The Sweet Life! with Christine Kropp; 7 Tips to Baking the Perfect Christmas Cookies

Christine Kropp
Tis the season to be baking Christmas cookies. Does the thought of spending the
weekend in the kitchen baking make you sweat? Here are a few tips from the pro to
help make this holiday activity a bit sweeter!
1) Use Room Temperature Butter
Butter should be soft to the touch, creating a light indent when pushed with your
finger. If you forgot to take out the butter, cut the butter into chunks and leave out
the counter for a ½ hr to soften
2) Measure Dry Ingredients Correctly
The best way to make the perfect cookie, is to accurately measure the dry
ingredients. Yes, there are dry measuring cups and liquid measuring cups. Dry
measuring cups allow you to level the top for an even measure. Spoon the flour
loosely into the measuring cup, don’t SCOOP! Ultimately the most accurate way to
measure is with a scale.
3) Add Flour in Batches
Adding the flour all at once can cause you to overmix your batter, creating a dense
dry cookie. Adding dry ingredients in batches along with liquids allows easier mixing,
incorporating all the ingredients quicker with less mixing.
4) Line the Pans with Parchment Paper
Lining your pans with parchment paper help to keep cookies from spreading more
than they should. The cookies will slide off the paper easily, and when cutting bars,
leave an overhang of parchment to use as handles to remove the bars from the pan
for cutting. All said and done, parchment makes clean up a breeze.
5) Use a Cookie Scoop
A cookie scoop creates uniform portions of cookie dough. This will help with even
baking, prevents the cookies from spreading, and will keep all your cookies the
same size.
6) Space Cookies Evenly Apart
Space cookies about 2 inches apart so they don’t spread into each other as they
bake.
7) Know your Oven
All ovens are different. Some are too hot, some not hot enough. Always have an
oven thermometer in your oven to ensure you know the exact temperature. Some
ovens have hot spots. Rotating your pans halfway through the baking with ensure
event baking.
I hope these Tips from the Pro have encouraged you to get back into the kitchen and
bake a batch of cookies. Share your photos with us!