Twelve Days of Cookie Baking

Twelve Days of Cookie Baking — Day 1

Create memories your families and friends will savor for years to come

It’s hard for me to believe that the popular song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” doesn’t mention any holiday treats. I’d rather have 12 Russian teacakes than 12 drummers drumming — that would simply be way too noisy! Just think of 11 decorated sugar cookies, 10 peanut butter blossoms, nine peppermint meltaways… Well, not all in one sitting, but perhaps throughout the season.

At this time of year it seems almost everyone recalls at least one favorite holiday treat that stirs a memory as warm as the cookies themselves emerging from a loved one’s oven. Food, Faith and Fellowship shares a number of recipes for time-honored and well-loved sweets in the upcoming “Twelve Days of Cookie Baking” collection.

Before you get started, here are a few suggestions:

• Always preheat the oven to the temperature indicated in the recipe. Preheat the oven for at least 15 minutes — the first blast of heat as the cookies enter the oven helps them set so they don’t spread too much and then burn around the edges because they have thinned out.

• If using a convection oven and following a recipe designed for a conventional oven, heat the convection oven to a temperature 25°F lower than the recipe suggests. Expect the food to be done in less time (as much as 25 percent less) than it would be in a conventional oven, even with the 25°F reduction.

• Because most cookies spread during baking, it is necessary to allow enough space between them on the baking sheet. Otherwise, they tend to run together. Drop cookies and refrigerator cookies spread the most and usually require about two inches of space all the way around each cookie. Rolled cookies don’t spread as much so the spaces between them can be smaller.

• When arranging cookies on baking sheets, space them evenly and try to get as many as possible on each sheet. Don’t put them too close to the edge as they may “spread” right off the sheet onto the oven. Place cookie dough on cool baking sheets — the heat from warm pans causes excessive spreading.

• The very best results occur when only one sheet of cookies is baked at a time. The baking sheet should be placed in the center of the middle rack of the oven. But in this busy world of ours, baking cookies one tray at a time may take a little too long. So, when baking two sheets of cookies at once, place the oven racks so that the oven is divided into thirds. To ensure that the cookies on each sheet will bake evenly, switch the trays mid-way through the baking process.

• Always check to see if the cookies are done when the minimum amount of baking time has passed.

• Take the cookies out of the oven as soon as they are baked. Unless the recipe directs otherwise, immediately remove to them to a cooling rack.

• It’s important not to pile the cookies on the cooling rack. Each one should remain flat as it cools. Warm cookies are soft and will bend out of shape or break if not treated properly as they cool.

• Don’t forget to add a full measure of your love to each and every batch! CJK

P.S. Looking for candy-making recipes and tips? You’re in luck! In 2010 FFF presented “Twelve Days of Candy-Making” starting with the post ‘Sweet’ dreams can come true.”