FOR THE LOVE OF COOKIES

Dating back to 7th century AD, cookies have been around since bakers have been writing down recipes.
Powerfully nostalgic, cookies have been our constant companion since childhood. Our relationship with
these bite-sized wonders is long and enduring. From the moment Cookie Monster announced, “C is for
Cookie!”, we were hooked. We gummed teething cookies as babies and snacked on cookies after school.
If you would like to sell your house for more than asking price, realtors recommend baking cookies
before an open house to transport your potential buyers into a Norman Rockwell painting to seal the
deal. Yes, cookies have been with us forever. Thank heavens.

Is it a cookie, a tea cake or a biscuit?

The word “cookie” originates from the Middle Dutch word “koekje” or little cake. Koekje were most
likely bite-sized tea cakes. In most English-speaking countries outside North America, crunchy cookies
are called biscuits and their chewier counterparts are called cookies.

Regardless of what you call them, cookies continue to be the most beloved treats worldwide. They grace
school lunchboxes and dessert tables at baby showers, wedding receptions, birthday parties and
barbeques. The holidays would not be complete without a platter full of cookies at family gatherings,
cookie exchanges or cookie decorating parties. We are awestruck by cookie art on social media. Let’s
face it, you are not going to set out a platter of kale for the jolly ole elf if you want that something
special for Christmas.

We can classify cookies into categories based on how they are formed, made or by flavor. Some cookies
fit in several categories. If you know the basic categories, you should be able to find a desired cookie
recipe in any cookbook without knowing the exact name of the cookie.

Batter cookies have loose batter which contains a high liquid-to-flour ratio and spread to an ultrathin
crispy wafer when baked, thus requiring little to no leavening agents. American whoopie pies, Italian
Pizzelles, Norwegian Krumkake, British brandy snaps and Dutch stroopwafels are examples of batter
cookies.

Biscotti are fat, crusty, flattened crescent moon cookies originating from Rome in the second century.
Back then, biscotti were more cracker than cookie, however by the 13th century Italian bakers created a
sweeter version which was served with vin santo. Today biscotti have traveled around the world and are
popularly served with coffee. Like shortbread, biscotti are the perfect canvas for flavor and texture
combinations. Biscotti falls into two dough categories – denser, harder Italian or lighter, crunchier
American.

Bar cookies are the easiest of cookies to prepare and consist of batter with other ingredients that is
pressed into a pan in a single or multiple layers and then cut into bite-sized pieces after baking. Legend
has it that a bar cookies were invented by a housewife who forgot to add leavening agent to her cake
batter. Regardless of origin, we love bar cookies for their ease of preparation and the endless
opportunities to create new flavor combinations. Bar cookies come in two varieties – one step, in which
the baker mixes all ingredients together and bakes in a shallow pan and layered two-step in which a

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crust is prebaked and then spread with a filling or topping or both. Brownies, blondies, date squares,
lemon bars and oatmeal jam bars fall into this category.

Drop cookies are made of relatively soft dough that is dropped by spoonful onto a prepared baking
sheet. These spoonfuls of dough flatten and spread during baking. The most popular drop cookies are
chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and rock cakes. Thumbprint cookies are sometimes included in this
category. Due to their simplicity, drop cookies are a great way to introduce kids to the amazing world of
cookie baking.

Filled cookies are made from rolled cookie dough filled with fruit, jam, or a confectionary filling. Linzer
cookies and Hamantaschen fall nicely into this category.

Ice box cookies are made from a stiff dough that is rolled into logs which are refrigerated to solidify fats
and are sliced into disks before baking. Pinwheels are ice box cookies.

Molasses cookies highlight one of the world’s ancient ingredients with a storied past - from its origin in
Persia and India in 600 BC, to its role in the infamous trade triangle of molasses, rum and slaves during a
dark time in America and the Molasses Act of 1733 precipitating the American Revolution, molasses
cookies are historic. Up until the 1920s, molasses was the most popular sweetener in baked goods such
as gingerbread, shoofly pie, doughnuts, taffy, cookies and cakes until World War I made white sugar
more affordable. With rich, distinct flavor, these cookies deserve a category of their own.

Molded cookies are those made from a stiffer dough that is molded into balls or shapes by hand prior to
baking. Snickerdoodles and peanut butter cookies are examples of molded cookies.

No-bake cookies are made by blending cereal, nuts, and / or cookie crumbs with a melted confectionery
binder such as chocolate and liquor and rolling the resulting dough into balls that are coated with cocoa
or enrobed in chocolate. Rum balls, whiskey balls, Rice Krispie treats, and oatmeal clusters are all no-
bake cookies.

Peanut butter cookies draw nostalgia from the PB&J sandwiches, peanut butter and crackers, and
peanut butter and chocolate candies when peanut butter was a mainstay of our childhood diets. Peanut
butter cookies became popular when George Washington Carver suggested replacing cotton crops with
peanut crops in the American south. To support his initiative, Carver published a cookbook which
included crushed peanut butter cookies in 1916. By 1930, Carver’s dream was realized with the
introduction of Peter Pan brand peanut butter and the beloved peanut butter cookie with trademark
crisscross top was born. The Hershey company jumped on this bandwagon quickly and introduced
peanut butter blossoms to the public. As a result, peanut butter cookies have become symbolic of a
simpler time in America and deserving of their own special cookie category.

Pressed cookies are made from a stiff dough that is extruded from a cookie press into decorative shapes
before baking. Spritzgebäck cookies are pressed cookies.

Roll out cookies are made from a stiffer dough that is refrigerated and cut into shapes with cookie
cutters. Gingerbread men and vanilla sugar cut-out cookies fall into this category.

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Sandwich cookies are rolled, pressed cookies that resemble a sandwich with a sweet filling such as
buttercream, marshmallow and jam. Oreos, Linzer cookies and TimTams are sandwich cookies.
Macarons can also fall into this category.

Shortbread cookies originated in Scotland and were traditionally made with oats and were served at
Christmas and New Year’s. Tudor English bakers modified the recipe by replacing oats with wheat flour,
creating the cookie we recognize today. Shortbread is the perfect canvas for a variety of lovely flavors
from jam, chocolate toppings to lemon, cinnamon and chocolate flavors or a combination of both.

Sugar cookies are traditional in their list of ingredients of sugar, butter, flour, egg, vanilla, almond,
nutmeg or lemon with a leavening agent. They can be light and crunchy, thick and chewy or thin and
crispy. Sugar cookies often fall in drop cookie and rolled cookie categories. These cookies celebrate
sugar in every manifestation.

Introduction to cookie baking

Getting Started

Baking is a science. The chemical reaction of how ingredients play well together when introduced to
temperature, heat and friction can determine sweet success or failure. Cookies are by far the easiest to
master in the wonderful world of pastry.

Tip 1: Understand your recipe.

As the March Hare schooled Alice, “Mean what you say and say what you mean. It’s not the same
thing.” Always know what you are measuring before you begin. Does your recipe call for 1 cup of
walnuts, chopped or 1 cup of chopped walnuts? They are not the same thing. The former requires us to
measure a cup of whole walnuts and then chop them, whereas the latter requires chopping walnuts first
and then measuring. The same thing applies to whether sugar or flour are sifted before measuring or
after.

Always note the temperature of your ingredients particularly whether your eggs or butter should be
cold or at room temperature. Drop cookies often call for room temperature butter whereas sugar cut-
out cookies usually require butter to be cold to retain shape during baking. Understanding your recipe
ensures your ingredients will be accurately measured and at the right temperature.

Tip 2: Take measuring seriously

We all know cooks and bakers who conjure up delectable dishes and treats by throwing ingredients
together without measuring. However, without measuring accurately, these spectacular results can’t
truly be replicated with consistency. I must confess, that I’ve committed this cardinal sin over the years
but now I take copious notes to ensure that I remember exactly which changes I made to recipes.

There are two methods of measuring ingredients, by weight (grams and ounces) and by volume (cups,
tablespoons and teaspoons). Small amounts of ingredients such as baking powder, baking soda, salt and
vanilla extract are often measured by volume, whereas larger amounts of ingredients such as flour and
sugar are measured by volume or weight, with weight being the more accurate of the two methods. For
this reason, a digital scale is a worthwhile investment.

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If you do not have a scale or have recipes that include volume measurements only, here are some basic
rules of measuring to keep in mind which will ensure your recipes turn out well.

Always use the proper measuring cup for the ingredient with which you are working. Wet ingredients
are measured in liquid measuring cups which are usually clear with markings on the side and a pour
spout. These can be glass or plastic with glass being the most preferable. Dry measuring cups are
designed with a flat edge so dry ingredients can be leveled off with a straight edge.

Measuring by volume
Flour is probably the easiest ingredient to measure inaccurately. Flour easily absorbs moisture from the
air and can also become compacted during packaging and shipping. Many people dig into a compacted
container of flour with a measuring cup and press down to level. This often leads to using too much flour
in a recipe rendering dry, crumbly and disappointing results. Instead, lightly sprinkle it into your dry
measuring cup and sweep off excess with a straight edge such as the back of a knife.

Dry ingredients such as sugar and cornstarch should be filled above the edge of the dry measuring cup
and leveled off with a straight edge.

Brown sugar is measured by firmly packing it into a dry measuring cup until it’s level with the edge of
your measuring cup.

Solid fats such as butter, shortening or peanut butter are tricky. For these, you can measure in a dry
measuring cup or use the displacement method. For the displacement method, you will need to use a
measuring cup that is larger than the amount you need. For example, if your recipe calls for ½ cup of
shortening, you will need a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Fill the measuring cup with 1 cup of cold water
and then spoon your shortening until the water reaches 1 ½ cup. Drain the water and now you have ½
cup of shortening for your recipe.

Sticky ingredients such as honey, molasses and corn syrup pose a problem for bakers. To ensure you
accurately measure these, spray the inside of your cup or spoon with non-stick spray before filling.

Measuring by weight
As stated previously, measuring by weight is the most accurate way to determine amounts than
measuring by volume. Having said this, many recipes only list ingredients by volume. Measuring cups
and spoons can vary significantly due to the manufacturing process. Let’s face it, there is a level of
subjectivity in one baker’s idea of a “full” or “packed” cup and another’s.

Ingredient weights can also vary depending on storage and climate conditions. Below you will find a
handy reference guide of volume to weight conversions gathered from multiple sources. This will allow
you to double check amounts of volume-based recipes or convert them.

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Approximate Ingredient Volume to Weight Conversions
Ingredient Volume Grams Ounces
All-Purpose Flour 1 cup 120g 4 ¼ oz
Almond Flour 1 cup 96g 3 3/8 oz
Almond Meal 1 cup 84g 3 oz
Almond Paste (packed) 1 cup 259g 9 1/8 oz
Almonds (sliced) ½ cup 43g 1 ½ oz
Almonds (slivered) ½ cup 57g 2 oz
Almonds (whole, unblanched) 1 cup 142g 5 oz
Apples (dried & diced) 1 cup 85g 3 oz
Apples (peeled & sliced) 1 cup 113g 4 oz
Applesauce 1 cup 255g 9 oz
Apricots (dried & diced) ½ cup 64g 2 ¼ oz
Baker’s Fruit Blend (King Arthur) 1 cup 128g 4 ½ oz
Baking Powder (Rumford) 1 teaspoon 4g
Baking Soda (Arm & Hammer) ½ teaspoon 3g
Bananas (mashed) 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Berries (frozen) 1 cup 142g 5 oz
Blueberries (dried) 1 cup 156g 5 ½ oz
Blueberries (fresh) 1 cup 170g 6 oz
Blueberry Juice 1 cup 241g 8 ½ oz
Dried Blueberry Powder ¼ cup 28g 1 ox
Cider (boiled) ¼ cup 85g 3 oz
Bran Cereal 1 cup 60g 2 1/8 oz
Breadcrumbs (dried) ¼ cup 28g 1 oz
Breadcrumbs (fresh) ¼ cup 21g ¾ oz
Breadcrumbs (panko) ¼ cup 50g 1 ¾ oz
Bread Flour 1 cup 120g 4 ¼ oz
Brown Rice Flour 1 cup 128g 4 ½ oz
Brown Sugar (light & packed) 1 cup 213g 7 ½ oz
Brown Sugar (dark & packed) 1 cup 213g 7 ½ oz
Butter (salted & unsalted) ½ cup or 8 tablespoons 113g 4 oz
Buttermilk 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Buttermilk Powder (dried) 2 tablespoons 25g 7/8 oz
Cake Flour 1 cup
Candied Peel ½ cup 85g 3 oz
Caramel (1” squares / 14-16 pieces) ½ cup 142g 5 oz
Caramel Bits (chopped Heath or 1 cup 156g 5 ½ oz
toffee)
Caraway Seeds 2 tablespoons 18g 5/8 oz
Carrots (cooked & puréed) ½ cup 128g 4 ½ oz
Carrots (diced) 1 cup 142g 5 oz
Carrots (grated) 1 cup 99g 3 ½ oz
Cashews (chopped) 1 cup 113g 4 oz
Cashews (whole) 1 cup 113g 4 oz

