(rho's) ALL THINGS EDIBLE: Cookie Dough

Oh where to start with cookie dough. During my days in the pastry station the cookie was one of those little challenges that I had to master, because in the restaurant we served cookies and we did so everyday on the dot, sometimes a little sometimes a lot. Every customer had his or her own preferences. Some preferred soft chocolate chips or peanut butter cookies, while others liked chunky and chewy double chocolate. In making huge batches at a time, it's best not to screw it up and best to make sure the chocolate chip cookie would turn out just as soft/crisp as it should be, while the peanut butter would be firm enough to hold but soft enough to enjoy.

Cookie dough making is deceitfully simple but consider this:

Cookies are crisp if they are low in moisture while high in sugar and fat.

Cookies are soft if they are high in moisture while low in sugar and fat. Honey, molasses, or corn syrup adds to moistness.

Cookies are chewy if high in sugar, liquid AND EGGS while low in fat. Also, a strong flour or gluten aids in this.

The cookie's spread (when baked) is determined by many things. Cookies spread more if higher in sugar. Baking soda encourages spread. A low oven temperature does the same. How much the butter and sugar have been creamed determines spread. While low sugar, low baking soda, strong flour decreases spread.

Baking cookies at high temps for a short time is ideal. Yet you still have to determine how much you want the cookie to spread (lower oven temp) and how much you want it to hold it's shape (higher oven temp).

All things considered, a nicely done cookie is a nice treat. Over the years in the various kitchens where in I've been a pastry cook/chef, I've picked out personal favorite recipes. Practice makes nearly perfect and once you've determined the perfect temperature, perfect time, and perfect taste for your dough, it's well worth it all.

In the mixer, peanut butter cookie dough.