Cookies are defined as:

A small, sweet flat pastry usually classified

by the preparation or make up techniques
e.g. drop, spritz, bar, sheet, etc.

The unique characteristic of this category of

pastries is the vast variety and differing
characteristics
Think of 3 types of cookies and list the basic
characteristics:
 COOKIE TYPES

Type__________ Type__________ Type__________

→_____________ →_____________ →_____________

→_____________ →_____________ →_____________

→_____________ →_____________ →_____________

What do the above cookies have in common?

How do they differ?
Cookie characteristics are dependent
on 3 major factors:

•Moisture – liquid content

•Baking temperature and time
•Sugar and fat content
In your experience with either baking
cookies or purchasing them, what are
the most common problems that you
encounter?
 QUALITY
CHARACTERISTICS:
Appearance, eye appeal
Proper texture
Fresh taste
Quality ingredients
Proper size, uniformity
Complementary flavor
 FUNCTION OF
INGREDIENTS
Fats Tenderizer Function
• Tenderizer
• Flavor
• Keeping qualities
• Shorten gluten
• Adds moisture
• Aids in leavening
 Sugar
Tenderizer

Function
Tenderizer
Sweetness and flavor
Increases spread
Draws moisture away from the flour =
more tender product
Aids in aeration and leavening
 Flour
Toughener

Function
Soft flours cause more spread
Strong flours, no spread
Gives structure and is a binder
 Eggs
Toughener / Tenderizer

Function
Tenderizer (fat from yolk)
Adds flavor
Binds
Gives structure (protein)
Aids in leavening due to emulsifying
properties
 Leavening
Tenderizer

Function
Creates CO2 to aid in leavening
Eye appeal
Volume
 Flavoring

Toughen or Tenderizer?
Neither

Function
Aroma
Eye appeal
Flavor
Cookie Characteristics
Once you understand the
function of each ingredient in a
cookie formula, you need to
know how the ingredients
interact with each other
to produce a variety of
.
characteristics
 SOFTNESS
1. High liquid
2. Low sugar/ low fat
3. Under baked
4. Invert sugars
5. Larger size
6. Store tightly covered
CRISPNESS
Low liquid
High sugar/high fat
Longer baking time
Smaller size dries
faster during baking
Store tightly covered
Chewiness
High in invert sugar
High liquid
Stronger flour
High in eggs
Low fat
 More Spread
Coarser sugar = more spread
Softer flour
High sugar
High in leavening agents
Over­creaming
Low baking temperature
Greased pans
 Less spread
Finer sugar – powdered sugar
Stronger flour
Higher baking temperatures
Less liquid
Less creaming
Less leavening
 Mixing Methods

While the variety of

cookies and cookie
recipes seem infinite,
there are 3 basic
mixing methods that
encompass a
majority of the
formulas.
 Creaming Method
Scale accurately. All ingredients at room
temperature
Cream fat, sugar, salt, and spices until
desired consistency:
1. Light = light and fluffy
2. Denser = blend to a smooth paste
Add eggs, bit by bit, scraping
Add sifted dry ingredients (flour and leavening)
Blend just until incorporated
Pan as directed
 One stage method

Scale all ingredients accurately

Sift dry ingredients
Blend all ingredients until smooth
Sponge Method
Warm eggs
Scale accurately
Whip to ribbon stage
Fold in sifted dry
ingredients carefully
Do not over mix
Pipe and bake
Ribbon Stage
 Make up methods
Cookies are most often classified based on
the technique used for their make­up. The
most important rule about make­up is….

Same shape, size and weight!

Why is this?

So they all bake evenly.

 Dropped
Chocolate Chip
1. Roll in parchment in
cylinders = less time
consuming
2. Can scoop
3. May need to flatten
doughs as needed
 Bagged

Spritz
1. Made from soft
dough
2. Most are piped
3. Decorate
attractively
 Rolled
Linzer, short dough
1. Dough must be chilled
before using
1. Labor intensive
2. Great shapes
3. Decorated beautifully
4. Roll dough to 1/8” –
not too thick, not too thin
 Molded
Oreo,
Scotch Shortbread

1. Pressed into
molds
 Refrigerator
Checkerboard, Pinwheel
• Also called ice box
• Time consuming
• Can be kept and
used as needed
 Bar cookies
Biscotti
(means twice baked)

1. Cut while still warm

2. Oven dried at the end
SHEET COOKIES

Brownies, Blondies
1. Spread flat on a
sheet and baked
2. Usually cut into
desired shapes
3. Can be iced
 MISC.
Baked,
then shaped

1. Tuile
2. Florentine
 Panning cookies

Greased pans will increase spread

Ungreased will decrease spread, will
stick
Parchment paper is the best way
 Guidelines
Clean, unwarped pan
Proper temperature
Line pan with parchment
Greased pan increases spread
Carry over cooking
Can double pan to prevent bottom
browning
Watch paper in the convection
Uniform size
 Cooling Cookies:

If cookies stick: If cookies fall apart:

•Not enough fat •Not enough
•Too much sugar moisture, or eggs

•Temperature too high •Improper mixing

•Too much sugar,
fat, or leavening
 Storing cookies
Soft cookies
1. Air tight
2. Will last 1 week if properly
stored
Crisp cookies
1. Store airtight due to
hygroscopic nature of sugar
2. Dry place
3. Will last 2 weeks days if
stored properly
You have a party next Saturday and need 100
dozen cookies ( a mixture of seven varieties).

What actions can you take to ensure that all the

cookies have that fresh­baked taste?
How many times have you made cookies
that spread too much, or not enough, or
were too hard, or too soft?

Knowing the causes of these errors will allow

you the ability to recognize both formula errors
and human errors.
 Too much spread:
1. Low temperature
2. Wrong flour
3. Too much fat
4. Greased pan
5. Creamed too long
6. Not enough eggs
 Too little spread
Wrong flour
High temperature
Powdered sugar used
Non greased pan
Too Crumbly:
Not enough moisture
Too much sugar
Improper mixing
 Too soft
Too much moisture
Under baked
Too much invert sugar
Mis­scaled
Low sugar
Low fat
 Too hard
Too much sugar
Over­baked
Wrong flour
Over­mixed
Low fat
Too brown:
Overcooked
Too much sugar
Wrong temperature
Wrong type of sugar
 Not brown enough
Under baked
Low temperature
Not enough sugar

Stick to pans:
Not enough fat
No parchment
Not greased enough