extract

  2 cups sweetened coconut

  1Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  2In a small bowl, sift together the cocoa, confectioners’ sugar, and sugar.

  3In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt together until foamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the cocoa mixture, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.

  4Fold in the almond extract and coconut. Drop the mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls about an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to continue cooling.

  Vary It! If you want to skip the chocolate part, omit the cocoa and sugar. If you want to double your pleasure, toss in 1/2 cup chocolate chips when you fold in the coconut.

  Per serving: Calories 39 (From Fat 15); Fat 2g (Saturated 1g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 30mg; Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 1g.

  Butterscotch Drops

  If you don’t like the nuts in this recipe, just leave them out. These chewy cookies are sure to please all age groups.

  Preparation time: 15 minutes

  Baking time: 10 to 12 minutes

  Yield: 3 dozen cookies

  2 1/2 cups flour

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon salt

  2 sticks butter or margarine, softened

  1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar, lightly packed

  1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  2 eggs

  1 cup butterscotch chips

  1 cup pecans

  1Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

  3In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs together until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Stop as necessary to scrape down the sides. In three batches, add the flour and mix well. Stir in the chips and pecans.

  4Drop the dough onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies onto a wire rack to cool.

  Per serving: Calories156 (From Fat 81); Fat 9g (Saturated 5g); Cholesterol 26mg; Sodium 111mg; Carbohydrate 18g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 2g.

  Poppy Seed Cookies

  These crispy cookies have a nice crisp lemony snap to them. Because the buttery flavor of the cookie is important for overall flavor, I recommend not using margarine for this recipe.

  Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes for chilling

  Baking time: 12 to 15 minutes

  Yield: 2 dozen

  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

  1 cup sugar

  1 egg

  1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

  1/2 teaspoon almond extract

  1 cup flour

  1/4 cup poppy seeds

  Zest of 1 lemon

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg, lemon extract, and almond extract and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest (for instructions on zesting lemons, see Chapter 5), and salt. Mix well. Chill for 30 minutes.

  2Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drop heaping teaspoons of the dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are very light colored.

  3Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 2 minutes before removing them from the cookie sheet. Transfer to a wire rack to cool further.

  Tip: To speed up the softening of cold butter, slice it first; then let stand for about 10 minutes.

  Per serving: Calories 104 (From Fat 49); Fat 5g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 19mg; Sodium 28mg; Carbohydrate 13g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 1g.

  Shaped Cookies

  Shaped cookies can be as simple as peanut butter cookies, with the crisscross pattern on top, or as fancy as candy-cane cookies. The dough for shaped cookies is usually richer and softer than drop cookie dough, so chilling the dough before working with it is helpful. If the dough is still too soft after chilling, mix in 2 tablespoons of flour. If it is too soft and crumbly, add 2 tablespoons of water.

  The dough for shaped cookies can be rolled out, slid onto a baking sheet, refrigerated, and then cut. Or it can be shaped into a log, wrapped in plastic wrap, and then refrigerated. Use a thin, sharp knife to slice the dough. You also can make the dough ahead of time and freeze it. Thaw it in the refrigerator before using it.

  If you’re shaping the dough into different shapes, make sure that all the cookies are the same shape and size to ensure even baking.

  Make your own slice-and-bake cookies. Properly wrapped dough will last several weeks in the freezer and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. When you need some quick cookies, they’ll be ready to pop into the oven. To make your own slice-and-bake cookies, follow these easy steps:

  1.Shape chocolate chip, peanut butter, sugar cookie, or ging
erbread cookie dough in a round log shape.

  A convenient size is 3 inches in diameter and between 9 and 12 inches long.

  2.Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, with the ends tightly twisted, and refrigerate or freeze.

  3.When you’re ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature and slice the dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds.

  The dough should be workable — not too soft or rock hard.

  4.Place the rounds onto a baking sheet and bake according to their instructions.

  Peanut Butter Cookies

  Who can resist peanut butter cookies? They make perfect dunkers in milk and seem to be a universal favorite with the younger set. For a really dense, chewy cookie, mix the batter by hand.

  Preparation time: 15 minutes

  Baking time: 12 to 15 minutes

  Yield: About 4 dozen cookies

  1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

  1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed

  1/2 cup sugar

  2 eggs

  1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  1 1/2 cups peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

  3 1/4 cups flour

  1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.