Mixing sugars improves flavor and crunch/chew. Mix granulated and soft brown sugar for a caramel-flavored cookie, or use light and muscovado sugars.
If you prefer a slightly puffier texture, use strong bread flour or a blend of bread and all-purpose flour instead of all-purpose flour.
Cookies typically use baking soda as their leavening agent. For a chewier cookie, we recommend baking soda instead of baking powder.
Traditional cookies are made with smooth, creamy butter. Some cooks prefer softer margarine, though. Recipes should work with margarine.
Softened butter mixes nicely with dry ingredients in most cookie recipes. Melt butter before combining for chewier cookies.
Egg whites at room temperature give cookie dough greater bulk, so remove them from the fridge an hour before baking.
Overmixing the dough adds too much air, leading to a less-than-perfect cookie's puffiness. Mix until the dough just comes together.
Before rolling out cookie dough, chill it for 30 minutes. This makes the mixture caramel-flavored and simpler to form.
Keep your cookies uniform in size with a measuring spoon or ice cream scoop. This guarantees even cooking in the oven.
Professional cookie sheets are flat and made of carbon steel with perforated holes for maximum airflow and a perfectly crisp bottom.
Each recipe requires a different oven temperature, but 320–375°F (160–190°C) is typical. Always preheat the oven so cookies bake quickly.