Woman’s Passions

Problems with cookies? There are no problems! We will examine how to avoid and prevent basic mistakes during baking of cookies.

Here are answers to questions which in most cases arise at housewives during baking of cookies.

Q: Is it necessary to sift a flour for baking cookies?
A: Due to achievements of flour manufacturers, many recipes require no flour sifting nowadays. Nevertheless, the exact quantity of flour plays one of the most important roles in a batch of cookies. It is better to weigh flour in deep metal or plastic glasses. Glass or plastic glasses with a scale on a lateral surface and special nose - are meant for liquids. If you use them for flour measurement, you will finally get the superfluous table spoon of flour for each of glasses. Stir up flour while it is still in packing. Pour flour in a volumetric glass with a big spoon and level top with a rake accurately. Do not stir up glass to level flour surface.

Q: Can I make dough for cookies by means of a manual mixer or should I use stationary?
A: Majority of recipes for cookies can be executed with a simple manual mixer. As it is known, most manual mixers are much weaker than their stationary colleagues, therefore during the moment when it is necessary to add the rests of flour, you will have to mix everyting with a wooden spoon.

Q: How long can I store cookies for?
A: You can store cookies for about three days from the date of batch in densely closed container. For longer storage it is possible to freeze them. Then the period of storage will increase for about 3 months. As cookies are small, they thaw very quickly and will be ready for eating in 15 minutes. To get the best result, freeze cookies, not covering them with chocolate, glaze, etc. preliminary. You can do it after they will be defrozen.

Q: Which sheets are better for preparation of cookies?
A: Choose well polished, qualitative sheets with very low boards or without them at all. Avoid dark sheets. They can lead to undesirable darkening of the bottom part of cookies. Use a sheet with boards (the size 15х10х1-inch) only for “cut” cookies.  If you still use such sheet, simply turn it over and cook on its bottom part. Separate sheets without boards give light cookies with a gentle core. You can have problems if you use them for cookies with high butter contents, for example shortcake can thaw and flow out before dough is ready.

Q: Tell please why my cookies look as if they are not ready completely?
A: Firstly check your oven with the thermometer to be convinced that it is serviceable. If temperature on the thermometer is lower, than installed, increase temperature accordingly. If the thermometer shows the temperature corresponds installed one, it is necessary to leave cookies in it little longer. Also you could put more dough in cookies, therefore little more time is required for their baking.

Q: What makes cookies firm and rigid?
A: Usually cookies harden, if they are kept in an oven for longer time. Check the temperature in the furnace with a thermometer and lower temperature if it is necessary. If the temperature corresponds installed one, reduce baking time for 1-2 minutes.

Q: Why my cookies are baked differently on the same sheet: ones are normal, others - rigid or burnt slightly?
A: Use sheets, which are located in the furnace with, at least 1 inch of stock on a circle. Bake only one sheet simultaneously and be sure that it is located in the middle. Try to arrange cookies on a sheet in accuracy as it is offered under the recipe. The free space is necessary so that dough would have a place for growth and air flow of cookies.

Q: What makes cookies inflating too much?
A: The reason can be in hot sheets. Always make sure sheets cool down between sets.

Q: How can I adjust my recipes of cookies for cooking at heats?
A: Recipes of cookies require little changes if you wish to increase temperature of a batch. Increase temperature of the furnace on 25 by Farenheit and reduce time of a batch for 1-2 minutes. If it does not help, reduce sugar contents on a couple of table spoons. If the recipe provides use of a fluffer or baking soda, you can reduce their quantity on 1/8 teaspoons.

Q: Is there a difference between butter I use to bake cookies?
A: Butter is a gold basis for a good batch of cookies and some recipes have magnificent taste and a correct structure only when butter is used. Butter is necessary in the majority of our recipes for “mold-baked” and “cut” cookies, and also in some other recipes. Recipes where we can choose between butter or margarine, give identical results in both cases, if certainly you use margarine with 80 % vegetable oil contents. If percentage of oil is not designated on a face sheet of packing, check up its power value. Margarine should have 100 calories on one table spoon. , Land O’Lakes, Mazona, Nucoa, and also many other margarine brands contain 80 % vegetable oils.

Q: Why many recipes contain nuts?
A: Some people have allergy on nuts, and some of them just do not like nuts. To tell the truth – we love nuts. We like this smack and structure which they give to cookies.