Cakes & Cookies

CONVENTIONAL or STANDARD Mixing Method

1. Measure all ingredients accurately.2. Cream fat and sugar together (resembles

whipped cream).3. Beat in eggs usually ONE AT A TIME.4. SIFT dry ingredients together.5. Add the dry ingredients and liquid

ALTERNATELY to the creamed mixture. Begin and end with the DRY ingredients.

6. Mix until well-blended (NOT incorporating air, just mixing!)

What’s the difference?

• Cookies and cakes use very similar ingredients and proportions.

• The main difference is that COOKIES have very little LIQUID– Gives them a more substantial texture

Six Major Groups of Cookies:

• ROLLED cookies

• DROP cookies

• BAR cookies

• REFRIGERATOR

cookies

• MOLDED cookies

• PRESSED cookies

ROLLED COOKIES

• Use a stiff dough• Roll out the dough

and cut with cookie cutters

• EX: sugar cookies

*Rolled cookies are easier to roll and shape if the dough is CHILLED before ROLLING!

DROP COOKIES

• Made with a soft dough

• Leave 2” between cookies to allow for SPREADING while cooking

• Should be UNIFORM in size so cookies bake evenly

EX: Chocolate Chip Cookies

BAR COOKIES

• Use a soft dough• Dough is spread into

a pan (maybe 9x13), baked, and then sliced

• EX: Brownies

Rice Krispie Treats

REFRIGERATOR COOKIES

• Also known as ICEBOX cookies

• Contain a high proportion of fat

• Dough is shaped into a long roll, refrigerated for several days, sliced, and baked

• Is SOFT before it’s chilled!

EX: icebox cookies, any slice-and-bake premade

cookies

MOLDED COOKIES

• The dough is shaped with the hands or fingers

• Usually flattened with a fork or glass before baking

• EX: peanut butter cookies

PRESSED COOKIES

• A very rich, stiff dough that is packed into a cookie press

• A cookie press has perforated disks through which the dough is pushed through onto cookie sheets

Choices, choices…

• Butter vs. Margarine?

• What kind of baking sheet?

• Greased or ungreased?

• How many sheets at a time?

• How long do they bake?

• How much time in between batches?

BUTTER vs. MARGARINE

• Butter adds a sweet, delicate, rich flavor to cookies!

• Use butter if possible for baking cookies unless the recipe specifies otherwise

• Unsalted butter is the preferred choice– Salted butter can be used,

but it’s difficult to control the amt. of salt in the recipe if used

What kind of baking sheet?• Shiny aluminum is best!

– Promotes even browning and a light brown crust

– Dark finishes absorb heat quicker and may cause the cookies to over-brown

• The baking sheet should have low sides, or no sides!  

• Baking sheets with a cushion of air between 2 layers are desirable as they help prevent over browning

Greased or ungreased?• When a recipe calls for a greased baking sheet, lightly

grease with vegetable shortening or a nonstick cooking spray

• An alternative to greasing is to cover the baking sheet with either parchment paper or a non-stick baking pad– eliminate adding extra fat to the cookies, and also make cleaning the baking sheet easier!

• When a recipe states to use an ungreased baking sheet, the cookies can be placed directly on the baking sheet– they should not stick after they are baked!

How many sheets at a time?

• Cookies bake better if you bake just one sheet of cookies at a time!

• If the cookies are baking unevenly, try rotating the baking sheet 180 degrees half way through the baking time

• If you need to bake two sheets at a time, reverse the position of the sheets half way through the baking time, and rotate each 180 degrees

How long do they bake?

• Bake the Minimum Time!– Check for doneness at the minimum time length

stated in a recipe, then bake a little longer if needed– Cookies can easily overbake; watch for visual clues

for doneness such as brown edges

• Baking times given in a recipe are only guidelines; each oven is different!

• Use a clean toothpick to check for doneness in bar cookies– If just a few moist crumbs cling to the toothpick, they

are probably done

How much time in between batches?

• Let the Baking Sheet Cool!

• Otherwise the dough starts to soften and the cookies lose shape (spreading) before they are placed in the oven!