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Cherries (candied) ¼ cup 50g 1 ¾ oz
Cherries (dried) ½ cup 71g 2 ½ oz
Cherries (frozen) 1 cup 113g 4 oz
Chocolate (chopped) 1 cup 170g 6 oz
Chocolate Chips 1 cup 170g 6 oz
Cinnamon Sugar ¼ cup 50g 1 ¾ oz
Cocoa (unsweetened) ½ cup 42g 1 ½ oz
Coconut (sweetened & shredded) 1 cup 85g 3 oz
Coconut (unsweetened, large flake) 1 cup 60g 2 1/8 oz
Coconut (unsweetened & 1 cup 113g 4 oz
shredded)
Coconut Flour 1 cup 128g 4 ½ oz
Coconut Milk Powder ½ cup 57g 2 oz
Coconut Oil ½ cup 113g 4 oz
Confectioner’s Sugar (unsifted) 2 cups 227g 8 oz
Cookie Crumbs 1 cup 85g 3 oz
Corn Syrup 1 cup 312g 11 oz
Cornmeal (whole) 1 cup 138g 4 7/8 oz
Cornmeal (yellow, Quaker) 1 cup 156g 5 ½ oz
Cornstarch ¼ cup 28g 1 oz
Cranberries (dried) ½ cup 57g 2 oz
Cranberries (fresh or frozen) 1 cup 99g 3 ½ oz
Cream (heavy) 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Cream (light) 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Cream (half & half) 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Cream Cheese 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Crystallized Ginger ½ cup 92g 3 ¼ oz
Currants 1 cup 142g 5 oz
Dates (chopped) 1 cup 149g 5 ¼ oz
Demerara Sugar 1 cup 200g 7 ¾ oz
Milk (dried) ¼ cup 35g 1 ¼ oz
Milk (dried, nonfat, powdered) ¼ cup 21g ¾ oz
Milk (dried, whole, powdered) ½ cup 50g 1 ¾ oz
Egg (fresh) 1 large 50g 1 ¾ oz
Egg White (fresh) 1 large 35g 1 ¼ oz
Egg White (dried) 2 tablespoons 11g 3/8 oz
Egg Yolk (fresh) 1 large 14g ½ oz
Espresso Powder 1 tablespoon 7g ¼ oz
Figs (dried & chopped) 1 cup 149g 5 ¼ oz
Flax Meal ½ cup 50g 1 ¾ oz
Flaxseed ¼ cup 35g 1 ¼ oz
Ginger (fresh, sliced) ¼ cup 57g 2 oz
Gluten-free All-Purpose Baking Mix ¼ cup 120g 4 ¼ oz
Gluten-free All-Purpose Flour 1 cup 156g 5 ½ oz
Graham Cracker Crumbs 1 cup 99g 3 ½ oz
Graham Crackers (crushed) 1 cup 142g 5 oz

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Granola 1 cup 113g 4 oz
Grape-Nuts ½ cup 57g 2 oz
Hazelnut Flour 1 cup 89g 3 1/8 oz
Hazelnut Praline Paste ½ cup 156g 5 ½ oz
Hazelnut Spread (Fine and Raw) ½ cup 160g 5 5/8 oz
Hazelnuts (whole) 1 cup 142g 5 oz
Honey 1 tablespoon 21g ¾ oz
Jam or preserves ¼ cup 85g 3 oz
Jammy Bits (King Arthur) 1 cup 184g 6 ½ oz
Key Lime Juice 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Lard ½ cup 113g 4 oz
Lemon Juice Powder 2 tablespoons 18g 5/8 oz
Lime Juice Powder 2 tablespoons 18g 5/8 oz
Macadamia Nuts (whole) 1 cup 149g 5 ¼ oz
Malted Milk Powder ¼ cup 35g 1 ¼ oz
Maple Sugar ½ cup 78g 2 ¾ oz
Maple Syrup ½ cup 156g 5 ½ oz
Marshmallow Fluff 1 cup 128g 4 ½ oz
Marshmallows (mini) 1 cup 43g 1 ½ oz
Marzipan 1 cup 290g 10 1/8 oz
Meringue Powder ¼ cup 43g 1 ½ oz
Milk (evaporated) ½ cup 113g 4 oz
Milk (fresh) 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Mini Chocolate Chips 1 cup 177g 6 ¼ oz
Molasses ¼ cup 85g 3 oz
Oat Flour 1 cup 92g 3 ¼ oz
Oats (Old Fashioned Rolled) 1 cup 99g 3 ½ oz
Olive Oil ¼ cup 50g 1 ¾ oz
Pastry Flour 1 cup 106g 3 ¾ oz
Peaches (peeled & sliced) 1 cup 170g 6 oz
Peanut Butter ½ cup 135g 4 ¾ oz
Peanuts (whole & shelled) 1 cup 142g 5 oz
Pears (peeled & diced) 1 cup 163g 5 ¾ oz
Pecan Meal 1 cup 80g 2 ¾ oz
Pecans (diced) ½ cup 57g 2 oz
Pine Nuts ½ cup 71g 2 ½ oz
Pineapple (dried) ½ cup 71g 2 ½ oz
Pineapple (fresh or canned & 1 cup 170g 6 oz
diced)
Pistachio Paste ¼ cup 78g 2 ¾ oz
Pistachios (shelled) ½ cup 60g 2 1/8 oz
Poppy Seeds 2 tablespoons 18g 5/8 oz
Potato Starch 1 cup 152g 5 3/8 oz
Pumpkin (canned) 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Raisins (loose) 1 cup 149g 5 ¼ oz
Raisins (packed) ½ cup 85g 3 oz

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Raspberries (fresh) 1 cup 120g 4 ¼ oz
Rhubarb (sliced, ½” slices) 1 cup 120g 4 ¼ oz
Rice Flour (white) 1 cup 142g 5 oz
Rice Krispies (cereal) 1 cup 28g 1 oz
Rye Flour 1 cup 103g 3 5/8 oz
Rye Flour Blend 1 cup 106g 3 ¾ oz
Salt (kosher, Diamond Crystal) 1 tablespoon 8g
Salt (kosher, Morton’s) 1 tablespoon 16g
Salt (table) 1 tablespoon 18g
Self-rising Flour 1 cup 113g 4 oz
Semolina Flour 1 cup 163g 5 ¾ oz
Sesame Seeds ½ cup 71g 2 ½ oz
Sour Cream 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Steel Cut Oats (cooked) 1 cup 255g 9 oz
Steel Cut Oats (raw) ½ cup 99g 2 7/8 oz
Strawberries (fresh, sliced) 1 cup 167g 5 7/8 oz
Sugar (granulated white) 1 cup 198g 7 oz
Sunflower Seeds ¼ cup 35g 1 ¼ oz
Sweetened Condensed Milk ¼ cup 78g 2 ¾ oz
Tahini Paste ½ cup 128g 4 ½ oz
Tapioca (quick cooking) 2 tablespoons 21g ¾ oz
Tapioca Starch or Flour 1 cup 113g 4 oz
Toasted Almond Flour 1 cup 96g 3 3/8 oz
Toffee Chunks 1 cup 156g 5 ½ oz
Turbinado Sugar (raw) 1 cup 180g 6 3/8 oz
Unbleached Cake Flour 1 cup 120g 4 ¼ oz
Vanilla Extract 1 tablespoon 14g ½ oz
Vegetable Oil 1 cup 198g 7 oz
Vegetable Shortening ¼ cup 46g 1 5/8 oz
Vermont Cheese Powder ½ cup 57g 2 oz
Walnuts (chopped) 1 cup 113g 4 oz
Walnuts (whole) ½ cup 64g 2 ¼ oz
Water 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Wheat Berries (red) 1 cup 184g 6 ½ oz
Wheat Bran ½ cup 32g 1 1/8 oz
Wheat Germ ¼ cup 28g 1 oz
White Chocolate Chips 1 cup 170g 6 oz
White Rye Flour 1 cup 106g 3 ¾ oz
White Whole Wheat Flour 1 cup 113g 4 oz
Whole Wheat Flour (premium 1 cup 113g 4 oz
100%)
Whole Wheat Pastry Flour / 1 cup 96g 3 3/8 oz
Graham Flour
Yeast (instant) 2 ¼ tablespoons 7g ¼ oz
Yogurt 1 cup 227g 8 oz
Zucchini (shredded) 1 cup 142 -170g 5-6 oz

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Reference Guide to Techniques and Terminology
Many family recipes are written with assumed knowledge or like their published counterparts use
baker’s language and terminology. Even if you know the jargon, it certainly helps to understand the
reasoning behind the technique especially if you are trying to figure out why a recipe failed or improve
the results.

Adding eggs, one at a time: After creaming butter and eggs, many recipes call for eggs next. These
should be added one at a time, with each being thoroughly incorporated before adding the next. This
allows your butter - sugar mixture to retain its trapped air most effectively. Always scrape the sides of
the bowl to ensure eggs are fully incorporated into your butter and sugar.

Baking in batches: Most cookie recipes produce dozens of cookies requiring them to be baked in
batches. After you have removed your cookies from the oven and transferred them to a cookie rack to
cool, be sure to let the pan cool down before putting more cookie dough on it. Putting cookie dough on
a hot sheet will cause your cookies to spread and lose their shape before they even make it to the oven.
Thus, increasing the risk of burned edges and flat cookies. To save time, have an additional cookie sheet
cooling while the other is in the oven.

Beating egg whites: Mastering whipped egg whites is key to extra light cookies such as meringues,
macarons and lady fingers. To ensure egg whites are whipped to maximum height, use a metal mixing
bowl and beaters that are clean and grease-free. These should be wiped down with lemon juice or
vinegar to remove any residual fat or oil that might be lingering. Always use the freshest eggs possible
with expiration dates 30 days from the day you prepare your recipe. To ensure no yolk makes its way
into your whites, separate eggs when they are cold and the membrane around the yolk is thicker and
less likely taint your egg whites. To achieve maximum height in your meringue, whip whites when they
are at room temperature. Lastly, always know when to stop. Do not beat longer than peak stage
otherwise you will pull apart the network of air and albumin protein you worked so hard to create.

Boiling: The key to success of many recipes may very well depend on how well you understand the
stages of boiling. When heating a liquid, the first sign of impending boil is very small bubbles at the top
along the edge of the pan. If heating milk, this stage would be considered “scalding” the milk. In the
second stage, bubbles begin to rise from the interior of the pan and “pop” to the surface. Usually these
are relatively small and spaced apart. This is the simmer stage. If your recipe requires you to simmer an
ingredient, adjust your heat so these bubbles continue to form and break at intervals but not constantly.
In the last stage, often called “rolling” or full boil, keep heat high until bubbles are erupting across
surface in such a way that you cannot distinguish one from another.

Chilling the dough: Yes, this is necessary. If your recipe calls for it, then do not skip this step. As with pie
dough, chilling cookie dough solidifies fat and allows the flour to absorb moisture more evenly. The
cookie dough will roll out more evenly without sticking and will hold its shape better when transferring
cut-out cookies to a baking sheet. Many recipes will require dough to chill for at least an hour. I prefer to
chill mine overnight. Any chilled dough recipe can also be frozen.

Cooling cookies: Just like everything in baking, there is even a method to cooling cookies. Drop cookies
should be left to cool on the baking sheet set on a wire rack for 5 minutes after leaving the oven. This
allows cookies to firm up a bit before transferring them by spatula to a cooling rack. Bar cookies,

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however, should be left to cool in their pan. To avoid painful sticking, cut parchment paper to the size of
the pan with three inches overlapping two sides of the pan. When bar cookies are cooled and ready to
cut, lift by the parchment paper to a flat surface for cutting. Batter cookies, such as chocolate chip and
oatmeal raisin, should be transferred while warm allowing them to be formed by using a glass, custard
cup, cone etc.

Cookies should be completely cooled before wrapping them up to store or ship as you do not want to
trap moisture from steam causing soggy cookies or mold to grow.

Creaming: Most recipes begin with creaming butter and sugar to form and capture air bubbles. These
bubbles form when the edges of sugar crystals cut into fat molecules to make an air pocket. You can see
this process develop as you beat butter and sugar together. The butter mixture starts out thick and a bit
lumpy and then becomes creamier, smoother and lighter in color as air is incorporated. This essential
process is responsible for the texture of cookies and especially for crisp ones.

Cutting fat into flour: This technique combines a fat usually butter or shortening into flour using two
knives, pastry blender, fork or even your fingers. Often used in pie dough, a variety of French pastries
and cookies, the process of cutting fat into flour preserves shards of butter encased in flour. Once flour
is moistened, the network of gluten proteins that lend structure to baked goods is activated. When
rolled out, these pockets of fat stretch into sheets separating layers of gluten enforced flour. As pastry
bakes, these fatty layers melt, separating the flour layers creating a cookie that is both flaky and tender
in texture.

Cutting into bars: Bar cookies are usually baked and cooled in square or rectangular pans. Bar cookies
should be cut only after they have completely cooled. Bench knives are perfect for cutting bars in pans
as the handle allows you to cut right at the edge of the pan. Keep in mind that cutting into the pan will
leave knife marks on the bottom of your pan. If you notice that your bars stick to the pan, I recommend
lining the pan with parchment paper cut with 3” overlapping two of the opposite sides. When cooled,
you can lift the bars out by the paper and transfer to a smooth surface for cutting. This also ensures
each bar is cut smoothly and easily.

