This is how it works when baking cookies: Avoid these five mistakes

Created: 05/12/2022, 12:58 p.m

By: Caspar Felix Hoffmann

Things don't always go smoothly when baking cookies at home.

But with a few simple tips, you can avoid mishaps.

Kassel – Who doesn’t love Christmas cookies like nut macaroons, vanilla crescents, cinnamon stars and butter biscuits?

But instead of buying them, you can simply bake them yourself.

In order for them to be really perfect, however, attention must be paid to some mistakes and pitfalls when baking biscuits and the like.

If you avoid five fatal mistakes, the biscuits and cookies will not only taste good, but also look really good.

Cookie Baking Mistakes: 1) Dough is not chilled before rolling out

If the dough is too warm when you roll it out, it can be damaged.

Because if the biscuit dough is rolled out immediately after mixing or kneading, it sticks to the rolling pin or tears easily.

Therefore, it is better to wrap the finished dough in cling film and put it in the fridge for at least one and a half to two hours.

Rolling out the dough is also easier if you prepare it the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight.

This will also prevent the cookies from falling apart in the oven.

For many, baking cookies is part of the Christmas season.

(Iconic image) © Michael Bihlmayer/Imago

Common mistakes when baking cookies: 2) Use too much flour when rolling out

When rolling out the dough, it's important to dust the work surface and dough with plenty of flour to keep it from sticking.

However, this means that the dough often absorbs more flour than specified in the recipe.

The result: the dough becomes dry, tears when rolled out and is no longer easy to work with.

To avoid this, it is best to roll out the dough directly on the baking sheet and cut it out first.

To prevent the cookies from sticking, you can line the tray with parchment paper or grease it.

And if the dough is too dry, adding a little milk helps.

This will make the dough moist again and easy to roll out.

By the way: If you work with baking paper, you should pay attention to where it is disposed of afterwards.

Errors in baking cookies: 3) Eggs are not separated properly

Egg whites are needed for many biscuits, but they also have to be whipped for desserts and meringues.

However, in order for the egg white to set, it is important to carefully separate it from the yolk.

If the yolk gets into the egg white, it won't stiffen when whipped, making it unusable for certain cookies.

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You should always use cold eggs to whip the egg whites.

If the eggs are normally kept at room temperature, they should be refrigerated for at least half an hour before use.

It is also important that both the mixer or whisk and the bowl are completely fat-free.

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Errors when baking cookies: 4) Oven does not preheat

If you don't take preheating too seriously, you'll often be punished with hard or burnt cookies.

If the biscuits are baked in a cold oven, the baking time specified in the recipe will not be correct - and you have to estimate the required baking time.

As a result, the cookies will quickly become too hard or dark because they were baked longer than expected.

In fact, the information in a recipe is only a rough guide.

In addition, every oven works and heats up a little differently: If you want to be on the safe side, you should regularly monitor the cookies while they are baking.

At the latest in the middle of the set baking time you should look into the oven.

Once the cookies are golden brown, they can be removed from the oven and allowed to cool.

Errors when baking cookies: 5) Cookies are still hot when decorated

If you plan to decorate the cookies after baking, you should always let them cool down beforehand.

That's because chocolate frosting and frosting don't stick as well to warm cookies.

In addition, the glaze should not be too runny.

The thicker the frosting, the easier it will be to spread over the cookies.

Also important: Allow the frosting to dry slightly before adding pearls, sprinkles, or chocolate chips.

This way they stick better.

Incidentally, it's best to store the finished cookies in an airtight cookie jar or plastic jar so they don't harden or soften quickly.

Tips and tricks for baking cookies: How to make your Christmas cookies a success

• It is best to prepare the ingredients an hour in advance so that they are at the same temperature and can be mixed evenly.

• It is better to add the flour only after the fat, eggs and sugar are evenly mixed.

  By the way, the sifted flour makes the biscuits even fluffier.

• Only at the end carefully fold the raisins, nuts or coconut flakes into the batter.

• Only place the biscuits on a greased baking sheet or baking paper so that they can be easily removed after baking and do not break.

• Be sure to watch the baking time and remember that the bottom of the biscuits will brown faster than the top.

(cas)