Welcome to a new (to Bake at 350) blog feature...Works For Me Wednesday.
Before my tip, let me tell you how I found out about WFMW...
Around Christmastime, we moved to a new house. I met our neighbors, but hadn't really had a chance to get to know them. The day before Valentine's Day, their son was over at our house playing and I was finishing up making the Homemade Hostess Cupcakes.
I had them all laid out on the table, taking pictures from every angle, when out their son walks into the kitchen. All I could think was, "oh great...he's going to go home and tell his parents that the crazy lady next door takes pictures of FOOD!" But, do you know what he said? "Do you have a blog?" :)
It turns out, his mom, my neighbor, has an amazing blog, a real blog!!! It's called We are THAT Family. Have you seen it? Go now, seriously! (It's really good, so please come back eventually!)
I am so excited to have a friend next door (that's only happened to me once, and it was like heaven on earth), and a bloggy friend at that! You can check out her more colorful account of meeting a "blogger next door" here.
We Are THAT Family is now the host of Works for Me Wednesdays...I can't wait to read through all of the great ideas posted there!
Without further ado...
To help cookies keep their shape, freeze them! I freeze each batch of cut-out cookies for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. They rise just slightly higher and keep their shape better. This really helps when using an intricate cookie cutter, but I do this even when baking circles.
If I'm baking a large batch of cookies, I normally have one sheet in the oven, one in the freezer, one on the counter for loading and one cooling and I just rotate through them.
Hope that helps! :) Is there anything you are wondering about cookie making? Post a comment and I'll try to add it to future WFMW.
FAQs
To help cookies keep their shape, freeze them! I freeze each batch of cut-out cookies for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. They rise just slightly higher and keep their shape better. This really helps when using an intricate cookie cutter, but I do this even when baking circles.
What helps cookies keep their shape? ›
Sandwich your dough between two sheets of parchment, roll, then freeze; it makes cut-out cookies a breeze! If you plan to store it for only a few hours or days, there's no need to overwrap the baking sheet; for longer storage, wrap the entire baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap before freezing.
What makes sugar cookies hold their shape? ›
Chill rolled out cookie dough.
Without chilling, these cookie cutter sugar cookies won't hold their shape. Chill the rolled out cookie dough for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days.
Why are my sugar cookies not holding their shape? ›
Mixing Butter & Sugar
If your butter is under mixed, it won't have the air pockets to hold it's shape. If it's over-mixed, the air pockets decrease in size and are unable to hold their shape in the oven—causing your cookies to spread. It's best to cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
What is used to shape cookies? ›
A bench knife, heavy chef's knife, or rolling pizza cutter are all suitable tools for the task. A 1" cube of typical drop cookie dough is just a bit smaller than a dough ball made with a tablespoon cookie scoop. So portioning cookies this way may increase your yield slightly.
Why do cookies change shape? ›
One reason cookies spread: oven temperature
Because the fat in cookies is a big part of their structure, prior to baking. Scoop the dough onto the baking sheet, and the fat is at least partially responsible for them holding their shape. Once those cookies hit the oven, though, the fat starts to soften and melt.
Why is my cookie dough not holding shape? ›
First, try adding more liquid to the dough. This can be milk, water, or even just a little bit of extra oil. If that doesn't work, you can try kneading the dough for a few minutes to help it come together. Lastly, if all else fails, you can always add in a few tablespoons of flour to help bind the dough together.
How to get shortbread to keep its shape? ›
Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Chilling the dough will help the cookies hold their shape while baking. While the cookies are in the refrigerator preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half baking sheet with parchment paper.
Why aren t my sugar cookies flat? ›
Too much flour causes the dough to become dry and crumbly, which prevents it from flattening out during baking. As a result, your cookies will stay in their original shape instead of spreading out into nice circles.
What is the secret to a perfect cookie? ›
The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
- Always use butter.
- Choose the right sugar.
- Choose the right flour.
- Check your flour is in date.
- Choose the right kind of chocolate.
- Cream the butter and sugar.
- Beat in the eggs.
- Fold in the flour.
Here's how I do it: after I roll cookie dough into balls to bake them, I place the balls on a plate and put the entire plate in the freezer. Then I preheat the oven. This time in the freezer firms up the balls which may have gotten a little soft while handling with our warm hands.
What makes cookies not flatten out? ›
Too much flour causes the dough to become dry and crumbly, which prevents it from flattening out during baking. As a result, your cookies will stay in their original shape instead of spreading out into nice circles.
How do you stabilize cookies? ›
Chill the dough: Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes (or as directed in the recipe) before baking. Chilling the dough helps solidify the fat and allows the cookies to retain their shape better during baking.
Before my tip, let me tell you how I found out about WFMW...
To help cookies keep their shape, freeze them! I freeze each batch of cut-out cookies for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. They rise just slightly higher and keep their shape better. This really helps when using an intricate cookie cutter, but I do this even when baking circles.