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>> Baking Cookies

Cookie, Dough Too Soft

If dough is soft and difficult to work with, put bowl in refrigerator or freezer until firm enough to shape.

Cookies, Dough Scraps

When you re-roll dough scraps, dust the pastry cloth with a mixture of half flour and half confectioners' sugar. This makes the cookies more tender than if they were rolled on a surface dusted with flour only.

Cookies, Dough Too Soft

When cookie dough is soft and difficult to handle, place it between pieces of wax paper that have been floured. Roll to desired thickness, remove the top paper, and cut cookies.

Cookies, Freezing Dough

Cookie dough can be frozen up to three months in an airtight container or refrigerated three to four days.

Cookies, Glaze

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.

Cookies, Keeping Fresh

To keep homemade cookies just-baked fresh, put a slice of white bread in the jar or container.

Cookies, Mailing

When mailing cookies, pack in unbuttered and unsalted popcorn to help keep them from crumbling.

Cookies, Making Square Cookies

For square cookies, take an empty wax paper or plastic wrap carton, line with foil and pack dough in firmly. Then chill.

Cookies, Making Table Place Markers

Bake a batch of gingerbread cookies in assorted shapes. Decorate with each guest's name and use as table place markers.

Cookies, Oatmeal

Before making oatmeal cookies, toast the oatmeal by spreading it on a cookie and baking it in a preheated 300ºF oven for eight to 10 minutes until it has colored lightly. Cool oatmeal before folding it into the other ingredients.

Cookies, Perfectly Round

Put dough for refrigerator 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.

Cookies, Refreshing Store Bought

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.

Cookies, Rolling Out Dough

When rolling out cookie dough to cut, use a thin dusting of confectioners' sugar instead of flour on the board. The flour tends to make the dough thicker and heavier, while the dusting of sugar will help the cookie to brown evenly.

Cookies, Slicing

When slicing cookie dough, use your sharpest knife. Give dough a quarter turn occassionally so the bottom doesn't flatten.

Cookies, Special Touch

For an extra touch, roll chilled dough in colored or cinnamon sugar, ground nuts or flaked coconut before slicing and baking.

Cookies, Spreading Too Much

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.

Cookies, Storing

Let cookies cool completely before storing. Store different types of cookies in separate containers so they'll keep their original flavor and texture.

Cookies, Substituting 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.

Cookies, Thin Batter

If you flour a cookie sheet after greasing it, cookies made from thin batters will be less likely to spread during baking.

Cookies, Using Cookie Cutters

Before cutting cookie dough into shapes, dip cutters into flour. Lift cutouts with a long, thin spatula. There's less chance of distortion.

To keep cookie dough from sticking to cookie cutters, chill the dough thoroughly before you roll it out. Dip each cookie cutter in oil before pressing into the dough and the cookies will cut cleanly. This treatment is wonderful when using cutters with intricate designs or cutters made of plastic. You can also spray the cutters with oil spray.

Rolling Out Cookies

When rolling out cookies, use confectioners' sugar instead of flour to dust the work surface and rolling pin. There will be no telltale traces of white powder on the cookies after baking.

Storing 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.

 


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Johnson's Catering provides cooking classes, catering, and ice sculpting (ice carving) in Birmingham, AL and surrounding
areas. Chef Donnell can also come to you which means that if you are close to Alabama, he can come to your town and
create the ice scuptures in your area to minimize problems with delivery and transportation.