7 Baking Hacks for Perfect Cookies

Making rolled cookies is a holiday tradition for many cooks. Since these are often destined as gifts for friends and family, you want to make sure your goodies look their best. Here are a few tips to help you achieve cookie greatness.
A. Check for bumps
Rolling dough to an even thickness is key. To check yours, try running a bench scraper lightly over the surface of the dough to feel for high and low points. This way, you know which area to correct with the rolling pin.
B. Roll in place
If you like to use parchment paper to roll out your dough, try this method, which keeps the layers of parchment from moving around as you’re rolling.»
1. Sprinkle water on a clean surface and lay a sheet of waxed or parchment paper on top. The water will cling to the paper and hold it in place, creating a stick-free surface for the dough.
2. Place the dough on the paper and place another sheet on top. Roll out the dough and cut cookies; toss the paper for quick cleanup.
C. Reverse the cut
When cookie cutters are used to create intricate shapes from a thin sheet of dough, transferring the shapes to a baking sheet with a spatula can distort or ruin their appearance. Try this clever method instead.
1. Roll the cookie dough out on a piece of parchment paper or on a nonstick baking liner, then use a cookie cutter to cut shapes. Transfer the filled parchment or baking liner to a baking sheet.
2. Use a small spatula to carefully remove the excess scraps of dough from around the shapes, leaving behind perfectly formed cookies.

Don’t let the lack of a cookie scoop stand in the way of swiftly portioning cookie dough. Fill a quarter-cup measure (equal to 4 tablespoons) with dough and then divide it according to the desired size (e.g., halved for 2 tablespoons).

A. You can use cardboard paper towel rolls to store refrigerator cookie dough. Once you’ve formed the dough into a log, roll it in plastic wrap and slide the dough inside the cardboard (slit lengthwise) to protect it in the fridge and keep it perfectly round.
B. If you don’t have a paper towel tube handy, try resting your rolled, wrapped dough on a bed of rice while chilling it in the fridge. The rice perfectly cradles the dough logs.

While thumbprint cookies get their name from the digit that’s used to make the jam-filled indentation, you can also use a clean rubber wine cork. It creates a perfect circle every time and keeps your hands clean.

Rather than rolling balls of gingersnap or sugar-cookie dough individually in sugar, fill a small plastic container with sugar, then place the dough balls in the container and secure the lid. After a gentle shake, remove the lid to reveal dough balls that are completely coated in sugar.

With a roll of homemade cookie dough in the freezer, you can have warm, fresh cookies any time. Slicing through the frozen roll, however, can be a chore, as the knife often drags, making sloppy cuts and producing misshapen cookies. Minimize the sticky knife problem by dipping the blade in flour after every couple of cuts.

Stock your freezer with ready-to-bake drop cookies so you can have one or more delicious fresh cookies in just a few minutes.
1. Scoop out or roll individual balls of cookie dough and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for an hour or two, until the dough balls are completely frozen.
2. Once the dough balls are frozen hard, transfer them to a zipper-lock bag for storage in the freezer. There is no need to defrost the dough balls before baking them; just increase the baking time by a minute or two.