Docking: This is the process of pricking holes into dough that is high in fat such as shortbread, pie dough
or cookie crust to allow steam to escape during baking. By venting steam, docking prevents your dough
from billowing as it bakes. This is an essential step for crisp cookies that are baked on a sheet and are
cut after baking and cooling.

Doneness: How do you know when cookies are ready to come out of the oven? As cookies continue to
set from the heat of the pan after removal from the oven, knowing when they are ready is important
and depends on the type of cookie you are making.

I know that it is time to check on cookies when their lovely aroma wafts through my kitchen. However,
post-Covid, many people do not trust their sense of smell anymore. So, we rely on timers and
understanding how our ovens heat in this Covid world. The rule of thumb for doneness is whether your
cookie stays flat when you gently insert the tip of a spatula under the edge. If the cookie doesn’t bend
or break in the middle, then it is ready to come out. Bar cookies, however, will gently pull away from the
edge of their pan signaling doneness while batter cookies will be golden brown at their edges. Sugar cut-
out cookies are unique as they can get overdone easily. These lovely little butter cookies should be just

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kissed by color around the edges and not moist on top. As they set during cooling, cut-out cookies
should be baked on parchment which you can slide off the pan onto a rack for cooling. If using European
butter which is higher in fat, you should transfer cookies onto a wire rack lined with a paper towel to
absorb excess butter and prevent butter bleed.

Gluten-free baking: Many cookie recipes can be made gluten-free with simple ingredient substitutions.
Flour can be substituted with measure for measure gluten-free flour, rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca
flour, potato flour and xanthan gum.

Greasing a pan: Preparing your pan properly will ensure successful baking. Many bakers use a nonstick
pan spray for coverage, while others apply a thin coat of shortening or even butter on their baking pans.
Always keep in mind that over-greasing a pan can lead to oily cookies or cookie spread. Never bake
macarons or meringue based cookies on a greased sheet.

Leveling the crust: This term refers to smoothing crust, filling or batter so that it is perfectly level in the
pan to ensure even baking.

Lining a pan: I prefer lining pans with parchment paper for all cookies, meringues and macarons and
nonstick spray for more intricate molds to ensure proper coverage. Parchment paper is thinly coated
with silicone which makes it ideal for baking.

Silicone baking mats are another great option and are environmentally friendly as they can be re-used.
However, be sure to use thin silicone mats for cookie baking as opposed to thicker ones used for
kneading bread dough. Silicone mats should not be used for bar cookies or any dessert that will be cut in
the pan as they can easily be damaged. If using, be sure that your mats are clean and dry before storing
them after use.

Melting chocolate: Most beloved of confectioners, chocolate can be a bit mercurial; it can scorch easily
or seize when exposed to water during melting. Chocolate can be melted in the microwave in a heat
proof container in 10 second intervals at medium power. Chocolate can also be melted in a double
boiler set over simmering water. The pan should be tightly covered with a lid, or the steam might cause
seizing. Regardless of the method you choose to melt chocolate, only heat it until 75% of the chocolate
is melted. Remove from your heating source and stir until the rest of the chocolate melts and is smooth.

Piping: Piping refers to the process by which cookie batter or icing is piped using a pastry bag fitted with
a coupler and tip. Meringues and butter cookies are often piped. The trick to a beautifully piped
meringue or cookie is to stop applying pressure before lifting the bag as you pipe. This allows clean
separation and a sophisticated result.

Rolling into a ball: This refers to cookies that are rolled into balls before being dipped into sugar,
cinnamon or melted chocolate. Snickerdoodles, rum balls and truffles require being rolled into balls
before coating. To ensure equally sized cookies, I recommend using a cookie scoop for these.

Rolling out: The process by which a rolling pin is used to flatten chilled dough to an equal thickness
before cutting into shapes. Like pie dough, I recommend that you roll dough from the center outward as
opposed to back and forth which tends to toughen dough’s gluten. To prevent your dough from sticking
to your work surface or rolling pin, I recommend rolling it out between two pieces of parchment paper.

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Scooping dough: This refers to scooping cookie dough using two spoons or a cookie scoop. I find using a
cookie scoop yields most consistently sized cookies. However, coffee scoops work well too.

Scraping the bowl: As creamed butter and sugar often sticks to the sides of the bowl; it is essential to
take breaks during mixing to scrape sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure proper incorporation of
ingredients.

Separating eggs: Whenever a recipe calls for egg whites, you should separate the yolks from the whites
when the eggs are cold. The reason goes back to the chicken and the egg. As the hen sits on her egg, the
membrane around the yolk thins allowing the developing chick to absorb nutrients from it. The colder
the eggs, the firmer the yolk membrane and the less likely any yolk will end up in the whites.

Shaping batter cookies: Batter cookies can be shaped while they are still warm using any number of
kitchen tools. Tuiles can be draped over the handle of a rolling pin or over the underside of a custard cup
to create a bowl for fruit and cream. Krumkake can be rolled around a cannoli form. Do not get me
started on the lovely pizzelle. So many unique ways to shape the delightful batter cookie!

Shipping cookies: Bar cookies and crispy cookies ship well. Sugar cut-out cookies also ship well if the
royal icing has firmly set before packaging. Larger cut-out cookies should be individually packaged with
grease free cardboard to prevent breakage. Any cookies that have strong flavors such as peanut butter,
anise, cinnamon, etc. should be packaged together by flavor to avoid flavor transfer.

Sifting flour: This refers to the process of aerating flour by passing it through a strainer or screen. Sifted
flour is folded into wet ingredients in recipes where the desired result is a light, spongy texture.

Slice and bake: Shaped cookie doughs are often rolled into a log shape, chilled and sliced before baking.
Any stiff drip cookie dough can be rolled into logs and treated the same way. Thicker slices will produce
a chewier cookie, whereas thin slices yield a crispier one. For a perfectly round cookie dough log, place
cookie dough in cardboard paper towel tube cut lengthwise in fridge.

Stir: Some cookie recipes only require a bowl and a spoon to prepare. These include brownie and
blondie recipes which can become tough if overmixed with a machine.

Storing cookies: Most recipes offer recommendations for storage after baking. The most important
thing to remember is that cookies will retain freshness if they are prepared for storage after they have
completely cooled. Cookies can usually be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about
a week. Bar cookies with fruit or dairy ingredients should be wrapped well and refrigerated. If you wish
store cookies longer, then they should be stored in an airtight container and frozen for up to 3 months.

Straining unsweetened cocoa: Unsweetened cocoa contains cocoa butter, which often causes clumping.
Straining or sifting cocoa ensures that it will combine evenly with other dry ingredients.

Toasting nuts and coconut: Toasting nuts and coconut enhances their flavor; however, due to their high
fat content, both can scorch easily. Always toast nuts on a parchment lined shallow baking sheet in a
single layer at 300°F. Smaller or sliced nuts are usually ready with 5-6 minutes, whereas larger nuts toast
within 10 minutes depending on your oven. Nuts are done when you can smell their aroma and they
have turned a lovely golden brown. The key to perfectly toasted nuts is to remove them when they are

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shade lighter than golden as they will continue to bake as they cool. If they have become golden brown
in the oven, remove them immediately to a cool surface to prevent carryover baking.

Coconut also scorches easily and should be baked at 300°F in a thin layer on a shallow baking sheet. For
perfectly toasted coconut, remove pan and stir coconut every 4 minutes.

Tools of the Trade in Cookie Baking and Decorating

Cardinal Rule of Pastry Tools Due to storage limitations in most kitchens and homes, every tool must be
easy to clean and fulfill several needs in order to earn a space in my home kitchen.

As you can imagine, I have pans and tools galore for my pastry business. However, you do not need a
ton of tools to bake and decorate the perfect cookie. I have listed the most important, offered
recommendations and given a concise overview of others that are optional to help you choose tools
which will hopefully become reliable partners in your cookie journey.

Baking Pans and Cookie Sheets

You have so many choices in pans and cookie sheets from light and dark colored pans, with or without
sides to non-stick and embossed specialty pans. As most cookie dough recipes contain a significant
amount of fat, cookies brown very fast on a dark colored surface. Thus, light-colored metal pans are best
as they encourage even browning in cookies.

Round Baking Pans

8” round metal baking pans are perfect for shortbread cookies as they are about the same size as most
shortbread pans and recipes seamlessly translate.

Square Pans
These pans come in 8”and 9” sizes and are a favorite of brownie bakers worldwide. 8” square pans are
about half the size of a 9”x13” which is helpful if your recipe calls for 9”x13” pan size but you would like
to make a smaller batch by cutting the recipe in half and baking 10 minutes less. Light colored metal
pans are best for bar cookie baking.

Rectangular Pans
Rectangular pans come in 9”x13” and 7”x11”, the latter being less common. These are typically 1 ½” to
2” deep making them ideal for bar cookies. When choosing pans for bar cookies, look for a light-colored
metal one that is sturdy and can be held with one hand. While rectangular glass baking pans are quite
common, they are heavy, take longer to heat and retain heat longer and thus, are not suitable for bar
cookies.

Jelly Roll Pans

Usually 10”x15” in size, these can be true work horses for cookie bakers and decorators. They can do
double duty for bar cookies and drop cookies.

Cookie Sheets
These are available in light, dark and non-stick finishes, can be smooth or textured and have sides or no
sides. I prefer light-colored cookie sheets with raised edges to prevent cookies from sliding off. These

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pans do double duty in my kitchen. I use them to decorate sugar cookies or turn them upside down for a
stable foundation for building and decorating cookie and gingerbread houses or for developing new
piping techniques.

Madeleine Pan
Madeleines are a cross between a sponge cake and cookie and are baked in pans with seashell like
indentations. Full sized madeleines are about 3 ¼” in length and 2 1/8” wide and require approximately
2 tablespoons of batter in each shell. Small madeleines are about 1 ¼” long and 1” wide and use 1 ½
tablespoons of batter. Madeleine pans are usually metal or silicone. The best pans have distinct ridges in
their forms which translate nicely when baked.

Mixing Bowls
From stoneware and porcelain to metal and glass, mixing bowls come in a large range of sizes. Most
stand mixers come with stainless steel bowls with ceramic and copper available for purchase. If using a
hand mixer, then choose a bowl that has a stable base and sides high and steep enough to keep the
contents moving back down toward the beaters as you are mixing your recipe. A plastic bowl is a good
choice if you are whipping recipes by hand and some of these include handles and pour spouts making
them ideal for mixing and pouring wet ingredients. Stainless steel bowls are excellent for heating
ingredients over water baths. Stainless steel is also preferred for meringues as the texture allows
whipped egg whites to climb to maximum height.

Melting bowls

Melting bowls are usually made of heat-proof glass and are used in for melting butter and chocolate.

Saucepans
The ideal saucepan has a flat, heavy bottom and sides with no hot spots. It should have a sturdy handle
and a base that will not warp over time. Saucepans should not wobble when empty and placed on a flat
surface. Stainless steel saucepans with aluminum cores give the best combination of nonreactive
durable surface backed up by the excellent conductivity and transfer of aluminum. Generally, you should
choose the smallest pan which will hold your ingredients to avoid the risk of scorching.

Bench Knife or Scraper

I love the double duty bench scrapers provide in pastry. I use these to cut cold almost frozen butter,
shortening or lard into smaller pieces, divide dough and clean my work surface of dough scraps. A bench
scraper can be used in lieu of a pastry blender with fork to blend your fat into flour. Bench scrapers are
essential in preparing galettes, creating chocolate shards and curls and cutting bar cookies in the pan.
They are effective and easy to clean. If I must choose between a pastry blender or bench scraper, I
always reach for the scraper.

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Bowl Scraper
Bowl scrapers are usually made of a flexible plastic with a curved edge which follows the contour of your
mixing bowl. They assist in mixing heavy doughs and due to their non-stick character, most efficiently
remove every bit of sticky doughs out of a bowl quickly.

Brown Sugar Bears

These are made of baked clay and when moistened, they can maintain moisture in brown sugar for 3 to
6 months. They are also used to maintain moisture in cakes and cookies and soften dried fruit. When
dry, sugar bears can absorb moisture to keep cookies, crackers, pretzels, and chips dry and crispy. These
can be helpful in high-humidity climates.

Cake Tester
These are used to check doneness in cakes, bar cookies and other baked items. The best cake testers
should be no larger in diameter than a raw spaghetti noodle and thick enough to see any moist batter
sticking to it but thin enough not to leave a large mark in your cake or brownie. Toothpicks can be used
as well.

Candy Thermometer
Candy thermometers are designed to clip on the side of a saucepan and register temperatures from
100°F to 400°F. These handy tools are your best friend in candy making, deep frying, melting chocolate
or preparing caramels, French artisan marshmallows, dips, toppings and fillings for cookies.

Cannoli Forms
Cannoli forms are stainless steel tubes, about approximately ½” in diameter and 4” long. Cannoli dough
is wrapped around these tubes before deep-frying. Warm batter cookies can also be wrapped around
them after baking, allowing them to cool into a tubular shape.

Cookie Cutters
There are probably thousands of cookie cutter shapes and silhouettes sold today and can be used for
dressing up pies and cookie baking. These are widely available in metal and plastic versions. Every baker
should have a set of graduated round cookie cutters. I recommend sturdy cutters with one rolled edge
or wide edge for pressing down and sharp edge for cutting. Smaller shapes can be used in conjunction
with circular ones to create Linzer cookies, windowpane, thumbprints and other sandwich cookies.
When choosing silhouette cookie cutters, look for a vertical seam where the metal overlaps and an easy
gripping surface on the top edge. Cutters with closed backs for stamping embossing guides for piping
can be tricky as you cannot see what you are cutting. Regardless of the type of cutter you choose, these
should always be hand washed and dried.

