Cookie Baking 101

This time of year is synonymous with Christmas music, shopping and decorating, but nothing beats holiday cookie baking. From gingerbread to sugar cookies, every cookie seems to taste extra special this time of year. Yet, nothing can ruin the fun more than a cookie that comes out wrong.
Luckily we are smarter than any batch of cookies and controlling how it comes out is completely within our grasp with a few cookie baking guidelines.

When it comes to cookies there are four general characteristics:
1) Chewy
2) Soft
3) Spread
4) Crispy

To achieve the type of cookie you desire, be aware of these three steps:
Ingredient selection and amount
Mixing time
Cooking time

For a Chewy cookie: You want to have a high proportion of sugar, liquid and eggs, but a lower amount of fat.
For a Soft cookie: You want to have a high proportion of liquid, but a low amount of sugar and fat.
Also, using hygroscopic sugars is a great way to achieve softness because they absorb moisture from the air, leaving moisture in the cookies. Hygroscopic sugars include, honey, molasses, corn syrup or maple syrup.
When it comes to size for a softer cookie you want to shape them in a larger, thicker shape. The thicker the cookie the harder it is for the moisture to evaporate.
Even though almost every recipe says to bake a cookie until golden brown, taking a cookie out slightly under baked will give you a wonderful texture. Cookies continue to bake even out of the oven, so if you over bake them while in the oven you will not achieve the softness you desire.
Controlling Spread: The majority of cookies require some spread, but who wants a cookie as flat as a pancake? I recently learned a few tips to control spread that may help save your next cookie batch.
Type of sugar- Most cookies call for granulated sugar, but granulated sugar will increase spread in a cookie. Granulated sugar will not dissolve in dough, resulting in more spread. Powdered sugar will dissolve and therefore will prevent spread from occurring.
Baking soda v. Baking powder- There is in fact a difference between the two. Baking soda creates a crisper cookie and encourages spread. Baking powder on the other hand encourages more lift over spread.
Mixing Time- This is probably the most important way to control spread and can make or break a cookie. Mixing cookie dough is putting air into the cookie. When you put too much air into the dough it can cause a cookie to spread more than you would like. Mix a cookie until is just begins to form a paste to avoid this problem.
Flour choice- stronger flour will cause less spread compared to a weaker cake or pastry flour.
Pan Make- up- A heavily greased pan will cause more spread than a lightly greased pan.
For a crispy cookie: To achieve a crisp cookie you want to have low moisture, but high sugar and fat.
You will also want to bake longer and shape cookies smaller.

Even with these tips, baking is all about experimentation so there will be those times a cookie comes out wrong. However, any cookie can be turned into a wonderful success with some imagination.
If a chocolate chip cookie or sugar cookie comes out to crisp or flat, you can still find a use for it. Put the cookies into a food processor and turn into a crumb. Combine with a little melted butter and use in replace of a graham cracker crust.

Happy Baking!