5 Tips for baking perfect cookies every time

Across the world, cookies are one of the most popular homemade treats and as the baking culture grows in Uganda, the same trend is happening in our homes today as well.

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The beauty with baking cookies is that you don't need any special equipment. Cookies are probably the easiest thing to make once you get to actually try it out yourself.

Here are the tips you need to know to make perfect cookies every time:

1. All ingredients must be at room temperature before mixing

A good mindset to have as a baker is to think of temperature as another ingredient. Temperature is crucial in any baking recipe, and it certainly holds for cookies as well. Good cookie recipes not only specify oven temperature but also what temperature the ingredients should be before mixing.

If your ingredients aren’t at the correct temperature, the dough will not mix properly. The optimal temperature for creaming butter and sugar together and aerating the batter effectively is room.

The butter, the eggs, the melted chocolate, the sugar, the milk, the sour cream, everything should be at room temperature.

2. Chill the Dough

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Chilling the dough for at least has so many benefits that it’s often the first thing I test when tweaking new recipes.

Chilling the dough not only improves the texture and appearance of cookies but also concentrates their flavor. Cookies made from chilled dough won’t spread as much and they even brown better in the oven.

If the dough is too warm when you try to roll it out, it's more likely to stick to your counter, to your rolling pin, to your cookie-cutter, to your hands; you get the messy picture.

Cut-out cookies also hold their shape better if they’re cold when they go into the oven. You can chill the cookies on the pans for 20 minutes while the oven preheats before baking.

3. Consistent sizing

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If all the cookies are about the same size and shape, they are more likely to bake evenly. This way, with the same baking time, you don’t get some cookies that are overbaked while others are still too doughy.

Because of their size, cookies are more sensitive than larger baked goods when it comes to baking times. Sometimes just seconds could be the difference between golden edges and a burnt cookie.

4. One batch at a time

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If you have the time, it’s best to bake cookies one batch at a time as opposed to filling all the oven shelves at a go. One batch in the center shelf of the oven, with the heating elements at equal distances from the cookies.

The center of the oven is the ideal environment for even baking and it allows for efficient airflow.

5. The right way to cool cookies

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Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before you transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Even out of the oven, the cookies continue to cook and set on the baking sheet. If you try to move them before they set, they will fall apart and break.

Remember to cool cookies completely before icing them or adding any decorations. If they are still warm, they may break while you handle them or the decorations might melt.