How to Bake Holiday Cookies Like A Pro (2024)

FAQs

How to Bake Holiday Cookies Like A Pro? ›

If you're making snickerdoodles, sprinkle a little extra of the cinnamon sugar right on top of the balls of dough before baking. If you're making Lemon Poppyseed Cookies, sprinkle extra lemon zest and poppy seeds right on top. It's this little extra step that makes your cookies look super professional!

If you're making snickerdoodles, sprinkle a little extra of the cinnamon sugar right on top of the balls of dough before baking. If you're making Lemon Poppyseed Cookies, sprinkle extra lemon zest and poppy seeds right on top. It's this little extra step that makes your cookies look super professional!

You'll find that most of your favorite Christmas cookie recipes can be made anywhere from a month to six months before the 25th of December. (Consult this handy how-to guide to the matter.) Generally, most recipes will be best if baked and then frozen.

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.

The best cookies have layers of texture. A slightly crisp outer shell that holds up to some heat with an inner core that's soft and chewy.

Mixing Butter & Sugar

If your butter is under mixed, it won't have the air pockets to hold it's shape. If it's over-mixed, the air pockets decrease in size and are unable to hold their shape in the oven—causing your cookies to spread. It's best to cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

Are sugar cookies supposed to be soft? While some folks might prefer thin, crispy sugar cookies, we think that a perfect sugar cookie recipe should be firm enough to hold its shape without spreading in the oven, but also soft and supple with a tender crumb.

Using parchment paper for baking cookies will enable them to bake more evenly, and the non-stick quality will also help prevent them from cracking or breaking when lifting them off the sheet.

What is the secret ingredient to keep cookies soft? ›

Use Brown Sugar

Add two tablespoons of light or dark brown sugar to your cookie recipe. Brown sugar can hold extra moisture because of its molecular structure (science!). The glucose and fructose found in it are hygroscopic, which means they suck up and hang onto moisture and moisture = soft, chewy cookies.

Cookies become hard when the moisture in them evaporates. This can be caused by leaving them out in the air for too long, baking them for too long, or storing them improperly. The lack of moisture makes the cookies hard and dry, which makes them difficult to enjoy.

Another option for fans of homemade goods with a long shelf life are twice-baked cookies, such as the biscotti. Because they go through the process of baking twice, they are likely to last up to two weeks. Similar to bar cookies, you can't freeze the dough, but this time up to six months.

Chilling cookie dough is a golden rule to be sure, but there are exceptions. If you're going for a thin cookie that spreads out or you have a delicate dough like macron or madeleine, those are the instances where you'll want to bake your cookies at room temperature instead.

Before placing your cookies in their boxes, line them with food-grade parchment paper, wax paper, or biodegradable bubble wrap first. The paper should be at the bottom, sides, and top of the container. If you are packing multiple cookies in the same container, place a sheet of paper between each cookie.

Use the right royal icing consistency

You'll use piping-consistency icing to outline the cookies and add intricate details, while you'll use the looser flooding-consistency icing to fill the surface of the cookie and cover large areas. The only difference between the two icings is the amount of water added.

Practice makes perfect: Don't be discouraged by initial imperfections. Cookie decorators at all skill levels continue to refine their piping skills over time. Keep practicing, and you'll see improvement. Invest in quality tips: Quality piping tips can make a world of difference.