Better Underbaked than Over...

If you are not sure if cookies are done, pull them out ahead of time. Most cookies will taste fine if underdone, but will be dry and hard if overbaked.

Baking Cookies

When baking cookies, remove them as soon as possible from the baking sheet. If you leave them on too long, they will continue to bake and may stick to the sheet. If they do stick, return them to the oven to warm them for a few minutes and they will come off more easily.

Sugar-Crusted Meltaways

These cookies are so pretty and dainty, and the orange-sugar crust is a wonderful contrast with the melt-in-your-mouth cookie texture.

1/4 cup sugar
Dash salt
3/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup orange juice
Additional sugar for coating

Mix 1/4 cup sugar, salt, butter, water and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, chocolate chips and nuts and mix well. Shape into 1" balls and place on cookie sheets. Bake 325 degrees 15-20 minutes or until set and very light golden. Cookies should not brown much. Cool completely. Dip cooled cookies in orange juice and roll in sugar. Let dry so the juice and sugar form a crisp shell.

Want Cookies But Out Of Chips?

Want to make chocolate chip cookies, but are out of chocolate chips? Get creative and raid the pantry. Some tasty alternatives that will usually work well mixed into any chocolate chip cookie recipe include: raisins, dates, chopped semisweet, bittersweet, or milk chocolate, coconut, nuts, chopped candy bars, toffee bits and dried fruits.

Slicing refrigerator cookies

When slicing cylinders of ice box or refrigerator cookies, be sure to roll the dough every other cut so the bottom of the cylinder doesn't flatten out and every cookie is round.

Chocolate Dainties

This is a chocolate version of the popular wedding cake or tea cake. The combination of powdered sugar in the dough and the low baking temperature makes a very tender cookie. They´re delectable!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. water
2-1/4 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped nuts, if desired

Cream butter. Add sugar, cocoa, water and vanilla and beat well. Add flour and nuts, if using and mix well. Chill dough if you have time.

Form into 2" logs. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 300 degrees for 20 minutes. Roll hot cookies in powdered sugar and place on rack to cool. Then roll the cookies in powdered sugar again when cool.

Don´t Overmix

Be careful not to over mix cookie dough after adding flour as this can over-develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in one tough cookie.

Efficient Rolled Cookies

For fewer scraps and less rolling when making rolled cookies, start cutting on the outside edges and work your way in towards the center.

Storing cookies

When you store cookies, be sure to store soft and crisp cookies in different air tight containers. If they are stored together, the crunchy cookies will absorb moisture from the soft cookies and become soft.

Corn Oil Margarines

When making cookie batter, remember that corn oil margarines make a softer batter and cookies will spread more than with other shortening.

Skillet Cookies

Skillet Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 cup chopped dates (not the pre chopped type)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups crisp rice cereal
powdered sugar

Melt butter over low heat in heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and add egg, sugar and dates. Mix thoroughly. Return to heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the ingredients are all melted together. Add vanilla and cereal. Drop by spoonfuls into powdered sugar and shape into balls.

Cool those cookie sheets in between batches

Let your cookie sheets cool to room temperature in between batches to keep your cookies from spreading out too much.

Uniform Cookies

If you bake a lot of drop cookies, use a small ice cream scoop so they are always the same size.

Cookie Storage

Empty coffee cans make perfect containers for storing or transporting cookies. Make sure to wash them thoroughly first.

Cereal Cookies Ingredients

If you like your no bake cereal cookies to be softer, just reduce the amount of cereal by about 1/5. You can also just pour the finished cookie mixture into a pan instead of dropping to make individual cookies.

Tender Cookies

For the most tender cookies that stay soft longer, reduce the amount of flour in your recipes by 3 or 4 tablespoons for every 2 cups. Then chill the dough thoroughly before baking.

Plan ahead

Plan your trip well in advance. Put on the to-do list: see the doctor. You probably need certain immunizations before your trip, and not all at once.

Cookie Tricks

Intensify the flavor of many rolled cookie recipes. Instead of dusting a surface with flour before rolling the cookie dough, use powdered sugar. This will add an extra sweetness to your recipe, and the cookies will be more tender too.

Crispy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat bran OR oatmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup crisp rice cereal
1 cup raisins OR chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine peanut butter, honey, oil, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl and beat well until smooth. Add flours, oat bran, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Stir in cereal and raisins. Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheets, making 12 cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 11 minutes until golden. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets, then remove to wire rack to cool. 18 cookies

Roll Out Butter Cookies

These wonderful, tender cookies are classic, traditional Christmas fare. Look in the baking section of your supermarket for new decorating products. Edible glitter, wonderful colors of decorator icing, and different sprinkles will let you make your Christmas roll out cookies spectacular. By the way, paste food coloring comes in more vibrant colors than the typical liquid coloring.

