Cookies are one of the best things about being alive, to be honest. They’re great in basically every form, but there’s no kind more satisfying than cookies you’ve just baked yourself. Here are 5 tips to bring your cookie skills to the next level.
1. Let the butter and sugar rest for a while after mixing.
This allows the sugar to absorb the butter flavor, giving your cookies that elusive toffee flavor that’s the hallmark of a really good cookie.
2. Don’t keep opening the oven to see if it’s done.
Your oven light exists for a reason! Opening the oven door lets hot air out, changing the internal temperature. Keeping a consistent temperature is a must, so don’t open the door until you’re fairly certain the cookies are done.
3. Don’t overbeat the flour.
This is a mistake people make all the time-- overbeating flour makes it really tough. Once you’ve added flour, make sure you’re beating the mix only as much as necessary, and not a second more.
4. Baking is more science than art-- exact measurements matter!
For some reason, it’s pretty common for people to take a recipe and alter it slightly, and then be shocked by the unsavory outcome. A lot of “bad” cooking and baking comes from people thinking that slight alterations won’t matter. If you can, use a kitchen scale. If not, be very careful that you don’t pack your ingredients into the measuring cup (unless told to do so by the recipe) and use the dull edge of a knife to make sure that the top is even.
5. Stir the flour before adding it.
Another common mistake is to use too much flour, which is often the result of flour being packed into a measuring cup. Stir your flour first to aerate it and then follow the instructions from step four.
And finally, most importantly, don’t forget to lick the beater clean!
