kitchen skills
Crafting Cookies Bake better cookies with helpful tools and chef secrets for success BY JASON ROSS
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he holidays mean baking treats, and cookies are always a favorite that is perfect for sharing. Raise your cookies from good to great with these tips and tools that also make baking easier and more fun. Then, practice your new techniques with my take on chocolate chunk cookies and see how all your holiday cookies benefit from your newfound skills. (See more cookie recipes on page 46.) PHOTOGRAPHY TERRY BRENNAN FOOD STYLING LARA MIKLASEVICS
COOKIE DO’S SCRAPE THE BOWL TO GET FULLY MIXED DOUGH: Do it after adding eggs, adding dry to wet, or wet to dry ingredients. Mixer attachments don’t quite reach the bottom and sides of the bowl, so parts are left unmixed. Use a rubber spatula to stir the unmixed parts back into the dough— and scrape the paddle attachment. CHILL DOUGH: It makes the batter easier to handle and gives the flour enough time to fully absorb liquid ingredients and make more cohesive dough. For the chocolate chunk cookie recipe here—and any soft cookie— bake from frozen. This will make a tender, crisp cookie that stays chewy. Keep cookie dough balls ready in the freezer during the holidays in case of a “cookie emergency.” FINISH WITH SALT: Just a few grains sprinkled on top of cookies will hit the palate first, bringing out a surprise flavor. Don’t use enough so you can see it—like a pretzel—rather just enough for a little salt secret. COOL COOKIES ON A RACK: Cookies will continue to cook on a hot pan. Unless they are too soft or fragile to handle, lift them off the pans with a metal spatula and cool on a wire rack. COLOR CUES: Pay attention to brown color, especially around the edges, and lighter color in the center. This helps determine a perfectly baked cookie. Since cookies are small, a little more or less time makes a big difference. If a few cookies on a tray are done, pull them off to cool and finish cooking the rest of the tray.
CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES
6 real food winter 2020
ROTATE PANS HALFWAY THROUGH COOKING: All ovens have hot and cool spots, so rotate pans to get even cooking across the tray. Be quick—you don’t want the oven to cool down.
