BASIC BAKING MODULE 6

2ND Semester, S.Y. 2023-2024

COOKIES
Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. define Cookies,
b. enumerate the different types of cookies,
c. classify the characteristic of cookies,
d. prepare cookie doughs by using the three basic mixing methods; and,
e. enhance the knowledge about nature of cookie faults and causes.

COOKIES
• A cookie is a small, flat, sweet, baked good, usually containing flour, eggs,
sugar,
• and either butter, cooking oil or another oil or fat. This mixture is referred to
as “dough”. The dough is made into different shapes and sizes.
• It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips or nuts.
• Cookies that are baked as a solid layer on a sheet pan and then cut, rather
than being baked as individual pieces, are called bar cookies or tray bakes.
• Cookies come from the Dutch word “Koekje” which means small cake serves
as snack or dessert.
• In most English speaking countries outside North America including UK, the
most common word for a crisp cookies is Biscuit. The term cookie is normally
used to describe chewier ones.
• In Scotland the term cookie is sometimes used to describe a plain bun.

CHARACTERISTICS
• Cookies come in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes, flavors and textures.
• Characteristic that are desirable in some types are not desirable in others.
Crispness
• Cookies are crisp if they are low in moisture.
1. Low proportion in the mix most crisp cookies are made from a stiff dough.
2. High sugar and fat content.
3. Baking long enough to evaporate most of the moisture.
4. Small size or thin shape, so the cookie dries faster during baking.
5. Proper storage. Crisp cookies can become soft if they absorb moisture.

Softness
• Moistness is necessary for chewiness, but other factors are all important. In
other words, all chewy cookies are soft, but not all soft cookies are chewy.
 1. High sugar and liquid content, but low fat content.
2. High proportion of eggs.
3. Strong flour or gluten developed during mix.

Spread
• Spread is desirable in some cookies, while other must hold their shape.
1. High sugar content increases spread.
2. High baking soda or baking ammonia content encourages spread.
3. The creaming together of fat and sugar contributes.
4. Low oven temperature increases spread. High temperature decreases spread.
5. A slack batter – that is, one with a high liquid content – spreads more than a stiff
dough.
6. Strong flour or activation of gluten decreases spread.
7. Cookies spread more if baked on heavily greased pans.

MIXING METHODS
• Cookie mixing methods are much like cake mixing methods. The major difference is that
less liquid is usually incorporated, so mixing is somewhat easier.
• They are three basic cookie mixing method:
One-Stage Method
• This method is the counterpart of the two-stage cake mixing method.
• There is more liquid in cake batters, so it must be added in two or more stages in
order to blend uniformly.
• Low moisture cookies, on the other hand, can be mixed all in one stage. Because
all the ingredients are mixed at once, the baker has less control over the mixing
with this method than with other method.
Creaming Method
• This is nearly identical to the creaming method for cakes. Because
cookies require less liquid, it is not necessary to add the liquid alternately with the
flour. It can be added all at once.
Sponge Method
• This method is similar to the egg-foam methods for cakes. The procedure varies
considerably, depending on the ingredients. Batches should be kept small
because the batter is delicate.

TYPES OF COOKIES

Bagged
• Bagged or pressed cookies are made from soft doughs. The dough must be soft
enough to be forced through a pastry bag but stiff enough to hold its shape.
• Put the mixture in a pastry bag then pressed on a greased cookie sheet.
• These are formed by passing dough through a cookie press. The cookie press
consists of a tube and several plates with different designs. In place of a cookie
 press pastry bag with a decorating tip can be used to form designs like rosettes or
scrolls.

Dropped
• Like bagged cookies, dropped cookies are made from soft dough.
• The most festive cookies with no desired shape. Use a spoon/scooper and put the
mixture in a greased cookie sheet.
• Shapes of dropped cookies are quite irregular and uneven.

Rolled
• Rolled the mixture and cut into the desired shaped.
• There are always scrapes left over after cutting. When rerolled, these scraps make
inferior, tough cookies.
• These are made by rolling out stiffer dough on a floured board and cutting it with a
cookie cutter.

Molded
• These are formed by rolling a small amount of dough with hands and arranging
iton a cookie sheet. Almost all molded cookies are round in shape.
• Each piece is then molded into the desired shape.
• Traditional cookies, special molds are used to flatten the dough. - Used a cookie
cutter to molds the mixture.

Icebox
• The icebox or refrigerator method is ideal for operations that wish to have freshly
baked cookies on hand at all times.
• The rolls of dough may be made up in advance and stored.
• These are made by chilling or freezing the dough until it is stiff and then by cutting
it into thin slices with a sharp knife. These are arranged on a cookie sheet and
baked.
Bar
• This procedure is called the bar method because the dough is baked in long,
narrow strips and later cut crosswise into bars.
• Baked in a shallow square or rectangular pan and cut to small square size.
• A softer type of cookie bars or squares are more like cake.

Sheet
• Sheet cookies vary so much that it is nearly impossible to give a single procedure
or all of them.
• Some of them are almost like sheet cakes, only denser and richer; they may even
be iced like sheet cakes.

Stencil
• The stencil method is a specialized technique used with a particular type of soft
dough or batter.
• This batter is often called stencil paste. It is used not only for making this type of
cookie but also for making ribbon sponge cake.
Things to Consider in Baking Cookies

Important Guidelines in Cookie Making:

a. Most cookie recipes make use of all-purpose flour. Use cake flour only when
specified in the recipe. Sift flour before measuring.
b. There are two ways of measuring brown sugar: loose and packed. If the recipe
calls for packed measurement, press sugar into the measuring cup with the
back of the spoon.
c. If the shortening used is to be cut into cubes before mixing with the flour, this
should be chilled to be firm.
d. For rolled cookies, do not over chill the dough. Long chilling will make the
dough difficult to roll.
e. Avoid using shortening that is too soft as your dough will become oily. Knead
dough gently to make it smooth and easy to handle.
f. In handling cookie dough intended for rolling, over kneading will
develop the gluten and this will result in tough cookies.
g. In rolling or handling the cookie dough, use as little flour as possible for
dusting. Too much flour changes the proportion of the recipe.
h. Arrange cookies in 1 1/2 -2 inches space between cookies. This will prevent
cookies from sticking to each other as they expand while being baked.
i. If specified in the recipe, transfer baked cookies at once onto racks to cool as,
they stay longer on the sheets, and they stick to the sheet and are difficult to
remove which usually result in breakage