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Cookie Molds, Embossers, Stamps and Plaques
Many traditional European cookies such as shortbread, Springerle and speculaas get the distinctive
shapes using beautifully designed molds and stamps. Springerle and speculaas molds are carved in
gorgeous relief patterns which are pressed into dough and removed before baking. Whereas shortbread
molds have raised patterns which can be filled with dough and baked in the plaque before cutting into
individual cookies afterward.

Cookie Press
Cookie presses are used for making cookies into a variety of shapes such as flowers, trees, stars and
wreaths and are available in electric and manual versions. Both utilize a screw mechanism to push
cookie dough through a template to create shapes. I prefer presses that are easy to clean and refill
without undoing the die plate. As most dough used in cookie presses is thick in order to retain shape
during baking, look for a press that is both sturdy and fits comfortably in your hands during operation.

Cookie Scoops
Of all my kitchen tools, I love cookie scoops. These more than meet my cardinal rule of fulfilling several
functions to earn a place in my home kitchen. I use these not only for cookies and truffles, but also for
scooping couverture, cantaloupe, watermelon, ice cream and gelato. Cookie scoops feature a spring
handle which releases cookie dough in consistently sized balls and come in three sizes:

Teaspoon size holds approximately 2 teaspoons of dough

Tablespoon size holds a little less than 2 tablespoons of dough

2 tablespoon size holds approximately ¼ cup of dough

Cooling Racks
Made of sturdy wire mesh in a grid pattern, cooling racks come in a variety of sizes and finishes. I prefer
larger ones with a non-stick finish that are usually approximately 14” wide and 21” long as they allow
me to cool cakes as well as cookies. The best ones feature four feet allowing them to rest steady on a
counter. Expandable racks are easier to store and telescope out for a larger cooling surface area. I have
not found much of a difference in performance between stainless and non-stick racks. A cookie that
sticks to stainless steel rack will stick to a non-stick one. I prefer non-stick ones as they are easy to clean.

Cracker Crisper
Many have asked me what these are and whether they are essential or another gimmick. Cracker
crispers are perforated disks with moisture absorbing silica crystals inside and is stored with whatever
baked good you want to keep crisp. These change color when they have absorbed as much water as
possible. Reusable, these can be baked in the oven to dry out before using again. I find that uncooked

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white rice works just as well. Alternately, you can use a dry brown sugar clay bear to keep cookies crisp
in high humid climates.

Digital Scale
This is one of two supplementary tools (the other is an oven thermometer) that I encourage my students
to purchase when teaching pastry. Unlike measuring with cups and spoons, weighing your ingredients
ensures that you will get the same result every time. This also allows you to “scale up” or “scale down”
your recipes accurately.

Dough Docker
Dough dockers usually feature a wooden handle attached to a cylinder with prongs which punch small
holes in dough. These are used for pizza crust, graham crackers, focaccia, shortbread and other doughs.
These are handwash only. While I have one, I never use it. A fork will dock shortbread just as well as a
docker and it cleans nicely in the dishwasher.

Flour Sifters
Flour sifters are basically metal measuring cups with a screen on the bottom and a mechanical device to
push flour or sugar through a screen to break up lumps into finer grain or dust. These come in electric,
hand crank or push handle versions. Smaller versions can hold up to 2 cups of ingredients while larger
versions can hold up to as much as 12 cups. I must admit while I have several of these, when I need
sifted dry ingredients, I always reach for a fine mesh sieve. Per my cardinal rule, I use them for sifting dry
ingredients as well as refining mirror glazes for cakes. Sieves create less mess and can be cleaned in a
dishwasher.

Graters
I love my hand grater for zesting citrus, grating chocolate, frozen butter, carrots and cheese. High quality
graters and zesters are easy to clean, and many are dishwasher safe.

Knives
Contrary to what marketing teams at Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table would like you to believe, you
only need to invest in three quality knives in your kitchen. Look for high-carbon stainless steel ones that
you can sharpen when they become dull.

A paring knife should comfortably fit in your hand and features a blade between 2 ½” to 4” long.
Sharpened well, these can be used peel, trim and cut around stencils, decorate and finely slice.

A chef’s knife is my workhorse and should have a nice tip for fine work, sharp blade for slicing and
chopping and sturdy heel for heavy work. The side of your chef’s knife is perfect for crushing ingredient
and scoop off the board for transferring to your recipe. A quality chef knife should be made of high-

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carbon stainless steel, fit comfortably in your hand and should have full tang. Chef knives vary in length
from 5” to 12” long.

Serrated knives are ideal for cutting shortbread or biscotti. Of the multiple variations on the market, I
prefer an offset serrated blade which keeps my knuckles safe when making straight, vertical cuts. The
teeth of a serrated knife do most of the work much like a saw. Items are cut by pulling the knife back
and forth instead of pushing down.

Table knives are handy for loosening baked goods from the edge of their pans while cooling and leveling
cups of dried ingredients.

Krumkake or Pizzelle Irons

Krumkake are Norwegian waffle-like cookies which can be molded around a form or spoon or cooled
flat. Similarly, their Italian cousin, the pizzelle, is prepared the same way and traditionally is flavored
with anise. Both are prepared by pouring batter into an iron which stamps a snowflake pattern onto
both sides of the thin golden-brown cookie which cools to a crisp texture. When looking for a krumkake
/ pizzelle iron look for one with handles that clip together to ensure a thin even cookie around ¼” thick.
While these are available in stainless and non-stick Teflon coated finishes, I avoid baking on non-stick
surfaces as much as possible and prefer the stainless version. Pizzelle and krumkake batter contains a
significant amount of butter to prevent sticking. I have noticed that stainless steel irons produce thinner
pizzelles than their non-stick counterparts.

Measuring Cups
As stated previously, measuring cups come in two types: dry and liquid. Dry measuring cups should have
flat rims, sturdy handles and naturally be accurate. Liquid measuring cups have clearly delineated
markings either on the outside or inside and should also have sturdy handles and a pour spout.

Over the years, I have found that measuring cups vary in accuracy from manufacturer to manufacturer.
To test the accuracy of your measuring cups, place it on a scale, press “tare” or zero, then pour water
until the scale reads 8 oz. If the water level reaches the 1 cup mark on your liquid measuring cup or the
rim on dry one, then your cup is accurate. If it overflows or is lower than level, then it is not. Most dry
measuring cup sets come in ¼, 1/3, ½ and 1 cup increments. You can test these accordingly.

Measuring Spoons
Measuring spoons are available in plastic and stainless steel. While I have both types, I rely on my
stainless steel ones for thick or sticky ingredients such as honey, molasses or even flavored oils and
plastic for dry ingredients. Both stand up well to countless trips to the dishwasher. Most sets come with
1/8, ¼, 1/3, ½ and one teaspoon and 1 tablespoon increments. Some offer more unusual measurements
such as “dash”, “pinch” and ½ tablespoon.

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Mixers
Hand mixers are perfect for light batters, whipping cream and egg whites. Due to their limited power,
they must be lightweight enough to be easily maneuvered. With more power, greater capacity and
hands-free, stand mixers are the most powerful appliances for cookie bakers.

Oven Thermometer
In a perfect world, our ovens would heat to our selected temperature. Sadly, this is often not the case as
all ovens bake differently. The best way to assess the overall health of your oven is with a reliable oven
thermometer. I will move my thermometer around to determine how well and consistently my oven is
heating and adjust temperature or pan placement accordingly. If your oven heats or browns unevenly,
you can compensate for this by rotating your cookie sheet during baking. If you are not sure how evenly
your oven is heating, try the sugar test. Place a coating of white granulated sugar on a parchment lined
baking sheet and toast at 300°F for 5 minutes. If your sugar toasts evenly, then you have no hot spots. If
sugar browns more on one side, you’ve found your hot spot. Use the resulting toasted sugar to enhance
flavor in recipes.

Paint Brushes
Assorted food safe paint brushes allow you to add color to iced cookies, fix piping mistakes and are
essential to mastering a variety of decorating techniques. Invest in quality brush sets which include fine
tip, rounded tip and flat edge brushes.

Pallet Knives
Pallet knives are useful in applying clean patches of colored icing on cakes and cookies. These come in a
wide variety of shapes allowing you to create leaves and flowers by swiping a layer of icing. I love the
ease of pallet knife flowers in cake and cookie decorating. For royal icing, use stiff or soft peak icing
consistencies for best results with pallet knives.

Parchment Paper
An absolute necessity for cookie baking and decorating. Parchment paper is available in individual pre-
cut sheets in a wide variety of sizes and on rolls. Parchment is treated with a coating of silicone making it
ideal non-stick surface in baking as well as cake and cookie decorating. I use parchment to pipe royal
icing transfers, buttercream flowers, fondant sculptures and sugar sculptures. I even freeze my cut-out
sugar cookies on parchment lined cookies sheets before baking. You can bake multiple batches on the
same parchment sheet.

Pastry or Piping Bags

Pastry or piping bags come in a variety of sizes and are 12” to 18” long and can be made of canvas,
coated-synthetic fabric, or disposable plastic. For piping heavy dough cookies, such as Swiss meltaway

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butter cookies, I prefer a larger canvas bag, whereas I use a heavy weight disposable plastic pastry bag
for meringues and royal icing. Piping bags come in tipless versions for flooding cookies with sugar icing
and applying fine detail. Always choose a bag that fits comfortably in your hands as it will be the gentlest
on your joints during piping.

Pastry Blender or Fork

Also known as a pastry cutter, a pastry blender features a curved slotted end with blades or wires that
connect to a handle on the opposite end that is held and moved up and down or in a rocking motion to
cut solid fat into smaller pieces and blend into dry ingredients. These are helpful when cutting blocks of
cold butter into smaller pieces. I have found that using them for shortening or lard more problematic as
I spend more time cleaning lumps from the blender than I would like. These also take some work to
clean. If you are using lard or shortening in your cookie dough, sometimes a regular table fork works just
as well with less frustration.

Pastry Brush
This is one of those essential tools that I use all the time and is dishwasher safe. I use them to remove
excess flour from my prepared dough to prevent bitter taste that excess flour will leave on a baked
cookie or crust. More importantly, I prefer silicone brushes for egg washes as they are easy to clean and
purify for food safety. Natural bristle brushes can shed leaving not so nice presents in dough.

Pastry Tips and Couplers

Pastry tips are made of metal or plastic cones and come in an infinite variety of openings each creating a
distinctive shape. Star and round tips are the most used to pipe cookies and you will find these in several
diameters. Larger-sized star tips are excellent for piping whipped cream and fillings, while smaller star
tips are ideal for ruffled borders, stars, drop flowers and seashells. Simple round tips are perfect for
flooding sugar cookies as well as writing script, making dots and other wet on wet royal icing techniques.
Larger round tips are ideal for piping meringue kisses and even filling cupcake liners, doughnut and
madeleine pans. Plastic couplers allow you to switch tips from one shape to another and are a time
saver in cookie and cake decorating.

Pasta / Pastry Wheel

These feature a straight and a crimped wheel and are often referred to as a ravioli wheel. When used
with a ruler, these offer beautiful, even lattice strips. Pasta / pastry wheels are also used for cutting
cookie dough, fondant and couverture in cake decorating.

Rolling Pin
I believe this is a matter of personal preference. These come in all sizes and materials – wood, metal,
plastic or marble, with or without handles. I do not recommend plastic pins often used for covering
cakes in couverture or fondant for cookie dough or pie crust. Aside from plastic, any rolling pin can be

20
used roll out cookie dough. I personally use a stainless-steel pin with thickness bands for cookies.
Because we often need to roll cookie dough as quickly as possible to prevent our lovely solid fat from
becoming soft, you should choose a pin you are most comfortable using.

Rolling Pin Bands or Pastry Frames

If you have traveled to Europe and have eaten in cafes with open windows to their kitchens, you may
have seen pastry chefs rolling out dough in a frame. Ends of the rolling pin rest on the frame as the chef
rolls the dough in the frame to an even thickness. Pastry frames have their merit and bring back
nostalgic memories of my mother rolling pastry and pie dough in our bakeries. However, you can
achieve the same even thickness in your cookie dough by using bands on your pin. Rolling pin bands
come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. I use these for sugar cut-out cookies, pie crust, couverture
and fondant. These are inexpensive, easy to clean and have well-earned their space in my kitchen.

Scribe Tool
A scribe tool is a sharp, pointy tool used to redistribute and shape icing and pop air bubbles in royal
icing. Probably the most versatile weapon in your cookie decorating arsenal, scribe tools can fix
mistakes, gently move sprinkles into place and even add reflective dots to eyes.

Whisk
Whisks consist of several flexible wires that attach to a handle forming a collection of loops which draw
air through egg whites or combine dry ingredients evenly. Whisks are excellent for folding egg whites
into other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS
Baking is a chemical reaction between ingredients when exposed to temperature and friction. The
quality of your finished product depends on the quality of your ingredients. Understanding the function
of ingredients and how they play nicely together (or not) in a recipe is important in determining why
recipes fail, and how they can be improved or modified to accommodate dietary requirements or food
sensitivities. Below you will find an overview of ingredients most used in cookie recipes, their function in
baking and recommendations for substitutions.

