I frequently receive various questions about baking. Today's questions are about basic cookie-making issues, but hopefully, they will resolve many of your doubts.
1、 Do I have to strictly follow the temperature and time in the recipe when baking cookies?
Different types of cookies have different requirements for baking temperature and time, so the temperature and time given in the recipe are different.
Because different ovens have different temperatures, you cannot completely copy the temperature and time provided in the book. It is recommended to check the cookies every few minutes. In the last few minutes before baking, it is best to stay in front of the oven to observe the changes in the cookies. If the surface of the cookies is golden yellow, and when you lift the cookies from the baking sheet, you see that the bottom of the cookies has also turned golden yellow, it means the cookies are baked.
2、 Why are my baked cookies a little soft and not crispy enough?
It is normal for freshly baked cookies to be soft; they will become crispy after cooling. If they are still soft after cooling, it means the baking time is insufficient, and the moisture has not been completely dried. The solution is to put the cookies back in the oven for a few minutes. If the cookies are already dark enough but still soft after cooling, it may be because the oven temperature is too high. In this case, try lowering the oven temperature and extending the baking time.
In addition, the larger and thicker the dough, the more difficult it is to dry the moisture, and the easier it is to bake soft cookies. Conversely, the smaller and thinner the dough, the easier it is to bake crispy cookies. So, if you can't bake cookies with a satisfactory texture, try making the cookies smaller.
3、 Does it matter if the cookies in the same baking sheet are not uniform in size?
Yes, it does. Try to keep the cookies in the same baking sheet consistent in size and thickness so that the cookies can be baked evenly. Otherwise, some will be burnt, and some will not be cooked.
In addition to size and thickness, the spacing between cookies on the baking sheet should also be kept consistent.
4、 How many trays of cookies can be baked at a time?
Most household ovens have several layers, but usually only one tray of cookies is baked at a time to ensure that the cookies are heated evenly, thus achieving the best baking effect.
5、 Do I need to use parchment paper or a baking mat when baking cookies?
Some baking sheets have a non-stick coating and do not require parchment paper or a baking mat. Most other baking sheets do not have a non-stick coating, so parchment paper or a baking mat should be used to ensure that the cookies do not stick to the baking sheet after baking.
When making thin and crispy cookies, even if a non-stick baking sheet is used, it is recommended to use a baking mat or parchment paper to make it easier to remove the baked cookies.
6、 How to store baked cookies to keep them crispy?
If baked cookies are directly exposed to the air after cooling, they will easily absorb moisture from the air, becoming soft and losing their crispy texture. Therefore, the cookies should be placed in an airtight container after cooling. If possible, you can also put a desiccant or a few sugar cubes in the airtight container to help absorb moisture from the air and prevent the cookies from getting damp.
Damp and softened cookies can be put back in the oven for a few minutes (temperature can be set at 150℃-170℃) to become crispy again.
7、 How long can homemade cookies be stored?
Different types of cookies have different shelf lives. If stored in an airtight container, they can usually be stored for 1-2 weeks.
If you need to store them for a longer time, you can seal the cookies and put them in the freezer. This way, they can be stored for 2 months. Take the cookies out in advance to warm them up before eating. If the cookies accidentally get damp during warming, you can put them in the oven for a few minutes.
Of course, the shelf life of cookies is affected by many factors, such as ingredients, temperature, and storage conditions, and cannot be generalized. Homemade cookies should be eaten as soon as possible after they are made. This is the best way to ensure you eat fresh and delicious cookies.
8、 How much will reducing the sugar in the cookie recipe affect the finished product?
Generally, if you think the original recipe is too sweet, you can reduce the sugar in the recipe appropriately, by about 30%, and it will not have a significant impact on the finished product. However, we should also understand that sugar, in addition to its role as a sweetener in cookies, also affects the color and texture of the cookies.
To give a few simple examples, after sugar is mixed and dissolved with wet ingredients such as butter and eggs, it can increase the smoothness of the dough. The dough with reduced sugar will be drier, especially when making extruded cookies such as piped cookies. In addition, because sugar is easy to caramelize at high temperatures, cookies with high sugar content are easier to color and bake with beautiful colors during baking.
At the same time, sugar is an excellent natural preservative, and cookies with higher sugar content have a longer shelf life and are less prone to spoilage.
In fact, not only sugar, but any increase or decrease in ingredients will have more or less an impact on the shape of the finished product, but sometimes, due to personal reasons, a balance will be made.
9、 Why is the surface of my baked cookies very dark, but the bottom is very light?
This is usually because the temperature difference between the top and bottom heat of the oven is too large. If your oven can control the top and bottom heat independently, and the surface is colored too quickly, lower the temperature of the top heat; if the surface coloring speed is normal, and the bottom coloring is too slow, increase the bottom heat.
For ovens that don't allow independent temperature control of the top and bottom heating elements, lower the baking sheet by one level, or after the surface is browned, turn off the top heating element and continue baking until the bottom of the cookies are browned.
Conversely, if the bottom of the cookies is too dark and the surface is too light, do the opposite.
When baking cookies, we may encounter various situations. As long as we master the tricks and flexibly adjust the baking method, we can bake successful cookies!
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