Tips Guide For Making Homemade Cookies

Here are a bunch of tips I’ve collected from several old cookbooks that will help you fill the family cookie jar with tasty treats.

You’ll find a tip list for baking cookies plus a a selection of storage tips for your freshly baked homemade cookies.

I’ve also included a Basic Refrigerator Dough Recipe at the bottom with 9 variations–you can bake nine kinds of cookies at once from this one basic batter!

Tips For Baking Cookies

1. Cookies should be uniform in size and thickness so use level spoonfuls for drop cookies, a sharp thin bladed knife for slicing refrigerator rolls.
2. When trying a new cookie recipe, it is helpful to bake a test cookie to see how much it spreads. If it spreads too much try chilling the dough or adding a little more flour to the dough.
3. Do not grease the cookie sheet unless the recipe states you should. If the recipe does require it, do not use butter to grease baking sheets but just a light layer of unsalted shortening or non-stick spray. Too much grease causes cookies to spread and edges will be thin, crisp & may burn.
4. Use shiny baking sheets, dark or burned sheets absorb heat faster and may cause cookies to burn.
5. Be sure to bake cookies on a sheet without sides or with very low sides. If your baking sheets have sides, turn them upside down and bake cookies on the bottom.
6. You can use a smaller pan such as an inverted cake or pie pan to bake cookies if you don’t have enough dough left to fill a regular baking sheet.
7. Place cookies approximately 2″ apart on baking sheet to allow for spreading while they bake.
8. Bake cookies on the middle rack of your oven and only one sheet at a time for best results.
9. There should be at least 2″ of rack showing around all sides of the baking sheet to allow for proper heat circulation.
10. If your cookies tend to burn on the bottom, raise the level of the oven rack or try placing another baking sheet under the sheet that holds the cookies.
11. If your cookies at the back of the sheet brown faster than those in the front, your oven is hotter in the back than in the front. Try turning the sheet around half way during the baking time.
12. If a recipe gives an approximate baking time, such as 12 to 15 minutes, check the cookies at the minimum time to avoid overbaking.
13. Practically all cookies should be slightly underbaked. Take them from the oven while still a little soft, they’ll continue to bake as long as they are in contact with the hot pan.
14. After baking cookies, remove them from the sheet and place in a single layer on a wire rack to cool. If you stack them on top of each other they will stick together.
15. Before baking another batch of cookies, cool and clean off your baking sheet, hot baking sheets melt the shortening in the dough and cookies will spread.
16. Drop Cookies: Chilling the cookie dough before dropping cookies helps to keep spreading to a minimum.
17. Drop Cookies: You can keep cookie dough in the refrigerator for up to one week (covered well) or freeze for later use.
18. Shaped Cookies: When making shaped cookies, chill dough if it is too soft to shape.
19. Shaped Cookies: Flatten cookies with a floured fork or bottom of a glass which has been greased and dipped in flour or sugar.
20. Rolled Cookies: Dough can be molded into balls and flattened with bottom of glass which has been greased and dipped in sugar.
21. Rolled Cookies: Roll out small portions of dough rather than in one whole batch. Keep the remainder in refrigerator until ready to roll.
22. Rolled Cookies: Do not add scraps of rolled dough to fresh dough. Save and roll out together since these cookies will be less tender. Cut in squares or diamond shapes to avoid more scraps.
23. Rolled Cookies: To prevent sticking when rolling, use a pastry cloth and covered rolling pin. Roll with a light touch, you don’t want the dough to stick to the board or pastry cloth.
24. Rolled Cookies: Dough may be tightly covered and kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Roll out and bake fresh cookies as desired.
25. Refrigerator Cookies: These cookies spread very little, chill dough thoroughly before slicing.
26. Refrigerator Cookies: For quick chilling, place rolls in freezer for an hour.
27. Refrigerator Cookies: Refrigerator doughs keep well in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, just slice and bake as needed. Slicing may be easier if you dip the knife in hot water and then wipe dry.

Storing Freshly Baked Cookies

(Source: Most of this info found in an old Robin Hood recipe booklet)

Cookies should be thoroughly cooled before being stacked for storage. Crisp and soft cookie varieties should never be stored in the same container since the crisp varieties will soften quickly under such circumstances.

Soft Cookies

• Store cookies in air-tight container. Sheets of waxed paper between layers prevent cookies from sticking to each other. A piece of cut orange or apple placed in the container will keep cookies soft. Because fruit molds make sure to change frequently.

Crisp Cookies

• Store cookies in container with loose-fitting lid. If cookies become soft, place in single layer on ungreased baking sheet and heat in 300°F. oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

Freezing Cookies

• Wrap cookies in freezer paper or place in air tight containers or bags. Thaw in original wrappings at room temperature. Baked cookies thaw within about 15 minutes at room temperature. Freeze up to six months.

Basic Refrigerator Dough Recipe

Source: An old Five-Roses recipe booklet

Cream 2/3 cup butter. Gradually add 1 cup brown sugar and cream well. Add 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla and beat well. Mix 2 cups pre-sifted flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; stir into batter. Use dough as it is or in any of the variations listed below. Shape finished dough into long rolls, about 2″ in diameter. Cover with waxed paper and chill until hard (about 1-2 hours). Slice thinly; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F. for 8-10 mins. Makes 5 dozen cookies.

9 VARIATIONS:
(use 1/3 of dough for each variation)

1. ORANGE: Add 1 1/2 TBS grated orange rind.
2. CHOCOLATE NUT: Add 1 square melted unsweetened chocolate for chocolate dough. Add 4 TBS chopped nuts.
3. LEMON-COCONUT: Add 1/2 tsp. lemon extract and 2 TBS shredded coconut.
4. TURTLES: Between 2 slices of chocolate dough, place whole pecan (for head) and 4 pieces chopped pecan (for legs).
5. SANDIES: Bake a plain cookie. Dredge with (colored) powdered fruit sugar while still warm.
6. BLACK and WHITE: Use chocolate dough. Top with miniature marshmallow for last 3 mins. of baking.
7. JEWEL: Add 2 TBS chopped red and/or green maraschino cherries, drained well and 2 TBS chopped nuts.
8. PINWHEELS: Roll out rectangles of chocolate and vanilla dough, 1/8 inch thick. Place one on top of other and roll together.
9. ALMOND: Add 1/2 tsp. almond extract. Before baking, top each cookie with blanched almond half.

Also see 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks, Tips on Baking Breads, Fruitcake Baking Tips and Handy Substitute Recipes For Baking for more baking tips & tricks.

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