How to Keep Homemade Cookies Soft

Few things smell as good or bring as much comfort to a home than homemade cookies. They're a delicious treat, and making them is a great family activity. Unlike store bought cookies, you can control exactly what goes into your homemade cookies, allowing you to opt for a more wholesome treat. Because homemade cookies lack the same preservatives as purchased cookies, you need to take extra steps to make sure they stay soft and retain that fresh-baked goodness.

Things You'll Need

• Applesauce
• Airtight container
• Slice of bread
• Slice of apple

Instructions

1. Use the proper kind of butter. If a recipe calls for softened butter, and you use melted butter, your cookies will come out hard. Measure to measure well, and use butter at the exact specified temperature.

2. Replace half of the oil in a recipe with the same amount of apple sauce. The apple sauce will make your cookies come out moist, and the upside is that it reduces some of the fat in the recipe. This isn't suitable for cookies with delicate flavors, as the applesauce can add a fruity flavor.

3. Remove your cookies from the oven 3 to 5 minutes before they are completely cooked. Overcooking is a major cause of hard cookies. Cookies will continue to cook on a hot pan for up to 15 minutes after being removed from the oven, so removing them early can result in a softer cookie.

4. Store your cookies in an airtight container. Less exposure to air means less evaporation of moisture from your cookies. Only open the container when getting out cookies, and close it immediately. Don't refrigerate your cookies. Store in a warm place.

5. Add a slice of bread to your container. This increases the humidity of the air inside the container, which slows the evaporation of moisture from your cookie. It also helps keep the surfaces moist.

6. Add apple slices to your airtight container. This works in the same way the bread does, however, you will need to change the apple slices daily to prevent rotting and molding.

7. Don't make more cookies than you can eat within a few days. Homemade cookies get stale sooner than store bought cookies because they lack the same preservatives. The best defense against a hard cookies is to eat them before they can get stale.

Resources

• Super Soft Sugar Cookie Recipe