Great cookie breakthrough!

E

evan

Well-known member
As you might recall, I have posted about my failure to bake cookies a couple of times already. For some reason, it's not in my genes to bake soft and goey cookies. They always turn out hard as stone.

Then I happened to visit this bakery that sold a great variety of Italian biscotti. I bought a couple of bags, headed home, ate them and THEN it dawned on me: I could be a natural biscotti baker. I already have the ability to get them dry and hard, know what I mean?

I went for the first and best recipe I have - Martha Stewarts Double Chocolate Biscotti and what do you know, they turned out perfest! (Don't let anyone tell you anything else! smileys/wink.gif

Then I made almond biscotti, and I have saffron chocolate biscotti in the making as we speak.

So guys, I'm happy to report: I can finally call myself a cookie baker. I never ever thought that baking a biscotti would make me this happy, but I really am. I guess this has 'affected' me more than I realized. smileys/wink.gif

 
Eva!

The key is to not overbake the cookie (If you are trying to bake American "cookies." )

Everyone I know who is a cookie failure bakes them in the oven until they seem "done." Then, they are rocks.

NO!

Bake for 10 minutes? Take them out at 9. Slam the sheet on the counter (a technique I've been doing since I was 12), let them sit for a couple minutes, and then scoop them up onto the rack.

Don't over bake your cookies and you will have success!

 
I agree--overbaking and overmixing are the culprits--mix the flour into the

batter slowly and it's OK to leave some streaks before stopping. As you empty the mixing bowl, those flour streaks will evenly incorporate.

Any additions, like nuts or chips can also be added before all the flour is incorporated to insure a perfect batter is not overmixed.

 
That's using the brain power, EvaN! In the future I'll pose any/all my biscotti ?'s to you!

 
Richard, that slamming technique is mentioned by Sherrie Yard, when a "movie star" demanded

flat and gooey chocolate chip cookies....not puffy. Since the customer is always right, She just took her "same old, same old" recipe, slammed it on the counter to remove the rising stage and removed from oven a few minutes sooner.

Problem solved. Customer/client thinks he gets a cookie made just for moi.

 
slamming... now that's a new one on me! and yes, I always underbake - they cook awhile after.

 
cheezz, these sounds great. They're next on my list! I'm making cardamom biscotti today smileys/smile.gif

 
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