Our Favorite Tips For Making Perfect Cookies

Baking cookies can be one of the simplest and most fun activities you can have in the kitchen. And you can make sure your cookies always turn out perfectly just by following a some basic advice.

Ingredient Tips

• Getting started: Before you start, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature before combining them (unless the recipe you are using specifies otherwise).
• Be precise: Measure carefully. Baking is all about formulas and ratios so accuracy counts.
• Butter vs Margarine: Don't substitute reduced-fat margarine for full-fat because the increased water content can adversely affect the end results. If the recipe just calls for “butter”, it’s safest to assume they mean unsalted.
• Eggs: When a recipe calls for eggs without a specified size, use “large” size.

Use Your Baking Equipment Like A Pro

• Cool it: Have your baking sheets clean and cooled (if baking multiple batches) before starting.
• Take turns: Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven and rotate it halfway through the cooking time. If you must bake 2 sheets at once, rotate them as well during cooking.
• Finish line: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet on a rack for 5 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack (unless the recipe specifies otherwise).

The Secrets To Working With Cookie Dough

• When rolling out the dough, dust the surface with confectioners’ sugar (or a mixture of confectioners’ sugar and flour) instead of just flour. Too much additional flour can make the cookies tough and the additional coating of sugar will help the cookies brown nicely.
• When using cookie cutters, especially ones with an intricate design, it’s best to not only have the dough well chilled but to coat the cutters. You can use either flour or confectioners’ sugar, or a little oil (or non-stick cooking spray). Either one will help the cutters cut cleanly and there will be less distortion of the cookie dough.
• If you are slicing the dough and want perfectly round cookies, put the dough into empty frozen juice cans, then chill. When you are ready to bake, cut the bottom off the can and use it as a pusher to move the dough out as you slice the cookies. This makes perfect round slices every time.
• When slicing cookie dough, use your sharpest knife. Give the dough a quarter turn occasionally so the bottom doesn't flatten.
• Want square cookies? Take an empty wax paper or plastic wrap carton, line it with foil and pack the dough in firmly. Chill, then remove from the foil and slice.
• Want to dress up your cookies? For an extra touch, roll chilled dough in colored or cinnamon sugar, ground nuts or flaked coconut before slicing and baking.
• Before making oatmeal cookies, toast the oatmeal by spreading it on a cookie and baking it in a preheated 300 degrees F oven for eight to ten minutes until it has colored lightly. Cool oatmeal before folding it into the other ingredients.
• For a quick glaze for sugar cookies, beat an egg white until just frothy and brush over the unbaked cookies. Sprinkle with sugar and bake. This will give your cookies a shiny, sweet crust.

How To Store Cookies

• Let cookies cool completely before packing in an airtight container.  Do not use a decorated tin unless it has a very snug seal.  If you make several different types, store each separately so  flavors do not meld.
• Or, arrange unfrosted cookies in single layer on baking sheet, then freeze. Once frozen, pop in zipper-lock plastic bags for up to two months. Ice when thawed. Cookie dough can be frozen up to three months in an airtight container or refrigerated three to four days.
• To keep homemade cookies just-baked fresh, put a slice of white bread in the jar or container.
• When mailing cookies, pack in unbuttered and unsalted popcorn to help keep them from crumbling.

For fun

• For a just-baked taste for store-bought cookies, wrap two to four cookies in a paper towel. Microwave on HIGH for 30 to 45 seconds. Cookies come out tasty.
• To use cookies as place cards at a table, bake a batch of gingerbread cookies in assorted shapes. Decorate with each guest's name in icing.

Cookie troubleshooting

• If dough is soft and difficult to work with, put bowl in refrigerator or freezer until firm enough to shape.
• Cookies will spread if your dough is too pliable by allowing butter to get too soft. If your cookies are spreading too much, try refrigerating the dough for a couple of hours before baking.
• If you flour a cookie sheet after greasing it, cookies made from thin batters will be less likely to spread during baking.
• Out of flour? Natural cereals ground in the blender or food processor can be substituted for all or part of the flour in most cookie recipes. Or use very fine unseasoned bread crumbs.
• Want chewier cookies? Remove the cookies from the oven a couple minutes before they are done or bake them at 25F cooler an oven temp for the same amount of time. Add more butter than called for in the recipe or add an extra egg yolk.
• Want crispier cookies? Add more liquid or reduce the flour. Use melted butter. Use white sugar instead of brown.
• Want cakier cookies? Add more liquid or more flour. Use brown sugar instead of white. Reduce the oven temp by 25F. Add baking soda.

Cookie Recipes

Absolutely Deep Dark Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Dark chocolate cookies made with three kinds of chocolate and served with a chocolate ganache for dipping.

All-American Peanut Butter Cookies

Made with salt, baking powder, butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, egg, all-purpose flour, baking soda

Mamie Eisenhower's Sugar Cookies

Create memories with Mamie Eisenhower's classic sugar cookies. This easy-to-follow recipe yields perfectly soft, buttery cookies, ideal for holidays or family gatherings.

Simple Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are a variation on the famous 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies. They do not contain flour, and they don't need it!