11 bake from scratch
WITH THESE TRUSTY TOOLS IN YOUR ROTATION,YOU’LL FIND COOKIE PERFECTION COMES EASY- STURDY SILICONE SPATULA OR WOODEN SPOON.
Once you add fl our, keep the mixing to a minimum. After adding
fl our, every extra second spent beating your dough activates more
gluten, which means tougher cookies. The key to not overmixing your
cookie dough? Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to stir in your
mix-ins (like chocolate chips, nuts, or sprinkles) by hand so you don’t
overwork the dough. - SIFTER. Use a sifter to lightly dust fl our onto your surface
before rolling out dough. Sifting the fl our instead of throwing it onto
the surface ensures that you don’t add too much. Excess fl our on
the surface will stick to your dough and lead to tough, dry cookies. In
addition, you can use your sifter to dust your bars and cookies with a
snowy layer of confectioners’ sugar—instant elegance! - SPRING-LOADED SCOOP.
This handy tool allows you to
scoop and drop consistently
sized dough balls with ease and
precision. Uniform cookies bake
evenly—it’s as simple as that. - FRENCH ROLLING PIN.
Tender doughs require a lighter touch
than bread dough. Opt for a slim, wooden
French pin. They’re easier to maneuver
than marble pins, and they apply delicate
pressure to your cookie dough. Remember
to rub it down with fl our before using on
particularly buttery dough in order to
keep it from sticking during roll out. - RULER. This math class
essential can help you measure the
thickness of cookie dough when
you’re rolling it out so you always
have evenly sized cookies. It’ll also
help you properly divide up your
dough when rolling out, slicing, or
splitting it up into triangles (like the
way you would cut rugelach dough). - METAL COOKIE CUTTERS.
Whether round, square,
scalloped, or snowfl ake-shaped,
a good cookie cutter should
be made of a sturdy material
like metal so it punches cleanly
through your dough without
catching or getting dented with
the constant force of pressing. - LIGHT-COLORED BAKING SHEETS.
You’ll want to invest in light-colored baking sheets to ensure even cooking.
(We like Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Nonstick Cookie Sheets.) And why
multiple sets? For one, you need to let your baking sheet cool completely
before placing a new batch of cookies on it. Placing cookies on a hot baking
sheet can cause them to spread more as they bake because the heat melts the
butter faster than the cookies bake. Having numerous baking sheets waiting
in the wings means you don’t have to constantly wait for one to cool down.
Plus, if your cookies are browning too much on the bottom, you can
double up on the baking sheets, stacking a second one under the
fi rst to create a protective barrier.
OUR