6 Tips for Baking Cookies at Home

Even though Great Harvest of Newtonville has delicious cookies, sometimes the combination of mood and weather calls for baking cookies at home. In this post, we’ll go over some tips for them to come out great. 

Keep Ingredients at Room Temperature

One of the first steps in baking cookies is ensuring that all of your ingredients are at the same temperature. That’s why most recipes ask for room temperature ingredients. The best way to do this is by taking your refrigerated ingredients like eggs and butter out of the fridge a few hours before you start to bake to make sure they’re at the right temperature when you’re ready to start baking. But, what if you forgot? There are a couple of hacks to keep up your sleeve if you forgot to take your eggs or butter out of the fridge in time. For eggs, drop them in hot (not boiling) water for a few minutes to get them up to room temperature faster. For butter, pop it in the microwave 10 or 15 seconds at a time; once you can dent the butter with your finger without applying pressure, it will be warm enough.

Bake by Weight

Another way to ensure that your cookies will come out perfect each time is to bake by weight and not by cup measurement. Many recipes ask for cups and tablespoons, but it’s a reality that recipes written by weight are much more accurate. While we’re at it, a kitchen scale is an essential tool for anyone that enjoy’s baking.

Baking cookies at home can be a fun family activity, but for those times when you don’t feel like baking, Great Harvest Bread Co. has your back with delicious cookies, pastries, and bread. Call them today at 617-928-1162 or visit their website to see their full menu.

Don’t Overmix Your Batter

Overmixing your batter is one of the most common mistakes when baking cookies. The best tip for not overmixing your batter is to keep an eye on it and only mix until your ingredients are just incorporated, and make sure to follow time instructions for mixing. Another essential instruction to follow is knowing when to mix and when to fold. Folding in an ingredient will keep it intact and will prevent more air from getting into the batter. Folding is usually reserved for cookie toppings like chocolate chips or nuts.

Use a Cookie Scoop

Cookie scoops are great tools to have in your baking toolbox as they let you have equally sized cookies every time. Cookie scoops also come in many sizes for you to bake cookies of whatever size you want. Another reason to use cookie scoops is that it lets you handle your batter less. Handling the batter less means less heat transferred from your hands to the batter, which could cause it to melt prematurely and spread out in the oven.

For more delicious baked goods, visit Great Harvest Bread Co. Call them today at 617-928-1162 to place your order or visit their website to see their full menu.

Freeze Cookies Before Baking

The efficacy of this tip will greatly depend on what type of cookie you’re baking. That being said, most butter-based cookies like chocolate chip, butterscotch, and shortbread cookies all benefit by freezing before baking. Some cookies will need to be in the freezer for about 10 minutes, while others might need a few hours to set properly before baking. Most recipes will let you know if you need to freeze or if baking straight from the bowl is the way to go, so keep an eye on those instructions for better results.

Parchment Paper is Your Friend

Another secret trick that bakers always keep in their pantry is a roll of parchment paper. Parchment paper is grease-proof and heat resistant, and its primary role is to prevent your baked goods from sticking to the baking pan. It also makes clean up a breeze. There are many types of parchment paper in stores, from pre-cut squares to unbleached parchment paper.

Underbake Your Cookies

Finally, and probably one of the most important tips, is to underbake your cookies. It might sound counterintuitive, but if you’ve ever had your cookies come out hard and impossible to bite into, it’s probably because they were overbaked. Remember that cookies take way less time to bake than a loaf of bread or a pie, so follow baking times carefully and watch your oven’s temperature. Two ways to tell if it’s time to take them out are if they start filling up your home with their amazing scent and if the edges are golden.

Visit Great Harvest Bread Co. for delicious daily baked bread, cookies, and pastries. Call them today at 617-928-1162 for more information, or visit their website to see their full menu.