10 Top Tips
- Split the dough. It makes it much easier to work with, and rolling out is made lots easier, too. Plus, you can do some now, and save the rest for a rainy day!
- Choose a good baking tray. Heavy aluminium ones are best, and if they have no sides, even better for sliding the cookies off when they're done.
- Know how to grease. Use full-fat butter, preferably not from a tub. If a recipe has very high sugar content, it's also a good idea to use baking parchment; which is great anyway because it helps brown your cookies.
- Don't overload the oven. Use the middle tray if you can, baking just one sheet at a time.
- Be careful about over-baking. Check if your cookies are done at the minimum time given, and cook for longer if you need to.
- Use a cooling rack. If you haven't got one, most ovens have wire shelves. So long as they weren't in the oven as the cookies cooked, they work just fine too.
- Cool completely before you store! If they aren't cool, the moisture all gets trapped in the container or tin and makes them soggy, which isn't so nice.
- Choose your cooking time. Obviously use the recipe's one, but if you like chewy cookies, cook for less time, and if you like crunchy cookies, cook for more time. It's a simple rule that really works!
- Use large eggs. Recipes don't usually say 'large', but that's the assumed size for cookie eggs.
- Leave space between them on your baking tray. That way, even if they spread crazily, they won't go into each other.