Cracking the cookie code: Foolproof tips for baking the best cookies ever
Chocolate chip, peanut butter or oatmeal raisin — We love cookies (all of them!) Not only are they the perfect portable dessert, they come in all shapes, sizes, flavours and types. The possibilities are endless!
They say baking is an art, but what it really is, is a science. Baking is a world of measurements, so when the results don’t turn out quite like you’d hoped, don’t be discouraged. Identity the problem, tweak the recipe and try again. To help you in your baking endeavours, here are some helpful tips to make bakery-quality cookies at home and overcome any common problems you may stumble upon.
In the image above are six cookies, one of which has been baked to perfection, while the other five have some sort of imperfection. Take a close look and see if you can spot the problem biscuit, or refer to the points below for guidance. This can serve as an opportunity to identify ways to improve your baking skills and achieve better results in your future attempts.
Problem #1: Flat, rock hard cookies
If your cookies look like the first one in the above picture, it’s probably because the dough contained too much sugar leaving your biscuit overly crunchy and dark brown. They probably also got stuck to the baking sheet. Ease up on the sugar in the recipe.
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Problem #2: Dry and stiff cookies
Did your biscuits not spread out as desired and taste dry and crumbly? You probably have too much flour in the recipe. The excess flour caused too much gluten to form, preventing the cookie from softening and spreading.
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Problem #3: Dark and crispy cookies
If your cookies came out resembling the third one in the biscuit line up, it’s likely that they were made from good dough, but either baked for too long or at too high a temperature. So, they probably came out of the oven too brown and too hard. Try removing your cookies from the oven sooner, or perhaps invest in an oven thermometer to check that your oven temperatures are accurate.
Problem #4: Pale and soft cookies
These biscuits aren’t hard to identify from the batch. They were probably baked from a good consistency dough but ended up a bit under baked and raw on the inside. Either the oven temperature is too low or they were taken out too soon. When baking, always keep an eye on your cookies and take them out when they’re golden.
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Problem #5: Crispy on the outside, raw on the inside
If your cookies look like biscuit number 5, then you’re most likely looking at too much butter in your biscuit dough. That, or the dough wasn’t cool enough before baking. Warm cookie dough or excess butter will cause the cookies to spread too much, baking quickly on the outside but remaining raw in the middle. Next time, chill your cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before you bake them. If the problem persists, use less butter.
Problem #6: No problem at all
This cookie is slightly chewy, full of butter and chocolate flavour and beautifully golden brown. It baked perfectly!
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Hopefully these tips have set you on the right track if you’ve been experiencing some cookie woes. Remember, practice makes perfect. Everybody’s kitchen equipment and ingredients are slightly different, so it might take you a few tries to perfect your cookies even if you have a great recipe.
Tips for perfect cookie baking:
- Leaving your cookie dough in the fridge overnight will make for more delicious cookies, plus the dough will be easier to work with the next day
- Watch your cookies very carefully while they are baking – you want to take them out at exactly the right moment, when they are golden but not hard
- If you like thinner, crisper cookies, reduce the amount of flour you use slightly.
- Bake your cookies on baking parchment or on a baking mat. This helps prevent sticking and burning
Not a baker? While we believe everyone can master the art of the perfect cookie, sometimes there just isn't the time! If that's you, why not shop our fave ready-made biscuits?
Happy cookie eating! 🍪
