Cookie Baking Tips!

At this time of year, many folks' thoughts turn to cookie baking.  I thought my gift to my readers would be to give you some tips that help me to bake 18,000 cookies in December AND still have time to live my life!  It's all about being organized.

1.  ALWAYS use parchment paper.  In fact, buy a case of it, and share it with your other cookie-baking friends/family - it doesn't "go bad".  http://www.acemart.com/prod4502.html  Parchment is very expensive when you buy it in the supermarket, and it's in a roll.  These cases of parchment are delivered flat.  The full sheet size can be cut in half to fit exactly on your favorite cookie sheets - and they stay flat!  When using parchment, don't spray/butter/grease the pan or the parchment.  After baking, slide parchment onto table/counter to cool completely before removing cookies.  Cookies will release easily when cooled.  I also use parchment (cut to form) to line bottom of cake pans (but then, I DO spray pans).  Makes it much easier for cakes to come out of the pan intact.

2.  Make all doughs in one day - only using mixer.  Go from plain to nuts to chocolate - then you won't even have to wash bowls in between.  (Of course, I don't do this because of cross-contamination issues for customers.)  Bag up and label doughs and put in refrigerator.

3.  On another day, form cookie shapes (balls, crescents, thumbprints) and freeze.  When completely frozen, put in freezer bags and keep frozen until you need to bake.  This can be done weeks ahead!

4.  When you take the formed cookies out of freezer, place on parchment-lined cookie sheets and thaw (DON'T thaw entire bag - you'll have to re-form cookies).

5.  As cookies thaw, preheat oven.  You'll be able to just rotate cookie trays through oven quickly to bake - and save on energy bills.

6.  My FAVORITE cookie sheets are the disposable ones (which I use over and over and clean in dishwasher) that you can get at some dollar stores.  NEVER use a black cookie sheet - I don't even know why they MAKE them - everything burns on black-lined cookie sheets/cake pans!

7.  If you ever buy a bag of lemons for a recipe, then end up throwing out the fuzzy moldy ones left in the bottom of the refrigerator, try this!  Take a few minutes to zest and juice all lemons as soon as you get them.  Put ALL of the zest in a freezer bag and freeze.  Whenever you need zest, it'll be ready for you!  Just break off a clump (all the zest doesn't freeze together), and you're good to go.  Measure out one tablespoon of lemon juice into the well of each part of an ice cube tray.  Freeze, then bag up and put in freezer.  Whenever you need lemon juice in a recipe, you'll have it ready - and it's so much better than RealLemon in the green bottle!

8.  When toasting nuts, grind them up in food processor (pulse - otherwise, you'll have nut butter!).  Then, put in dry non-stick fry pan and toast, moving nuts around with a wooden spoon.  When evenly toasted, remove from pan and cool.  Grinding nuts FIRST will ensure that more surface of nuts will be toasted - and give a much more defined nut flavor.

9.  This is more of a cooking/gardening tip.  When you grow fresh herbs in the summer, rinse, air dry, and bag up herbs, then put in freezer bags and freeze until you need them.  If you're using them in a soup or stew, you can also put them in ice cube trays, cover with water, freeze, then bag up and keep frozen until use.  Pop those ice cubes right into soup or stew.

10.  If this all seems a bit too much for you, just order your gourmet cookie trays for the holidays from http://www.kathysjustdesserts.com/.  We're ready to take your order - and we deliver within a half hour of East Norriton/Blue Bell - what could be easier?!?