To Kickstart Your Vacation Prep, We Answered All Your Cookie Questions

Welcome to Hotline Rewind, the weekly collection the place we collect up your questions from the week (and pepper in some from the Hotline archives) a couple of particular culinary subject. As a result of the vacations are formally right here, we’re absolutely centered on the bite-sized, extremely adorned world of cookies. We have acquired tons of questions over time—and lots of within the final week!—concerning the intricacies of baking. Listed here are a number of of the most typical ones:

My cookies at all times unfold! What am I doing unsuitable?

This virtually at all times comes all the way down to fats: if you happen to’re doing a traditional cookie recipe with creamed butter and sugar, it’s possible that you’re both utilizing butter that’s too heat or borderline-melted, otherwise you’re not chilling the dough. A number of cookie recipes don’t require chilling, however I feel virtually each cookie would profit from 10 to twenty minutes within the freezer pre-bake.

That’s as a result of chilling helps to chill the fats down and let the flour take in extra moisture. With hotter butter, it’s going to soften quicker within the oven and hold the cookie from holding its form.

Two different much less widespread causes could be overworking your dough or that your leaveners might be expired. Individuals at all times neglect to verify their baking powders and sodas however this stuff completely expire and lose their rising energy!

What’s the distinction between semisweet and bittersweet chocolate chips?

The first distinction is cacao content material: Semisweet normally has ~60% vs bittersweet’s 70%. As a result of they will style a bit extra bitter than milk chocolate, use them in baking tasks the place you might want to steadiness out sweetness. Chocolate chip cookies are an ideal instance of the place milk chocolate received’t deliver sufficient of that strong punch of chocolate, whereas that bitter and semisweet can.

My sugar cookies hold sticking to my rolling pin and cookie cutters. Assist!

For rolling, sandwich your dough in between two sheets of parchment, then roll flat. For reducing, dip your cookie cutter in flour first, and press confidently!

I at all times neglect to melt my butter. How can I do it rapidly?

Okay right here’s a hack I discovered once I was a food stylist and would wish softened butter quick: Use the microwave. This might sound apparent, however I’ve very particular directions for you. Depart the stick of butter in its wrapper and nuke it for 8 second intervals, rotating the stick every time. Do that till the butter is softened.

That is very removed from idiot proof, so go gradual to ensure you don’t find yourself with a pool of butter in your microwave.

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Do I would like a cookie press to make spritz cookies?

It does assist, and if I had to decide on one, it’d be the de Purchaser Le Tube. However you don’t want one. You can even use a piping bag and enjoyable tricks to make good shapes.

Are rainbow cookies even cookies?

Truthfully? No. They’re truly made up of three layers of cake and fruit preserves. However they’re scrumptious—and look wonderful on a cookie platter, so perhaps sure?

Have extra vacation entertaining questions? Ask away on our Hotline or drop us a line at 1 (877)-52-HOTLINE.