The Cookie Book: How to Make Creative Cookies

Before we get started, let’s talk about some of my general cookie tips. I’ll repeat them throughout the book, because I think they guarantee cookie success, but these are our basics:

1. Read through a new recipe before starting to make sure you have all of the ingredients, equipment and the time needed to get it done. I can’t overstate the importance of this enough (and I’m the queen of ignoring this cardinal rule and paying the price, so don’t do it!).

2. Never overmix your dough unless I tell you to really mix your dough. Most cookie dough needs a gentle hand. To that end, I often recommend mixing until the dough is just barely combined and the last bits of flour have disappeared into the dough. 

3. Chill your dough. Sometimes I have you put the whole lump of dough in the fridge to firm up a bit. The longer it stays in the fridge, the puffier and tastier your cookies will get. Sometimes I have you put the dough in the freezer for a spell prior to baking. This helps the cookies keep their shape while baking. If you have a small freezer, consider putting them on plates. If I recommend these steps, don’t skip them. The cookies will benefit from this cooling off time. Conversely, there are a handful of cookies that don’t benefit from any fridge time, or can only tolerate a smidge.

4. Don’t swap out ingredients unless I give you options. If a recipe calls for bread flour, use the bread flour. Can we talk bread flour? It gives your cookie some structure and chew. You’ll love it. I promise. If you don’t already have some, go get it. And don’t swap another flour in its place. We’ll have more bread flour talk later...but you won’t get the same results if you change the recipe. End of story. 

5. But do swap...add-ins! If I tell you to add dark chocolate chips to your cookie dough and you love milk chocolate, by all means add the milk chocolate. If I tell you to add dried cherries to a cookie but you only have dried cranberries and you don’t want to run to the store, put the damn cranberries in. I don’t want you changing out of your pajamas unless you have to.

6. I often get asked how I get a consistent look with my cookies because, let’s be honest, buttery dough in a hot oven tends to do what it wants. But there are some things you can do to coax it into submission. As a general rule, I prefer to use my hands to roll dough balls rather than use cookie scoops. I prefer the way the resulting cookie looks. And yes, there is a difference in appearance. After making hundreds of dozens of cookies, I say this with 100 percent confidence...

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