Tips For Fool-Proof Cookies

For successful cookie baking this holiday season, heed these tips shared by cookie cookbook experts:

Measure ingredients carefully; don’t try to substitute ingredients or change the amounts. If a recipe calls for cold butter, don’t use soft butter. It could make a big difference in the texture of the cookie.

Use unsalted butter if you want to control the amount of salt in the cookies. You need only a small amount of salt to bring out the flavor of the butter.

For ease, use a heavy-duty electric mixer or food processor to make most cookie doughs.

Rely on the microwave oven for softening or melting butter, chocolate and other ingredients.

Preheat the oven at least 15 minutes prior to baking cookies.

Oven temperature is extremely important. Check it with an oven thermometer. Just a few degrees off can bring disappointment - and sometimes disastrous results.

Don’t grease cookie sheets unless the recipe specifies. Let sheets cool in between baking batches. A hot sheet can change the character and shape of the cookies.

Dark-surfaced cookie sheets can cause cookies to brown and crisp faster. Shiny heavy-gauge aluminum cookie sheets are recommended.

If cookies are not baking evenly, rearrange and rotate the cookie sheets in the oven halfway through the baking time.

When it comes to baking times, use a timer - never guess. Watch cookies carefully to avoid overbaking. Check them several minutes prior to the minimum baking time specified in the recipe. In a matter of a minute or two, cookies can go from golden to burned.

Always underbake cookies, as they continue baking after being removed from the oven.

Cool cookies completely before wrapping and storing for best possible texture. Store crisp cookies separately from soft ones.

If you are planning to keep cookies for more than a couple of days, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer. They’re best eaten within a month or two.