It’s the greatest time of year…

HOLIDAY COOKIE TIME!!!

While I finalize my cookie list for this year (which happens to be my first year with the standing mixer, so I may as well be gifting some stretchy pants with these cookies) I wanted to pass along some of my favorite and most handy cookie tips.

Whether you’re a cookie novice or just need some tips on how to manage the time it will take to make the the million & a half cookies you have planned (aka me… stay tuned, I’ll be posting some soon), at least a few of these tips should be helpful to all.

I’ve collected this tips from a variety of outlets, a lot from my beloved Food Network, some from other cooking blogs or mags, but mostly, from my forever baking mentor, Mommadukes. Merry Christmas, Ma.

Ingredient Tips:

• Flour
  • Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level with a knife
  • If it’s packed to tightly into the cup, you’ll end up with two much flour (and a dry cookie!)
• Butter
  • To bring your butter to room temperature, let it out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes
    • Or check out my instagram post for my special Vic Trick to softening butter quickly
• Baking soda/powders
  • Baking soda & powders should always be fresh, or you’re risking a flat cookie
    • To check if they’re good:
      • Drop of a pinch of baking powder in warm water and baking soda in vinegar – if they bubble and foam, they’re good to go
• Light vs. Dark Brown Sugar:
  • Doesn’t matter. Dark brown has more molasses, so you can expect a richer flavor from dark. But really, doesn’t matter.
• Cocoa Powder
  • Always sift your cocoa powder before adding to your other dry ingredients to prevent clumpiness

Tool Tips:

• Baking sheets:

  • Sturdy, lightly colored metal baking sheets all-day baby
  • Dark ones can cause your cookies to brown a liiiiitle to quickly on the bottom
•  Parchment Paper
  • YES YES AND MORE YES
  • If there’s one tip I can give, it’s to use the shit out of parchment paper
    • Not only is it easy cleanup and even cooking, they come right off the non-stick surface!
  • Did I mention, yes?!
• Scooping:
  • Cookie scoops would probably my second favorite tip – makes all your cookies so nice and evenly sized
• Cooling Racks:
  • If you leave the cookies on the hot pan, they continue to cook
    • Not to mention, I need that pan! I’ve got cookies to make dude!
  • I’d recommend getting 2-3 cooling racks to ensure peak efficiency

Cutout Cookie Tips:

• Chilling:
  • Ah yes, my favorite topic – chillen
    • Before you roll out any dough for cutout cookies, you must let it chill (20-30 mins should do mostly)
    • Then roll out the cookies, cut them, then I’d recommend chilling them for another 20 minutes or so, before baking
      • This will keep them from spreading when they cook – since they were so hot from you touching them 😉
• Rolling:
  • Always roll your dough from the center outward
    • DO NOT roll your dough back and forth – this can overwork it
  • If the dough is especially sticky, roll it between two sheets of parchment paper
• Cutting:
  • Always dip your cookie cutter in flour, before taking that to the dough (more like to the duh, but ya never know with kids these days)
  • After cutting, only reroll the scraps once – too many rolls makes for a tough dough (if only that rhymed)

All Around Tips:

• Determine which doughs can be made beforehand and chilled or frozen – this can save you mass amounts of time
  • Stay tuned for some of my ice box cookie recipes!
• When putting two trays in the oven, place on the upper and lower thirds of the oven, then switch halfway through
• Cool your sheets:
  • Run baking sheets under cold water, then dry with a paper towel, between batches.
    • If you scoop some cookies onto a warm baking sheet, they can lose their structure. 
• Always err on the side of underdone (I cannot stress this enough!!!)
  • Keep in mind: sugar cookies are done before they show any brownness.
• Storage tips:
  • Cookies will last in an air-tight container for about 5 days, so build that into your prep!
  • Make sure you store soft and crisp cookies in separate containers – they’ll ruin each other and no one needs that at Christmas.
  • Store bar cookies right in the pan – just cover tightly with foil.

Moral of the Story:

You can do this! Cookies are the best gift because they come straight from the heart, but don’t break the bank! Although the time commitment is real, so are the smiling faces of your family, friends, coworkers, or just random people you pass on the street (me – I have issues)!

Merry Christmas!!!