Butter
Salted vs. Unsalted

Raised in a European immigrant family full of pastry chefs, I love my butter. For cakes, cookies, pies,
croissants, and buttercreams, I always opt for unsalted butter. It could be my A-type control-freak
personality, but I like to control how much salt is in recipes. I have found that the amount of salt in

21
salted butter varies from brand to brand. This does not mean that you cannot use salted butter in
baking. In most dessert recipes, salt balances the sweet and enhances flavors. I recommend that you
taste it first to determine if it will meet your expectations, needs and preference. If it meets your needs
or if you only have salted butter in the fridge, then a I recommend reducing the salt in your recipe.

Both American and European butters make beautiful pie crust, cakes, cookies, croissants and
buttercreams. However, there is a difference in fat content and how they behave in pastry. Most
American brands of butter contain approximately 80% butter fat, while European butters contain
roughly 82%-84%. I have found Irish butters tend to have approximately 83% and French to have up to
84%. That may not seem like a huge difference, however what this means is that American butter
contains a higher moisture content than European butters. This makes American butters firmer when
chilled as well as harder to shingle into flour and roll out. European butters are usually cultured and
richer in taste. Due to the higher fat content, European butters can be challenging as they soften and
melt more quickly. I use European unsalted butter in any cookie recipe requiring higher fat content
especially ones that are piped onto cookie sheets. As American butter has more moisture and less fat, it
remains firmer at room temperature and more solid when chilled; therefore, making it the ideal choice
for any roll out cookie recipe.

I regularly use Vermont Creamery butter, Cabot, Horizon, Kerrygold, Plugra and Land O-Lakes.

Volume and Weight: 1 stick of butter = 8 tablespoons = ½ cup = 4 oz =113g

Flour
Flour provides structure in baked goods. Wheat flour contains proteins that interact with one another
when exposed and mixed with liquid, forming gluten. This elastic gluten framework stretches to contain
the expanding leavening gases during rising. You can see how the protein content of flour affects the
strength of the dough and is the primary consideration when choosing which type of flour to use in
which recipes. In yeast breads, we want a stronger gluten framework for a chewy and tougher texture.
For this reason, we choose high protein bread flour. For more delicate cakes and pastries, we choose a
lower protein flour (e.g., cake or pastry flour) which yields a more delicate, tender, crumbly texture.

When it comes to flour products, protein levels can range from 5-15% depending on the type of flour
and even the brand of flour. The higher the protein, the higher the gluten level. For the perfect flour
crust, we need to stay in the 11% range either by using all-purpose flour or pastry or combination
thereof. For gluten-free recipes, we have other options. See chart below for more information on flour
proteins and substitution guidelines.

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Quick Guide to Flour
Flour type Protein Best uses
content
Bread flour 12-13% Used for yeast raised breads and other
recipes as it forms more gluten than
other flours.
Traditional breads and pizza crust.
Cake flour 7.5-8% Most finely milled flour with similar
protein count as pastry flour. It is
almost always bleached, which
contributes to its ability to bake to a
very high rise. Lower gluten yields a
delicate, tender and more crumbly
texture.
Perfect for cakes, cookies and delicate
pastries where a highly risen, tender
result is desired.
All-purpose 9-11.5% This is blended during milling to break
flour down protein to as low as 9% protein.
However, most brands contain protein
levels from 10.5% to 11%.
Can be used for all baking purposes.
Everyday cooking, breads, cakes, pies
and pastries.
Whole wheat 14% Whole wheat flour contains nutritious
flour germ and bran as well as the
endosperm of the wheat kernel. Bran
particles cut through gluten during
mixing and kneading dough, resulting in
a smaller and heavier loaf with a
denser crumb.
Mixes well with other flour types.
Breads, bagels and pizza crust.
Self-rising flour 9-11% Best for biscuits, quick breads and
some cookie recipes.
Pastry flour 8-9% Pastry flour is milled to a finer texture
than all-purpose flour and is made with
soft wheat for a lower protein content,
Substitutions
All-purpose flour can
substitute for bread flour;
however, the 2% difference
in protein will affect the rise
of your recipe.
For 2 cups of cake flour,
combine 1 ¾ cup of all-
purpose flour with ¼ cup of
cornstarch.
For 1 cup of cake flour, place
2 tbsp of cornstarch in a 1-
cup measuring cup and fill
the rest with all-purpose
flour.
If using in place of cake flour
in a recipe, substitute 1 cup
minus two tablespoons of all-
purpose flour for cake flour.
Whole wheat flour may be
substituted for white flour in
yeast and quick bread
recipes. If substituting course
ground whole wheat flour for
all-purpose, use 1 cup plus 2
tablespoons whole wheat
flour for every cup of all-
purpose. To substitute whole
wheat flour in white bread
recipe, use half whole wheat
and half bread flour.
For each cup of flour whisk 1
½ tsp of baking powder and
¼ tsp of salt.
Substitute 1 cup of pastry
flour for ½ cup of all-purpose
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 which helps baked goods like pie crusts
and pound cake recipes produce tender
results. Best for pie crusts, pastries,
cookies and biscuits.
Rice flour 0% Many flour brands offer a gluten free
alternative usually rice flour. These
tend to be gritty in texture and require
further processing for use in pastry.
Almond Flour 0% Almond flour is made from ground,
blanched almonds that have had skins
removed by boiling them in water and
ground and sifted into fine flour
texture.
flour with ½ cup of cake
flour.
Substitute 1 cup of pastry
flour for 1 slightly underfilled
cup of all-purpose flour plus
2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
Cup for cup gluten free flours
should be processed to fine,
powdery texture in a food
processor or blender to make
them more suitable for
pastry and pie crust.
You can substitute almond
flour for all-purpose flour in a
1:1 ratio. However, you may
need to include additional
eggs for binding in recipes.

Almond flour is best stored in

an air-tight package either in
a cool pantry for 2-4 months
or in a refrigerator for 6-12
months.

How Sweet It Is: A Baker’s Guide to Sugar

All sugar is made by extracting sugar juice from either sugar beet or sugar cane plants. Different types of
sugar are created through slight changes in the process of cleaning, crystalizing and drying sugar and by
varying molasses levels. Sugars are classified by the size of crystal (granulated, coarse, superfine,
powdered and ultrafine) or by color (white, light brown or dark brown). Sugar color is determined by the
amount of molasses remaining on or added to the crystals, changing moisture level and flavor. In pastry,
the size of crystals, color and moisture level plays both functional and flavorful role. When heated, sugar
color and flavor changes into caramel and often lends a toffee like flavor to recipes.

White Granulated Sugar

Most common sugar called for in recipes, quality white regular granulated sugar is widely available in
small and bulk sizes. If not otherwise specified, this is the sugar used in most cookie recipes.

Superfine or Castor Sugar

Superfine sugar or castor sugar is simply sugar that has been ground into finer crystals than regular
granulated sugar. This makes a sugar that is lighter in weight and dissolves more quickly making it ideal
for delicate desserts such as meringues, angel food cake, mousse and puddings. However, what if you
cannot find superfine sugar where you live? You can use regular granulated sugar with some

24
preparation. First, you will need to sift your sugar to remove any crystals which have formed from
humidity during storage. For one cup of superfine sugar, grind 1 cup and two teaspoons of white
granulated sugar in a blender or food processor for 10-15 seconds. I usually grind a large quantity of
sugar at a time, so I have it on hand for other recipes.

Ultrafine Sugar
Ideally suited for meringues and delicate desserts which require quick sugar absorption to prevent
overmixing, ultrafine sugar can be made by grinding 5 seconds longer than superfine sugar in your food
processor.

Course Sugar
Course sugar has the largest crystal size resulting from the crystallization of molasses-rich sugar syrups
which are high in sucrose. Due to its size, course sugar is resistant to color change or inversion
(breakdown of fructose and glucose) during baking. Course sugar is often used in fondants, confections
and liquors.

Powdered or Confectioners’ Sugar

Simply said, confectioners’ or powdered sugar is granulated sugar that has been ground down to a fine
powder. All commercially powdered sugar contains 3% corn starch which prevents it from clumping.
Powdered sugar is used in glazes, frostings, meringues and whipping cream. You can make
confectioners’ sugar at home by blending 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for
about 35 seconds in a food processor or blender.

Light and Dark Brown Sugars

Brown sugars are typically made by directly boiling brown sugar syrup or mixing white sugar with
various amounts of molasses. Light brown sugar is often used in sauces and most baked goods, whereas
dark brown sugar has a deeper color and stronger molasses flavor making it ideal for gingerbread, baked
beans, barbeque and other robust flavored goods. Brown sugars contain more moisture than white
sugar, affording a moister and chewier finished product.

Muscovado Sugar
Muscovado or Barbados sugar is an unrefined cane sugar in which the molasses has not been removed
lending it a strong flavor and rich dark brown flavor. Muscovado sugar tends to be sandy in texture as its
crystals are coarser and stickier than regular brown sugar.

Turbinado Sugar
Turbinado or Demerara sugar has been processed just enough to make it safe to eat and contains more
naturally present molasses. Blonde in color, turbinado has milder flavor and larger crystals than the
brown sugars we use in baking.

Free -flowing Brown Sugar

Also known as granulated brown sugar, free-flowing brown sugar contains less moisture than regular
brown sugar and is more akin to superfine white sugar in texture. Due to its low moisture, free flowing is
often used in toppings on pies, cereals, oatmeal and cobblers.

25
Specialty Sugars
Fruit Sugar
Usually found in dry mixes such as Jell-o, powdered drink mixes and puddings, fruit sugar is smaller and
more uniform in size than its granulated cousin. Due to uniformity of crystal size, fruit sugar does not
settle in box mixes and stays blended.

Baker’s Special Sugar

Primarily used to coat donuts and cookies, baker’s special sugar has a finer granule than regular sugar
but slightly larger than super-fine and is a specially blended sugar for the baking industry. As it is so close
in granular size, super-fine sugar works well in place of baker’s special sugar for sugaring cookies and
donuts. However, baker’s special sugar in necessary in making crystallized fruit or flowers to achieve
that gorgeous sparkle.

Sanding Sugar
Sanding sugar contains both large and fine crystals giving a sparkling appearance and is most often used
decoratively. You can find sanding sugar in a myriad of colors.

Sucre Neige or Sugar Snow

Sucre Neige is designed to be impervious to moisture or heat and will not disappear, dissolve or melt on
baked goods. Sugar snow coats donuts, Linzer cookies, gooey butter cake, snowballs, lemon bars and
any other lightly dusted pastry or confection. Premade Sucre Neige is available through King Arthur and
Amazon but also can be made by mixing cornstarch or potato starch and fat usually palm oil, but
coconut and cocoa butter are often used as well.

This is my recipe for Sucre Neige:

1 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 oz of 100% food grade cocoa butter (I use Callebaut)
Directions:
1. Pulse sugar and cornstarch in a blender or food processor briefly to combine.

2. Melt cocoa butter until liquefied and let cool for about 10 minutes. With motor running,
slowly drizzle cooled coca butter into mixture until incorporated. The mixture will clump so
don’t worry.

3. Place bowl into refrigerator to cool for 10 minutes allowing cocoa butter to resolidify.

4. Pulse again to break up clumps until mixture becomes powdery. Don’t over do it otherwise
your mixture will heat up and get sticky.

5. Press mixture through a fine mesh sieve for a finer texture. Store in a fridge or cool place for
best results.

26
Chocolate Lover’s Guide to Cocoa and Chocolate Used in Pastry
and Confections
Coming from a family of French, German and Dutch pastry chefs and chocolatiers, I love chocolate in
everything. Different types of cocoa, cacao and chocolate behave differently when mixed with other
ingredients and exposed to heat. Below you will find my chocolate lover’s guide to all things cocoa
butter related to help you determine the best chocolate or cocoa to use when subbing or modifying
recipes. Hopefully this will help prevent expensive chocolate failures!

Cocoa
An exceptionally powerful ingredient used in brownies, flourless chocolate cake, Swiss buttercreams,
cocoa powder is relatively inexpensive in comparison to chocolate bars, chocolate chips or melty féves
and packs a fudgy punch. Cocoa powder is made from dried, ground cocoa solids which remain after
cocoa butter has been processed for other uses. As it has the highest concentration of chocolate solids,
a little cocoa goes a long way.

Before reaching for cocoa, consider the leavening agents your recipe requires. If it calls for baking soda
only, then the choice is natural unsweetened cocoa; however, if your recipe contains baking powder or
combination of baking powder and baking soda, you can choose Dutch process cocoa. Always invest in
the highest quality cocoa powder that you can afford.

Natural cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa

Commonly used in chocolate recipes, natural cocoa has not been processed further than its separation
from cocoa butter and grinding into powder. Natural cocoa has a light brown color and a fruity yet bitter
complex flavor. As cocoa beans are naturally acidic, their cocoa powder derivative contains a pH level
between 5.3 and 5.8 making it an ideal partner with baking soda as it will trigger a chemical reaction
creating a lightness to your finished product.

