How to Bake Better Cookies and Brownies

Very simple tips for you to practice on your way to perfecting the ultimate cookie or brownie.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Recipe
• Cookie sheet and/or pan
• oven
• creativity

1. 
   rolling

   For cookies, chill dough for 15 to 30 minutes before shaping cookies. Use only enough flour on your work surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking. Too much flour can make cookies too tough. Cut cookies out of dough as close together as possiible. Then work the used dough into fresh dough. For round cookies that are uniform, use a thin-edged drinking glass to cut them.

2. 
   cookies

   Use an ice cream scoop to make uniform size drop cookies. In sticky situations, you can coat the scoop with granulated sugar to prevent heavy sticking. To decorate evenly, use a salt shaker with sprinkling sugar on the tops of cookies. Sprinkle sugar decorations immediately after the cookies come out of the oven.

3. 
   brownies

   For brownies, ice them upside down for smoother cutting. Instead of using flour and butter to coat the pan, use cocoa powder and shortening. It adds cocoa flavor and shortening will not burn as easy.

Tips & Warnings

• When using basic recipes for sugar cookies or brownies, you need to remember that you can make anything your own by changing flavors or extracts. For example, replace vanilla extract with peppermint or orange extracts. You can also use special flavored chips instead of chocolate chips. These details make it more then a normal recipe.
• Ovens are hot, use pot holders and be very careful. It seems simple, but people burn themselves often.

Resources

• my myspace profile...check out my pictures of my cakes
• food network

[sashasweder]

on 11/7/2008 I do it the most with sugar and shortbread cookies and it makes them stand taller after baking because the butter is cold when it bakes.

[Haoie]

on 9/22/2008 No idea you could chill dough beforehand for good effect. Awesome.

[pattisw]

on 9/20/2008 Thanks for the tips

[dalady]

on 2/24/2008 good ideas