The holiday season is upon us, which means plenty of baking – cakes, pies, cookies, breads, etc.
I bake a lot of cookies, mostly chocolate chip, sometimes with added goodies, like M&Ms or peanut butter chips. Everyone seems to love them, but, each batch comes out looking different. Some are a little too doughy, some are really flat and gooey (how I like them). But, they’re never the same. What’s up with that?!
Curious, I decided to do some research to get some answers to my cookies’ inconsistencies.
To Sift or Not To Sift
I’ve always been confused about sifting flour. Is it that important? When should I do it? Why should I do it? Would my cookies come out better if I did do it?
According to craftsy.com, sifting flour helps get out the clumps and make it lighter. It can make a big difference in how your cakes and cookies turn out.
I do recall The Barefoot Contessa saying that you shouldn’t “pack” the flour down in the measuring cup. You just want to add scoops of flour and then use a knife, or similar, to scrape the excess off.
If you sift, claims craftsy, it should give you more even measurement.
Also, when you’re in areas with a hotter climate, the flour can tend to pack more densely, so that’s definitely a good time to sift.
Where sifting makes the biggest difference is with lighter, more delicate baked goods, such as angel food cake. So, another time it’s important to sift. Of course, also in recipes that specifically call for sifted flour.
I finally got around to comparing sift vs. no sift with my cookies, and what do you know… they came out better! Much lighter and the dough spread out nicely. Hmmm….
I didn’t feel like purchasing a fancy sifter, but instead used a big sieve, and that worked fine.
Basics
- Know your oven, where the “hot spots” are – you may need to rotate the pan halfway through
- Be sure to read the recipe completely before you start on it, do not to try to rush the baking process – make a game plan and have all your ingredients measured and ready to go
- Leave refrigerated ingredients (such as eggs, butter, milk, etc.) out ahead of time to get to room temperature before baking
- It is critical to be exact with the measurements when baking, also weighing the ingredients
- Be sure to follow the recipe exactly, in the order of the steps, temperatures, and baking times
- Don’t be afraid to use salt – it helps all the ingredients “come together”
- If recipes call for baking powder, but you’re out, do not use baking soda – make your own baking powder: use 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp cream of tartar to make 1 tsp of baking powder (but, I guess that doesn’t help if you’re also out of cream of tartar!)
For Cookies
- Use all purpose or pastry flour, unless recipe calls for another
- Use unsalted butter over margarine if possible – butter gives a richer flavor and the cookies spread out more (this may be my problem… I’m guilty of always using margarine for my cookies… maybe time for a change)
- Use real vanilla over imitation (oops, guilty of this one too… what can I say? I’m cheap!)
- Use sea salt over kosher salt
- Replace hardened brown sugar with fresh, soft brown sugar
- Good to put the cookie dough in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before baking
- Don’t over-mix the cookie dough, and use low speed on mixer
- For chewy cookies: Nuke the butter about 15 seconds, or til softened, before adding it to the sugar. Try using brown sugar without white sugar. Also, take the cookies out of the oven before they’re completely done, then let them cool on the pan for 3-5 minutes before removing
- For crispy cookies: Use butter instead margarine, and egg yolks instead of whole eggs, and, let cool on the pan for 1 minute before removal
- For flatter cookies: Use butter, all-purpose flour, add more sugar, or add some water to the dough
- For puffy cookies: Use margarine, cake or pastry flour, use less sugar, and baking powder instead of soda
- For baking sheets: Thin ones can be less expensive, but they can cause the cookie bottoms to brown too fast – insulated sheet pans can cost more, but they help the cookies bake more evenly
- Use small ice cream scoop to speed up process of putting cookie dough on pan, it also helps them to come out the same size
- Parchment paper (not wax – it can burn) can help prevent cookies from sticking to pan, as well for easy clean-up
- Even better, if you want to spend the money on a silicone “baking mat” to put on the sheet pan, it will help with easy removal
For Cakes
- Generously butter (grease) and flour the pan
- Make sure you use the correct size pan or tin
- Try to get as much air into the cake as possible by sifting the ingredients together, then gently use a “balloon whisk” to fold
- Put the pans into the oven as soon as the batter is poured
- Make sure you preheat the oven (with correct temperature) before putting the pans in
- Best to place the cake pans on the middle shelf of oven for easy baking
- Avoid opening the oven door, at least til the cake is almost done (cake may collapse if cold air gets into oven)
- Close the oven door as soon as possible after putting pans in
- Cake is done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean
- Let cake cool completely before icing
I hope some of these tips are helpful to you. I already knew about a few, but some were a big surprise. I had always used aluminum foil on my baking sheets for cookies. When I worked at Harbourtowne, we used parchment paper for everything we baked, so I tried it at home. It was a big difference – the cookies came off the pan much easier. See for yourself.
Hope your holidays are safe, and Happy Baking!
Sources: epicurious.com and buzzfeed.com