Welcome to Hotline Rewind, the weekly sequence the place we collect up your questions from the week (and pepper in some from the Hotline archives) a couple of particular culinary matter. As a result of the vacations are formally right here, we’re totally targeted on the bite-sized, extremely embellished world of cookies. We have acquired tons of questions through the years—and lots of within the final week!—in regards to the intricacies of baking. Listed below are a couple of of the most typical ones:
My cookies at all times unfold! What am I doing improper?
This virtually at all times comes right down to fats: when you’re doing a traditional cookie recipe with creamed butter and sugar, it’s seemingly that you’re both utilizing butter that’s too heat or borderline-melted, otherwise you’re not chilling the dough. A whole lot of cookie recipes don’t require chilling, however I feel virtually each cookie would profit from 10 to twenty minutes within the freezer pre-bake.
That’s as a result of chilling helps to chill the fats down and let the flour take in extra moisture. With hotter butter, it’s going to soften sooner within the oven and hold the cookie from holding its form.
Two different much less widespread causes will be overworking your dough or that your leaveners may very well be expired. Folks at all times overlook to test their baking powders and sodas however these items completely expire and lose their rising energy!
What’s the distinction between semisweet and bittersweet chocolate chips?
The first distinction is cacao content material: Semisweet often has ~60% vs bittersweet’s 70%. As a result of they’ll style a bit extra bitter than milk chocolate, use them in baking tasks the place you could stability out sweetness. Chocolate chip cookies are an ideal instance of the place milk chocolate gained’t deliver sufficient of that strong punch of chocolate, whereas that bitter and semisweet can.
My sugar cookies hold sticking to my rolling pin and cookie cutters. Assist!
For rolling, sandwich your dough in between two sheets of parchment, then roll flat. For chopping, dip your cookie cutter in flour first, and press confidently!
I at all times overlook to melt my butter. How can I do it shortly?
Okay right here’s a hack I discovered after I was a meals stylist and would wish softened butter quick: Use the microwave. This might sound apparent, however I’ve very particular directions for you. Go away the stick of butter in its wrapper and nuke it for 8 second intervals, rotating the stick every time. Do that till the butter is softened.
That is very removed from idiot proof, so go sluggish to ensure you don’t find yourself with a pool of butter in your microwave.
Do I would like a cookie press to make spritz cookies?
It does assist, and if I had to decide on one, it’d be the de Purchaser Le Tube. However you don’t want one. You too can use a piping bag and enjoyable tricks to make good shapes.
Are rainbow cookies even cookies?
Truthfully? No. They’re truly made up of three layers of cake and fruit preserves. However they’re scrumptious—and look superb on a cookie platter, so perhaps sure?
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