Dutch process cocoa

Developed by a Dutch chocolatier, Cönraad Johannes van Houten in the 19th century, Dutch process
cocoa is created by soaking cocoa beans in an alkali solution which neutralizes acidity and cuts
bitterness. The result is a darker cocoa with a more refined flavor than natural cocoa.

Rules of Engagement: If a recipe call for a small amount of cocoa powder and uses baking powder or a
mix of baking powder and baking soda or is not baked, you can substitute Dutch process for natural
cocoa. However, if a cake, brownie or cookie recipe relies on the lift of baking soda in tandem with an
acid, do not substitute unsweetened cocoa with Dutch process cocoa otherwise your finished product
will not have the right texture or chew.

Black cocoa powder

Black cocoa is essentially Dutch process cocoa that has been repeatedly processed to achieve an
extremely dark color. Oreo cookies get their deep color and intense flavor from black cocoa. If you want
a dark, rich chocolate product, this is the cocoa to use. The same rules of engagement apply to black
cocoa as any Dutch process cocoa powder.

27
Cocoa Rouge
Cocoa rouge or burgundy cocoa powder is Dutch processed with a rich, mahogany color and robust
fudge like flavor. Burgundy cocoa has a fat content of 10-12%. As with other types of Dutch process
cocoa, the same rule applies when substituting Cocoa Rouge for unsweetened cocoa in recipes.

Cacao Powder
Although made from the same base ingredient, cocoa and cacao powder are very different. Whereas
cocoa powder is made from solids left over after most of the fats have been removed, cacao powder is
made from ground whole cocoa pods and beans and lightly processed at such a low temperature that it
is essentially raw. Thus, cacao is more bitter and yields a less sweet product when substituting it for
cocoa. Cacao powder is a powerful ingredient in savory dishes such as stews, chili, adobos and rubs as
an alternative to paprika.

Chocolate
Chocolate is made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels. Seeds from cacao tree are intensely
bitter in taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor we have come to love. After fermenting, the
seeds are dried, cleaned and roasted. The shell is removed to produce cocoa nibs which are ground to
cocoa mass or raw chocolate. When this unadulterated chocolate mass is heated, it liquifies into
chocolate liquor which can be cooled and processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Baking
chocolate, otherwise known as bittersweet chocolate, contains varying proportions of cocoa solids and
cocoa butter without any added sugar. Most chocolate in candy is a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa
butter or added vegetable oils and sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate with the addition of milk
powder or condensed milk. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar and milk but no cocoa solids.

Always choose the highest quality chocolate that you can afford. Unless your recipe requires chocolate
to be melted and mixed into batter where the color and cocoa content are important, choose the
chocolate which you prefer most. Of bittersweet, semi-sweet, milk and white chocolates, I find that milk
and white chocolates vary in sweetness and melting attributes across brands. Guittard, Valrhona and
Callebaut seem to perform most consistently.

As many pastry and confectionary recipes call for different types of chocolate, it helps to understand
their differences, traits and uses particularly if you are modifying recipes and or need to make a
substitution because, gasp, you have only a certain type of chocolate in your pantry. Recipe failures
involving chocolate are expensive ones, so consider the following before experimenting.

Raw Chocolate
Raw chocolate has not been processed, heated or mixed with other ingredients. It is more available in
cacao producing countries. Due to its unprocessed nature, it contains many essential antioxidants,
minerals and vitamins including protein, iron and fiber.

Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate or plain chocolate has a higher percentage of cocoa with most of its fat content coming
from cocoa butter instead of milk. Due to a high percentage of sugar, dark chocolate can be eaten as is

28
or used in cooking. Most dark chocolates contain 70% to 100% of cocoa. Bittersweet and semi-sweet
chocolate fall into the dark chocolate category.

Bittersweet chocolate
Most bittersweet chocolate bars contain at least 50% chocolate liquor with some reaching 70% to 80%
chocolate liquor. Bittersweet chocolate has a more bitter flavor than sweet or semi-sweet chocolate.
However, as the sugar content is not regulated in bittersweet chocolate, there is wide disparity
sweetness among brands. I have found Ghirardelli, Guittard, Callebaut and Valrhona brands to be more
consistent.

Semi-sweet Chocolate
Americanized by Nestle Toll House, semi-sweet chocolate contains at least 35% cocoa solids and is
darker than sweet chocolate but sweeter than bittersweet. Due to lack sugar regulation in semi-sweet
chocolate, flavor and sweetness varies across brands. Hershey’s and Nestle’s semi-sweet chocolate
contain more sugar than Ghirardelli, Guittard, Callebaut, and Valrhona brands.

Milk Chocolate
Smoother in taste than its cousins, milk chocolate contains cocoa butter, chocolate liquor and milk
product. European milk chocolate contains condensed milk producing a richer and smoother product
whereas American chocolate utilizes dried milk solids. With at least 10% chocolate liquor, 3.39%
butterfat and 12% milk solids, milk chocolate is sweeter, has a light color and less intense chocolate
flavor. It is important to note that milk chocolate is difficult to temper properly and is prone to
overheating.

White Chocolate
This fair-haired darling of the chocolate family gets its color and name from cocoa butter and does not
contain chocolate liquor or any other cocoa product. As a result, it does not have a chocolate flavor and
is often called vanilla chocolate. White chocolate is the perfect canvas for flavorings and color.

Buyer beware though, white chocolate is different than white baking chips as the latter is not chocolate
at all and thus, behaves differently in recipes. By law, white chocolate must contain a minimum of 20%
cocoa butter, 14% milk solids and a maximum of 55% of sugar. White baking chips and bars contain
vegetable fats in lieu of cocoa butter and are not chocolate at all. These should be avoided for use in
recipes calling for white chocolate. When shopping for white chocolate, always check the label.

Couverture
Primarily used by pastry chefs and confectioners, couverture contains a very high percentage of cocoa
butter and a high percentage of chocolate liquor. It melts quickly and smoothly making it ideal for
tempering and enrobing candies. Couverture has become more widely available in milk, dark and white
chocolate varieties. When buying couverture or melting chocolate, make sure that it contains at least
30% cocoa butter. I regularly use Callebaut and Valhrona but have had excellent results with Lindt,
Guittard and Ghirardelli.

29
Candy Coating Chocolate or Candy Melts
Also known as confectionary coating or summer coating, candy melts are flavored with dark, milk or
white chocolate and are available in a wide variety of colors. Because candy melts contain vegetable or
palm oils instead of cocoa butter and contain low amounts of chocolate liquor (if any), they are much
less expensive than couverture. I have found that these melt well but do not have a great mouthfeel –
you know that instant pleasure of flavor and texture you experience with real couverture. Having said
this, candy melts are easy to melt and mold without tempering. Most cake pops and cakesicles in stores
are enrobed in a candy melt mixture. I use candy melts for plating desserts and adding quick
embellishments to chocolate truffles.

Never mix candy coating with real chocolate as the fats contained are not compatible and your result
will be unattractive and well, disgusting. Let’s just say these two should never marry.

Chocolate Chips
Widely available in milk, dark, bittersweet, semi-sweet and white varieties, chocolate chips are
formulated with stabilizers such as soy lecithin which hold their shape under heat. This means that they
do not melt the same way as regular chocolate does. If your recipe calls for melted chocolate or
chopped chocolate, do not substitute with chocolate chips. Chocolate chips are best used as add-ins.
While many recipes extoll the benefits of melting chocolate chips with heavy cream to make ganache in
a pinch, I recommend using higher quality chocolate as ganache made from chips can be gritty after
cooling.

Eggs
Only use fresh eggs for meringues, soufflés, icings and recipes requiring fluffy whipped egg whites.
Select eggs with a best by date 30-35 days from the day you plan to make your meringue and macarons.

Because the primary ingredient of meringue is egg white, you want to use the freshest eggs you can
find. I usually shop for eggs the day before I am planning to make meringue. Unless you are lucky to
have your own chicken coop, you will have to rely on dates listed on egg cartons. In a perfect world,
poultry and dairy farms would list the date the eggs were laid and collected. Many local farms will do
this. However, the FDA only requires poultry/dairy farms to list a “best by” date. This is fine but falls on
the consumer to determine an approximate day the eggs were laid and collected. Through deductive
reasoning, we can assume that from the day the egg was laid, collected, power washed, packaged and
transported, four to five days have passed until they reached your local grocer. The best meringue is
made from eggs that have been laid within three to six days of preparation, so you want to find eggs
with a best by date 30 to 35 days from the day you plan to make your recipe.

Egg separation technique matters.

Because the egg yolk contains a high concentration of fat, even the slightest speck of yolk will jeopardize
whipped egg whites and deflate a meringue. Whenever a recipe calls for egg whites, you want to
separate the yolks from the whites when the eggs are cold. The reason goes back to the chicken and the
egg. As the hen sits on her egg, the membrane around the fertilized yolk thins allowing the developing

30
chick to absorb nutrients. The colder the eggs, the firmer the yolk membrane and the less likely any yolk
will end up in the whites and trash your meringue.

Always crack eggs on a flat surface.

Even how you break eggs matters with meringue. Always crack your eggs against a flat surface to avoid
shells from penetrating the yolk and contaminating the egg white. I recommend separating eggs whites
individually in a separate clean bowl (glass works best for this) then transfer them one by one into your
mixing bowl. This not only allows you to inspect the egg white for traces of yolk but also to check the
quality of the egg white itself. The best, most stable meringue comes from fresh thick egg whites. If the
egg white is thin or watery, do not add it to your mixing bowl.

Meringue Powder vs. Eggs Whites

Meringue powder consists of ultra-pasteurized dried egg whites that are ground in a fine powder often
used as an egg substitute in baking and royal icing. Meringue powder keeps indefinitely, creates a shelf
stable product and meets food safety requirement for royal icing. All meringue powder includes
additives such as cornstarch to absorb moisture in storage, sugar for sweetness, a thickening agent such
as gum Arabic, calcium sulfate as a desiccant to keep the powder dry, silicon dioxide for powder flow
and citric acid or cream of tartar to stabilize egg foam.

I use meringue powder for royal icing in cookie decorating as it sets firmer, dries harder, is less prone to
damage in packaging and is food safe. I will use whipped egg whites in royal icing for intricate
decorations on cakes as it does not dry as hard as meringue and offers a satiny finish.

I do not, however, recommend using meringue powder for meringue cookies, meringue topping for pies,
French artisan marshmallows or macarons as it contains additives which lead to a chalky mouthfeel, not
the delightful explosion of flavor and lightness promise we expect from these recipes.

I use meringue powder from Wilton, King Arthur and Ateco.

Salt
As stated previously, salt elevates flavor and balances sweetness in pastry, confections and chocolate
and comes in a wide selection. I wish that I could say that all salt is the same, but alas I cannot. Each type
is distinctive and enhances flavor differently. Salt is essentially a mineral mix of mostly sodium chloride
and vary in texture and flavor depending on the local mineral mix and evaporation methods used in
processing. I use sea salt and kosher salt in baking.

Table Salt
Gracing saltshakers in homes and restaurants across the globe, table salt contains 97-99% sodium
chloride and has been mined, processed in purified water and then rehydrated. Many table salt brands
contain an anti-caking agent and iodide, an essential nutrient that can be removed during purification.
For this reason, many packages of salt will indicate that it is “not a source of iodide” on packaging.

31
Kosher Salt
Kosher salt is refined and has larger crystals than table salt with no additives. Contrary to popular belief,
most kosher salt has not been certified by a Heckscher; rather the name refers to large crystal salt that is
used in making meats kosher.

Sea Salt
Sea salt comes directly from evaporated sea water. Sea salts vary greatly depending on the origin of the
sea water, its mineral content and the evaporation method used.

The Bean and I: Demystifying the Amazing World of Orchid

Vanilla
An essential ingredient in pastry and confections, vanilla adds not only flavor but also soul to any recipe.
Vanilla enhances the nostalgia we feel when enjoying French vanilla ice cream, butter cookies and
birthday cake. A luxury good, vanilla has become more expensive due to effects of climate change on
the delicate orchids producing them and the labor and time intensive process used to prepare vanilla for
our use.

With over 150 different varieties across the globe, vanilla originates from vanilla orchid plants and is
harvested and processed by hand. Vanilla planifolia, native to Mexico, is grown across Caribbean,
northern South America, Central America and Madagascar. Vanilla pompona orchids are found in the
West Indies, Central America, and South America and lastly vanilla tahitensis is local to French Polynesia
and New Guinea.

Madagascar accounts for 80% of the world’s vanilla and carries the most traditional vanilla flavor, which
you have enjoyed your entire life. Mexican vanilla is bolder and a bit smokier whereas Tahitian vanilla is
more delicate and floral. Some vanilla purveyors such as Burlap & Barrel sell vanilla pods from Tanzania
or the Amazon.

Regardless of its point of origin, the vanilla sitting in your pantry is the product of a lengthy labor-
intensive process all done by hand. Vanilla orchids bloom one day per year. Yes, you’ve read correctly.
On this day, orchid flowers are pollinated by hand as its only natural pollinator, the Melipona bee, lives
only in Central America. From the pollinated blooms, vanilla pods develop and mature over 8 to 9
months and are hand-picked while they are still green. The pods are cured and then wrapped in blankets
to dry for 3 to 6 months. Vanilla beans ferment and shrink down in size by 400% during this time. At this
point, beans are either packaged for sale or they are soaked in bourbon or vodka for up to one year to
make the extract you use in your pastries and desserts. Simply stated, it almost 1 year to produce low
quality vanilla extracts and up to two years for the best quality. It totally changes how we think about
vanilla, doesn’t it?

