CHEF’S SECRET TIPS
Dec 12, 2009Chef Victoria’s Secret Gourmet Cooking Tip of the Month
The Christmas cookie baking season is here!Whether you start early and freeze batches of cookies to pull out for the holiday celebrations, or wait until the last minute to serve oven-fresh cookies, here are some tips to make your cookies better than ever…
Use Real Butter
Many a cookie has been ruined by margarine. Cookies were meant to be made with real, sweat cream butter. Butter adds a texture and a flavour to cookies that margarine can’t imitate. Choose either salted or unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, you can skip adding salt to most cookie recipes.
Avoid Non-Stick Cookie Sheets
Dark-coated cookie sheets heat faster and will lead to dark-bottomed cookies. Some cookies even get burned on the bottom when a dark sheet is used. Because cookies have a high butter content, they don’t stick to the cookie sheet. A non-stick cookie sheet is not necessary. I prefer baking on parchment paper (which can be re-used several times) or the new sil-pat mats.
Use Real Vanilla Flavouring
Baked good tastes better when real vanilla flavouring is used. Imitation flavouring is less expensive, but it doesn’t add the same depth of taste as real vanilla flavouring.
Use Good Quality Chocolate
When a cookie recipe calls for chocolate chips or chocolate that will be melted, use the best quality that you can afford.
Keep Cookies Small
Small, consistently-sized cookies are just the right size for those that just want a taste. Guests and other cookie-eaters will feel compelled to sample more than one type of cookie when they are small enough to be eaten in one or two bites. Keep them a consistent size by using a small kitchen scoop, such as a melon baller. A regular batch of cookies will produce twice as many small cookies as large-sized cookies. And you’ll be out of the kitchen quicker! Happy Holidays!
