cookies for tea
Tips for Baking Cookies

Frequently asked Cookie questions

Your Cookie Questions

How do you get coookies so brown soft and tasty

Leah asks…How do you get coookies so brown soft and tasty and get them well done without burning them. And how to you even get them to be so soft like millies cookies?
You do ask the tough cookie questions!
Lets look at your questions in reverse order.

How to get them soft?

Firstly use recipes that use sugar in liquid form; honey, golden syrup or molasses. Moisture is retained better through the baking process. Secondly cook them at a lower temperature than recommended. Try lowering it ten degrees at a time as you test them out. Thirdly, remove them from the oven when the edges are just golden, not dark, brown and the centre still looks a bit on the raw side. They will cook on for a minute or two, depending upon their thickness and density, so that you get them just right. The problem is that every oven varies so it is a mater for some experimentation. Oh, and if the recipe calls for eggs use two egg yolks rather than one whole egg.

Cookies bake fast, around 10 minutes is typical, so even an extra minute is enough to burn the whole lot. I set my timer for two minutes less than the recommended time and then watch them carefully. Even then I get it wrong from time to time.

As for getting them brown, there is a simple answer. Cheat. Use molasses!

Try this one for fun:-

Chewy peanut and raisin cookie recipe

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Happy baking!

Can you substitute butter for shortening

Matthew asks…Can you substitute butter for shortening?

Yes you can, in general, and with good health benefits as well.
You will find some differences.

Shortening tends to help the cookie to hold its shape, so substituting butter will cause it to run a bit more during cooking. If you refrigerate before cooking you can prevent this.

Shortening prolongs the ‘shelf life’ of baked products, so butter ones won’t last as ling. Not that that is a problem in my house!

Shortening provides a smother ‘finish’ to the taste. Most cookie recipes won’t be troubled by this, it affects cakes and pastries more.

Why the health benefits? That’s because shortening uses trans-fats – these are manufactured from natural fats by hydrogenating them and make them more solid. Trans-fats are not good for you as they retain bad cholesterol and help block your arteries.

For the full story see:-


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