Sadly, climate change has caused major issues for orchid growers worldwide and due to low supply and
increased demand, vanilla crops have become a target of thieves leading to violence and death. Now
that bottle of extract is even more valuable than you ever thought.

32
Vanilla Extracts
Vanilla extracts are the most common form of vanilla available today and are made by macerating
chopped vanilla pods in alcohol, thus extracting flavors and fragrances from the bean pod. When
shopping for pure vanilla extract, look for ones containing 13.35 oz of vanilla beans per gallon during
extraction and only 35% alcohol. You want more concentrated vanilla in your extract.

Vanilla Bean Pods

Always look for thick, plump vanilla pods that are moist. If the pod appears dry or shriveled, you can be
assured that there probably are not many beans inside it. The most reliable purveyors of beans are
Nielsen-Massey, Heilala, Beanilla, Vanilla Queen and Burlap & Barrel.

Vanilla beans should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight jar in a cool, dark and
dry place for up to 6 months.

The best way to extract seeds from a vanilla pod is to slice pod in half with a sharp knife or clean
embroidery scissors and lightly scrape and scoop seeds with a pinch size measuring spoon or small
spatula.

Waste Not, Want Not

Now that you know why vanilla is considered liquid gold, you can (and should) utilize the whole pod
after removing seeds. After you have removed seeds, place bean pod in a mason jar filled with vodka,
bourbon or brandy and steep for 3 months at minimum but ideally for one year to achieve the
smoothest extract. Alternatively, you can place pods in a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar.

Vanilla Bean Paste

Vanilla bean paste is a thick, brown, syrupy paste made by blending concentrated vanilla extract with
vanilla powder. Unlike extracts, you can see flecks of vanilla seeds in vanilla bean paste. For this reason,
it has a more intense ambrosial aroma and flavor than extract.

Vanilla Bean Crush

The best of both worlds, vanilla bean crush is a blend of extract, seeds and paste. Can substitute extract
in most recipes.

33
Types of Vanilla Beans and Extracts and Their Uses
Vanilla Type Characteristics
Madagascar Most popular vanilla with a
clear yet creamy flavor.
Most expensive as it is hand-
pollinated and fermented
longer than other vanillas.
Mexican Vanilla is smoother with a
mellow taste and a woody,
spicy undertone.
Land of vanilla’s origin, vanilla
blooms are pollinated by bees.
Mexican vanilla is processed
over the shortest period of all
vanillas.
Tahitian Grown in Papua New Guinea or
Indonesia and are harvested
from V. tahitensis orchid.
Beans are wide and flat with a
unique floral, ripe fruit flavor
and cherry-chocolate, caramel
and licorice undertones.
Hand-pollinated and contains
the least amount of vanillin.
Ugandan One of the rarer types of vanilla
and contains the most vanillin
content.
Smooth like Madagascar vanilla
with sweeter and chocolatey
flavor.
As Africa has two dry seasons,
vanilla is harvested twice per
year allowing for steady
distribution and sale.
Uses
Excellent for pastry and desserts
with apples, peaches, and
strawberries and all egg-based
recipes such as mousse, crème
Brule, cheesecakes and soufflés.
Excellent for recipes with
cinnamon, cocoa, raisins,
tamarind, pumpkin, and spicy
tuberose.
Adds depth to recipes which
rely heavily on vanilla flavor
such as cakes, cookies, breads
and ice creams.
Most often used for non-food
products such as soaps,
perfumes, candles and oils.
Complements recipes with floral
flavors such as rosewater,
orange blossom, lavender etc.
Ideally suited for chocolate
recipes, ice cream and sweet
drinks.
34
Forms of Vanilla and Best Uses
Vanilla Form Best Uses
Beans When vanilla is the star of your recipe, and you want to see flecks of vanilla
throughout.

Best suited for vanilla ice cream, blondies, white cakes and cupcakes, sugar
cookies.

Ideal for desserts heavy on fresh or poached fruit.

Paste Almost interchangeable with beans but less expensive.

Easier to work with when adding to whipping cream or pastry.

Extract Used in desserts where vanilla is not the center stage flavor such as
brownies, chocolate chip cookies, spice cakes, coffee cakes, etc.

Flavored Extracts vs. Bakery Emulsions

The difference between flavored extracts and baking emulsions lies in how flavor compounds
are suspended. A flavor extract is a flavor concentration suspended in approximately 35%
alcohol solution. whereas a baking emulsion are concentrated, water soluble flavoring
suspended in a solution of water and vegetable gum. Due to the alcohol content, extracts will
bake out at high temperatures as the alcohol evaporates and takes part of the flavor with it.
Water-based emulsions, however, hold flavor integrity at high heat and offer a purer flavor.
Having said this, extracts have a longer shelf life than emulsions.

Leavening Agents
Baker’s Ammonia
Baker’s Ammonia or ammonium bicarbonate was the primary leavening agent bakers used before the
advent of baking powder and baking soda in the 19th century. Many European traditional cookie recipes
such as German Springerle call for it today. Word to the wise, baker’s ammonia has a noxious smell and
clears a room. In fact, we would close one bakery location to prepare all Springerle and Speculaas
cookies for the holiday season. I wish that I could say there is another less stinky substitute for it in
making Springerle, but to achieve that perfect low moisture biscuit with feet and a more delicate and
crunchy texture, this is the only leavening agent that works.

Baking Powder
Not all baking powder is made equal. As flour, butter and sugar absorb flavors easily, the best baking
powder is an all-phosphate product containing calcium acid phosphate (CAP) such as Rumford brand.
CAP baking powder lacks the bitter aftertaste associated with sodium aluminum sulfate (SAS) powders
which seem to prevail in grocery stores.

35
Baking Soda
Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is used as a leavening agent in baking. When it reacts with an acid
such as vinegar, cream of tartar, lemon juice, yogurt, buttermilk, cocoa or vinegar, carbon dioxide is
released, causing an expansion of batter thus creating texture and grain in cakes, breads and other
baked goods.

Vodka
Vodka is a not-so-secret weapon in the arsenal of pastry chefs and sugar artists. You’ll find at least one
bottle of vodka in their freezers. Vodka allows us to add powdered color to meringues, sugar and
chocolate sculptures and royal icing without adding too much moisture.
Ice-cold vodka can also be substituted for liquid in pastry dough recipes. Most vodkas available in the
United States are about 80-proof and, thus, contain approximately 60% water and 40% ethanol, which
means only 60% of the liquid volume (i.e., water) aids gluten development while 100% of the liquid
volume moistens the pastry dough making it easier to manage and roll out. With vodka, you will be able
to add a little more to a dry dough and still limit gluten development which can make our crust tough. As
the crust bakes, most of the ethanol will evaporate leaving a crust that is flaky and tender without
alcoholic flavor. I will substitute vodka for milk if my dough is harder to manage.

Add-In Ingredients in Cookies

Dried Fruit
Contradictory to its name, dried fruit and raisins should be moist and plump. Trust me, hard and dried
fruit does not improve when baked so I soak dried fruit and raisins in coffee, tea (chai), fruit juice, liquor
or water depending on the recipe for about 30 minutes to an hour before mixing in my dough or batters.
Just be sure to strain fruit and pat dry so you do not incorporate additional moisture into your recipe.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are a delightful addition to recipes. These add a complexity of texture and flavor to
cookies and breads. Keep in mind that due to fat content, nuts and seeds are oily by nature and turn
rancid easily. They also can take on a chemical taste from plastic packaging. I recommend tasting one
before incorporating into your recipe. To maintain freshness, nuts should be stored in an airtight
container in the freezer. Most recipes call for untoasted nuts and seeds, however lightly toasting them
elevates sophistication in flavor and crunch.

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How the Cookie Crumbles: A Troubleshooting Guide
There is nothing more demoralizing than when a recipe fails especially after all that hard work and
delightful smell wafting through your kitchen promised sweet success. Below you will find a list of
common problems in cookie baking, how they happen and tips on how to prevent them.

Uneven browning. Lack of uniformity in cookie size. Bake similarly sized cookies in batches.
If making drop cookies, such as chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin, use a
spring-release cookie scoop to help portion batter more uniformly.

Oven could have cold or hot spots, causing some cookies to over-brown
and leaving others underbaked. Try the sugar test to assess hot and cold
spots. Spread sugar on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 5 minutes at
350°F. You will be able to see where those spots immediately and you’ve
got some nice, caramelized sugar to add new dimension to your
chocolate chip cookies, spice breads, and toppings for your pies.

To counteract hot and cold spots, rotate your baking sheet halfway
during baking.
Tough texture in cookies. The most common reason for a tough cookie is overmixing the dough.
As stated earlier, when flour is mixed into dough, gluten forms holding
our baked goods together, but can lead to tough cookies when gluten is
overactivated.

To fix this, only mix flour in dough until no streaks of flour are visible. Stir
in nuts, chocolate chips, fruit or other add-ins when streaks of flour are
still present but barely visible.

Let dough rest before baking to relax the gluten. Many cookie recipes
direct you to do this by chilling dough before baking. This not only allows
the gluten rest but also allows the flour to absorb moisture resulting in a
delightful cookie.
Cookies spread during Cookie spread is often related to the temperature of ingredients or
baking. dough. Usually butter that was too soft or warm during mixing is the
culprit. Ideally, butter should still be cool at room temperature and be
firm enough to hold shape but soft enough to leave an imprint when
touched. Keep in mind that European butter reaches room temperature
much more quickly than American as it contains more butter fat.

Warm dough before baking can also lead to spread. To prevent this, chill
dough for at least 30 minutes to an hour before baking. This will solidify
butter fat. Sugar cut-out cookies should be triple frozen to prevent
spread.

Many recipes suggest using parchment paper or silicone mats in lieu of

greasing a baking sheet. This recommendation should be followed as
greasing sheets also can lead to spread.

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Cookies stick to the baking This problem can easily be solved by using parchment paper or silicone
pan. baking mats. The only exception to this would be baking shortbread in
embossed pans. For these, prepare pans by greasing with butter or using
a cooking spray.

Remember when I mentioned that cookies continue to bake after

removing them from the oven? Another quick solution to sticky cookies,
is to cool them on the baking pan on a wire rack before transferring
them. This allows air to circulate around the pan and cool them more
quickly and prevent too much carryover baking from the heat of the pan
while still allowing them to set or firm up.
Cookies are too dry. Too much flour is the most common reason for dry cookies. If you are
dipping your measuring cup into your flour and then leveling with a
spoon, you are probably getting much more than you need. Try
sprinkling flour into your dry measuring cup with a spoon or weighing it.
This will give you the most accurate amount.
Bottoms of cookies are too This happens if cookies are baked on a dark finish sheet or in dark a pan.
brown. Dark finish pans absorb more heat and will bake bottoms of cookies
faster.

Cookies are overbaked.
Check your recipe to see if it calls for baking your cookies on middle rack
or in the upper third of your oven. This does make a difference.
As stated earlier, it is not uncommon for the temperature in your oven
to be different from what is displayed on your control panel. If your
cookies are overbaked, it might be time to check the overall health of
your oven. An oven thermometer will help you determine how your
oven box is heating. Once you know if there is a discrepancy between
the two, you can adjust temperature accordingly.

Butter bleed.
Cookies are oily.
Cookies were left in the oven too long. If your cakes or cookies are done
in the oven, trust me, they will be overdone out of it. Due to carryover
baking, remove cookies before they are golden kissed around the edges.
I usually remove mine just when the bottoms have begun to darken
around the edges. They will continue baking as they cool and will
develop the gorgeous color we associate with the perfect cookie.
As many cookies call for creaming butter with sugar, very often butter
cookies will “weep” butter after they are removed from the oven. This
happens often if your dough was room temperature when you put it in
the oven or if you used butter with higher fat content. To cure butter
bleed, transfer cookies to cooling racks covered with paper towels. Any
residual butter will be absorbed by the paper towels and thus, will be
less likely to mar royal icing.
Oily or greasy cookies usually indicate that the butter fat was too warm
or not solid enough when baked. Triple freeze cookie dough to solidify
butter fat in rolled cookie recipes.

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 As a rule, margarine should never be substituted for butter as it is softer
and oilier than its butter counterpart. Shortening is a better substitute if
butter is not available.
Cookies are not chewy All white sugars tend to make cookies crispy, whereas brown sugars with
enough. more moisture create a chewier cookie. Substituting 50% of white sugar
with brown sugar will make chewier cookies. If you are dissatisfied with
the chew of your cookie, substitute a portion of the flour with bread
flour. Bread flour has more gluten protein rendering a chewier product.
Cookies are not crispy. Cookies with low crisp occur when they have not baked long enough or if
the oven is not at the right temperature. If this happens, bake cookies a
minute or two longer but remove them immediately onto a wire rack to
crispen.

If you feel that the recipe does not deliver the crisp cookie it promises,
substitute a portion of brown sugar with white sugar.
Cookies flattened and This happens if dough has not been chilled before baking or if baking
spread out too thin during sheet was too warm from a previous use. As a rule, only bake cookies on
baking. a cool cookie sheet.
Cookies break or crumble Cookies are most likely still too warm to remove. As cookies cool, they
when removed from “set” and firm up. If the first cookie breaks apart, wait a couple of
baking sheets. minutes and try again.

