What could be better than the smell of cookies baking in the oven? Not much. The fragrance of baking cookies is sweet, warm, and comforting. A good cookie is perfect for a quick snack or a decadent dessert.

What is a Cookie?

A cookie is sort of like a tiny, less-fluffy cake. It is usually made from some combination of fat, flour, eggs and sugar, with varying ingredients mixed in. Cookies are a popular dessert and snack because they travel well and are convenient.

Types of Cookies

There are so many different kinds of cookies that I couldn’t list them all here without forgetting some. However, there are also different types of cookies. Most cookie recipes fall into one of these categories.

Drop cookies are common types that include chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies. This type of cookie is made up of a stiff dough that is scooped and dropped onto a cookie sheet. The cookie can remain a round ball because it will spread out as it bakes.

Similar to drop cookies are molded cookies. Such cookies include peanut butter cookies and snickerdoodles. They often start out like drop cookies, in a ball, but are pressed down because they don’t spread out like drop cookies. You are probably familiar with the criss-cross design on top of peanut butter cookies. This is done with a fork to flatten out the cookie.

Rolled cookies use a stiffer dough. Sugar cookies and gingerbread men are common examples of rolled cookies. The stiff dough is rolled out with a rolling pin and cut with cookie cutters into designs.

Refrigerator cookies start out as a stiff dough that is formed into a log and put in the refrigerator to harden up. Then the dough is sliced into cookie shapes and baked. It’s an easy cookie to have around for quick fixes.

Pressed cookies are made from a softer dough with a cookie press. A cookie press has a trigger with a wide barrel. The dough is squeezed out of the barrel through a disk with a design on the other end. It makes small, design cookies.

Bar cookies include toffee bars and brownies. They are baked in a pan, usually made from a batter that is thicker than cake batter or a dough that is pressed into the pan. Once baked, it is sliced into bars.

Why you Should Make Homemade Cookies

There are so many different brands and types of store-bought cookies out there, and they taste great, but homemade cookies are even better. If they are made right, they are delicious fresh and warm out of the oven, and homemade cookies make you feel good inside.

If you cringe when reading the ingredients on the back of a box of store bought cookies, making your own can put you at ease. You know exactly what is going in them, and you can feel good that your cookies aren’t pumped up with chemicals and preservatives. You can also make them healthier with organic ingredients or by cutting back on the fat and/or sugar.

Cookie Baking Tips

Because there are so many different types of cookies out there, it’s impossible to have tips that match all cookies. Here are some general tips that will work for baking many kinds of cookies.

• When baking cookies on a cookie sheet, always let the sheet cool completely. A warm pan will cause the cookies to melt before they get in the oven which will misshape them and tamper with an even flavor.
• Mix the dough exactly according to the instructions. Skipping steps or mixing it all together at once will change the final texture of the cookie.
• Follow the instructions. If the recipe says to refrigerate the dough for 4 hours, refrigerate the dough for 4 hours. If you want the best cookies, you must follow the instructions.
• Watch the cookies when they are baking, especially if you haven’t made the particular recipe before. Sometimes the bake time will vary depending on how large you made the cookies, your altitude, your oven, and your preferred texture (crunchy or soft). Checking on them every couple of minutes, at least for the first batch, will ensure they don’t burn or overcook.