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RECIPE
Vanilla Sugar Cut-Out Cookies
From www.Sweetapolita.com

3 ½ cups (470g) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 ¼ cups (260g) superfine sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or LorAnn’s Princess Bakery Emulsion

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 tablespoons (45ml) milk

Directions

1. In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.

2. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium
until it becomes a pale paste (be careful that you do not beat it until it is light and fluffy as your
cookies will expand while baking) approximately 2 minutes.

3. Add vanilla extract or Princess Bakery Emulsion whichever you are using and beat well.

4. Add egg and milk and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute

5. Reduce mixer to lowest setting and gradually add the flour mixture, beating until just
incorporated (be careful not to overmix as you will over-activate gluten and your cookies will be
tough).

6. Wrap dough and chill for at least an hour. I usually chill mine overnight.

7. Divide dough into three parts and roll out to an even thickness in between two pieces of
parchment paper to prevent sticking. Chill for at least 15 minutes. If you used European butter
in your recipe, I recommend freezing the rolled-out dough at this point to keep your butter fat
solid. This should be done for at least 30 minutes.

8. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with either silicone baking mats or parchment
paper.

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 9. Remove chilled dough and cut out cookies in the shape of your choice. Be sure to cut as many
cookies as possible per dough disk as each time dough is rolled out gluten is activated further
leading to tough cookies. Place on cookie sheets and freeze for 30 minutes to maintain butter
fat solids.

10. After freezing, place cookies at least 1 ½” apart and bake on the center rack in the oven until
cookies are slightly kissed with a light golden brown on edges. Depending on the size of cookies
or the amount of time they were frozen, baking time varies. Check on cookies after 10-12
minutes. Keep in mind that cookies continue baking after removal from the oven so be sure not
to overbake.

11. Cool cookies on their baking sheets on racks for 10 minutes before transferring on wire racks to
cool completely.

12. After they are completely cooled, cookies can be stored at room temperature for 7 days or
frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Variations on a theme:

Almond Sugar Cut-out Cookies: Reduce vanilla to 1 teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon of almond extract.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cut-out Cookies: Replace vanilla extract with vanilla bean paste or seeds of ½ vanilla
bean.

Lemon Sugar Cut-out Cookies: Omit vanilla and add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice and grated zest of
one lemon. You can also replace vanilla extract with lemon extract.

Orange Sugar Cut-out Cookies: Omit vanilla and add ½ teaspoon pure orange extract and 1 tablespoon
of orange zest.

COOKIE DECORATING
So many of us are delighted by the beautifully decorated cookies seen on Instagram or Pinterest. We
watch cookie decorating tutorials and reels on TikTok with captivated interest and wonder if we can
achieve those beautiful results. The answer is yes, you can. Anyone can do what we do with a little
practice.

The first step to cookie decorating is understanding the various consistencies of royal icing. You will find
wide disparity in royal icing recipes and information on consistencies in cookbooks and cookie blogs. If
you ask a cookie artist how to achieve perfect royal icing consistencies for specific decorative details,
you will often get that deer in headlight look first, a pause of careful reflection and then the carefully
worded answer. Royal icing is not a guarded trade secret, mind you, just mercurial in its behavior. Like
whipped meringue, successful royal icing depends on a variety of factors with humidity and climate
being the biggest.

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Royal icing with whipped eggs whites vs. royal icing with meringue powder

Many ask which ingredient is better for royal icing and I always answer, “Well, it depends on…” Pretty
dreadful, isn’t it when you are looking for a steadfast rule. I began my culinary journey with royal icing
using whipped egg whites under the discerning gaze of my French grandmother. She felt that if I could
master whipped meringue, I could do anything in French pastry or confections. Once I mastered the
technique, she introduced me to meringue powder and let me tell you, it was love at first sight and
revolutionized my cookie decorating world. Having used both in royal icing, I have found that royal icing
made with fresh egg whites does not dry as hard as that made with pasteurized egg powder or meringue
powder. For this reason, I use it for decorating cakes where I would like the glossy white finish it
provides on decorative details. For decorating cookies, I always use meringue powder in my royal icing
as it dries firmer and is more consistent in performance than royal icing with fresh egg whites. Unlike
Swiss, German, Italian or French meringue buttercream frosting, you do not heat the egg whites at all in
royal icing which can open to door to salmonella concerns associated with raw eggs. If you would like to
try your hand at whipped meringue, be sure to use very fresh, ultra-pasteurized egg whites.

Below you will find the royal icing recipe that I adapted from Rosie Alyea’s blog www.sweetapolita and
use most. By adding small increments of water, you should be able to achieve beautiful results
regardless of where you live.

RECIPE
Royal Icing (makes about 2 cups)
Adapted from www.sweetapolita.com

4 cups (500g) confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup (40g) + 1 ½ tablespoons meringue powder

1/4 cup (2 oz) water, plus more for thinning (you will end up using approximately 1/3 cup or 80 ml of
water total)

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more for cleaning bowl and paddle attachment

½ teaspoon pure almond extract or any extract of your choice

Gel food coloring if desired

Directions

1. Wipe stainless steel bowl and paddle attachment of an electric mixer with a paper towel
dampened with lemon juice to remove any residual fat that can deflate meringue.

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 2. Place confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, 1/4 cup of water, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and
extract in the bowl and beat on low speed until ingredients have been incorporated. If mixture
appears too dry, add a tablespoon of water and continue to beat on low speed until thick for
about 15 minutes. At this stage, your icing will be thick and have a matte appearance like
whipped cream. We consider this stiff-peak consistency, ideal for piping thick borders, flowers
and leaves.

3. For soft peak icing, ideal for piping dots, lines and other patterns, add a few drops of water and
stir until icing is glossy and resembles thick whipped cream. Icing will hold its shape but in soft
peaks.

4. For flood consistency, add very small increments of water until your icing reaches 15-20 second
consistency whereby a knife dragged through the middle of the icing will leave a mark that will
disappear within 15-20 seconds. This consistency is ideal for outlining and filling the surface of a
cookie.

5. Let medium stiff and flood consistency icing stand for 1 hour before using to allow air bubbles to
rise. If you have added gel food coloring, you should allow icing to stand longer as colors will
deepen over time. To achieve rich jewel tones, such us red or purple or deep black icing, add
chosen color until your icing is two shades lighter than the desired color and refrigerate 6 hours
or overnight to deepen color. This allows you to use less saturated food coloring to achieve the
desired result while avoiding the nasty food coloring taste.

6. Keep icing tightly covered in an airtight container with plastic wrap skimming the surface of your
icing to prevent crusting for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Variations on a Theme

Black Velvet Royal Icing: Omit lemon juice and extract and replace with 1 ½ teaspoon of LorAnn Red
Velvet Bakery Emulsion and 1 teaspoon of black gel food coloring.

Chocolate Royal Icing: Replace 1/3 cup (45g) of confectioners’ sugar with 1/3 cup (40g) cocoa powder.

Coffee Royal Icing: Add ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder.

Red Velvet Royal Icing: Omit lemon juice and extract and replace with 1 ½ teaspoons of Red Velvet
Bakery Emulsion and no taste red gel food coloring to boost shade of red.

Vanilla Bean Royal Icing: Replace almond extract with seeds of ½ vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon of vanilla
bean paste.

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When Your Royal Icing Loses Its Crown: A Troubleshooting Guide
Pitfalls abound when working with mercurial meringue-based recipes. Whenever I begin a project, I mix
2 tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar with ¼ teaspoon of meringue powder to have on hand just in case
I add too much liquid to achieve the consistency I want. Always make an extra batch of stiff consistency
royal icing. You can always add water to get whichever consistency you need and it’s your insurance
policy if you run out in the middle of a project.

Icing is too runny.
Icing has separated after a
few hours.
Icing has not dried.
Icing does not have a smooth
or shiny finish.
If you accidentally added too much water, add 1 tablespoon of
confectioners’ sugar and 1/8 teaspoon of meringue powder to your
icing to thicken it. Alternatively, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of stiff
consistency icing until you reach your desired consistency.
This is completely normal and just requires a good stir.
It usually takes at least 6 hours for the base on flooded cookies to
dry. Exactly how much longer this takes, depends on the humidity,
climate and air flow in your kitchen. If it is raining on the day you
decorate your cookies, you might have to wait a little longer for your
base to dry. I usually allow the base layer of my icing to dry
overnight.
Dullness indicates that your icing may be overmixed. Most royal
icing recipes offer suggested mixing times and speeds. If you notice
that your meringue has peaked before the designated mixing time is
over, then you should probably stop mixing.

A dull surface on a decorated cookie is often due to lack of airflow

Ripples or waves in icing.
Craters or air bubbles in icing.
during critical drying time. Royal icing must breathe so cookies
should not be covered or placed too close together during this stage.
Many cookie artists will turn on a fan to increase air circulation
during the first hour of drying.
If you find that your lovely, decorated cookies develop ripples on
their surface far into drying stage, then you did not have enough air
flow. This happens often when trays have been stacked one on top
of the other to save space.
By merit of their whipped nature, all meringue-based recipes are
prone to air bubbles. Royal icing is no different. After achieving
desired consistency and color, let royal icing stand before adding to
decorating bags. I let mine sit for a half hour to let all air bubbles rise
to the surface. Then give a stir to release them.

Air bubbles can also happen if your icing is too thin, so be sure to
double check your consistency for best results.
Color bleed. Color bleed happens if your icing is too thin. Make sure that your
colored icing has a couple of hours to deepen before using. This will
also set your color and prevent bleed.
Color bleed in decorative This happens if your base icing is too dry before adding a contrasting
details. color in the next level of detail. If you are using deep color against a

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Icing dissolved when painted.
Butter bleed.
Icing develops pits or
indentations in base layer.
white background, then you should add detail while moisture is still
in your base color. While this seems contradictory to rule above, this
is more scientifically based. Meringue has a love-hate relationship
with moisture. Once completely dried, royal icing can pull moisture
from the icing in the next layer of detail or even from the cookie
itself. Therefore, your base icing should be firm but still have a little
moisture if you are applying rich color detail next.
Color bleed in decorated cookies can also happen if they have not
fully dried before packaging or if they have been exposed to
humidity.
If your icing dissolves or pits when you are applying color or luster
dust, your icing may be over-mixed. The best way to avoid over-
mixed icing, is to mix on low speed and stop when your meringue
has reached stiff peak stage. I use the 2nd setting on my mixer.
Icing may pit or dissolve when it is exposed to moisture. While
powdered color and gel color can be mixed with water, I
recommend using vodka, ever clear or lemon extract in lieu of water
when mixing color. The alcohol will evaporate leaving color without
the moisture.
This happens sometimes when using European butters with higher
fat content and / or when your kitchen or the weather is a bit warm
leading to butter in your cookie to melt and seep into your icing. This
will discolor your icing. Once this occurs, there isn’t a true fix. You
can paint the cookie’s surface or add details to hide discoloration.
All cookies made with butter will experience a certain amount of
butter bleed. However, an ounce of prevention wins the day in this
case. Triple chill your cookie dough – after it has mixed, after you
have rolled it out and after you have cut out your cookie shapes
before baking them. If you notice that your cookies have a buttery
sheen after baking, cool them on paper towels. After they have
completely cooled, store them on paper towels in an airtight
container until you are ready to decorate them.
Once your cookies are completely cooled and any excess butter has
been blotted away, you should be ready to decorate them with
excellent results. Word to the wise, make sure that your icing
consistency is not too thin when flooding. Improving air circulation
around your drying cookies will also help.
Pits or indentations can occur in long thin sections of a decorated
cookie. Flower petals are an excellent example where this can
happen. To prevent slight indentations or elongated pits, pipe a line
in the center of the section before outlining and flooding.
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Icing curls during piping.
If you find a pit or indentation after the icing has crusted, have no
fear. You can fix this. Pipe a small dot or line of the same color icing
in the pit or indentation and gently spread to fill in the defect. Place
a small piece of parchment over the patch and gently smooth with
an offset spatula to hide the mend.
This commonly occurs and can be due to lumps in your icing or
crusting around your piping tips causing them to clog.

If you are using several colors at once in piping bags, cover or wrap
tips in a damp paper towel to prevent crusting or clogging in your
tips between uses as you switch from color to color.

Curling can happen if you have a prominent seam in your piping tip
or it could happen if you applied too much pressure during piping.
Try relaxing pressure a bit during piping to see if this helps.

Sources
I have included sources that I use everyday in cookie baking and decorating. You will find that the
internet offers a plethora of resources as well. For tutorials in cookie decorating, you can take free live
classes on Facebook, join subscription programs or purchase individual classes focused on specific
techniques. I recommend following Marlyn Confections, Haniela’s and SweetAmbs on Facebook. Due to
its intuitive preference algorithms, Facebook will suggest other cookie artist pages.

Cookie baking essentials

The Cookie Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan

King Arthur Cookie Companion

www.sweetapolita.com

Cookie decorating

The Cookie Canvas by Amber Spiegel

www.sweetambs.com

www.hanielas.com

Cookie decorating supplies

www.sweetsticks.com.au

www.cookiecountess.com

www.sweetsugarbelle.com

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