2-1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients in large bowl and beat until well mixed. Cover and chill dough until firm, about 2-3 hours.

Roll out dough, 1/2 at a time, on a well-floured surface, with stockinet covered rolling pin, to a 1/4" thickness. Cut with shaped cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 6-10 minutes until very lightly brown.

Buttercream Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-4 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
food coloring
nonpariels
edible glitter

Combine powdered sugar, butter, milk and vanilla and beat until smooth and fluffy. Divide into 5-6 portions and tint each portion with different color. Frost cookies and decorate as desired.

Snicker Bar Cookies

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
20 Snickers miniature candy bars, unwrapped

In large bowl, combine sugars, butter, peanut butter, vanilla and eggs. Beat well. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Shape about 1/4 cup of dough smoothly around candy bar making sure bar is completely covered. Place 4 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 13-14 minutes or until light golden brown and puffy. Cool 10 minutes and remove from cookie sheets. Makes 20 HUGE cookies

Sandwich Cookies

When making rolled cookies to use as sandwich cookies, make sure to roll the dough a bit thinner than usual.

Macadamia Cookies

This recipe was a Pillsbury Bake-Off winner a few years ago. The original recipe used all coconut - I added the macadamia nuts because they are my husband´s favorite.

1 18-oz. roll refrigerated white chocolate chunk cookie dough
1-1/4 cups chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup flaked coconut
2 tsp. vanilla


Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Add all remaining ingredients; mix well. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350°F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets.

Handmade Cookie Cutter

Make your own custom shaped cookie cutters by using a cardboard cutout pattern and a sharp knife to cut around the cookie dough.

Cookie Cutter

It's easier to transfer rolled cookies to cookie sheets if you remove the scraps from around the cut out shapes first.

Freeze Dough

Freeze drop cookies before baking and store in heavy zipper freezer bags. Then pop however many you want to eat in the oven when you want them. Just think of it, you'll always have hot cookies on hand!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you want your chips (chocolate, peanut butter, etc.) to retain their shape when you bake cookies, freeze them before adding to the batter.

Nutmeg Cookie Logs

These delicately flavored cookies are tender and delicious.

1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2-3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar together. Add vanilla and egg and beat well. Stir in flour and nutmeg. Chill dough.

Shape dough into 3" logs, 1/2" in diameter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes until very light golden brown. Cool completely.

3 cups powdered sugar
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-3 Tbsp. cream

Combine all ingredients and beat well for frosting. Frost top and sides of cookies. You may sprinkle them with a tiny bit of nutmeg after they are frosted, if you like.

Confectionary Dusting

When re-rolling scraps of cookie dough, dust the surface with equal parts flour and confectioner's sugar. This will help keep the dough from getting tough.

Shipping Cookies

Want to send cookies to your college student or grandchild? Bar, drop and fruit cookies are the best candidates for shipping. Use a sturdy container and cushion the layers of cookies so they don´t crumble in transit. For maximum freshness, bag 4-6 cookies in individual zipper bags. Use paper towels or tissue paper to cushion the cookies, and put the heaviest cookies on the bottom.

Sticky Cookie Cutters

Before starting to cut cookie dough, dip the cutters into flour and then shake off to help prevent sticking.

No Bake Fudge Cookies

No Bake Fudge Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups oatmeal

Mix sugar, butter, salt, cocoa and milk in heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix well. Stir in oatmeal. Let cool for a few minutes. Then drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow to set before storing. You may need to reshape the cookies with your fingers as they cool.

Cool The Cookie Sheets!

Make sure that your cookie sheets are totally cool in between pressing batches of cookies. If not, the cookie dough won´t stick to the sheet, and you will be very frustrated!

Swedish Oatmeal Cookies

This twist on oatmeal cookies is just delightful. The preparation is a little more fussy, since you remove the cookies halfway through baking and add a topping, but your guests will love them.

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 1/2 cups rolled oats

Combine all ingredients for cookies and mix well.

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/3 cup chopped cashews


Combine sugar, margarine and corn syrup in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in cashews. Set aside.

Drop cookie dough onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of the cashew topping onto center of each cookie. Return to oven and bake another 6 - 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool cookies slightly before removing from sheet. Cool completely.

Swedish Teacakes

These traditional cookies are found in nearly every ethnic celebration. They are also known as sand cookies, butternut cookies, and wedding cakes. Try forming some of the dough around unwrapped chocolate kisses, maraschino cherries, or nuts to form a surprise center.

1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup pecans, finely crushed, if desired

Cream butter with sugar until well blended. Beat in vanilla, then add flour and salt. Mix well. Add nuts, if using. Chill several hours in refrigerator. Form 1" balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes. Cookies should not brown, but be light golden on bottom. Immediately drop into powdered sugar, roll, and place on rack to cool. When the cookies are cool, roll again in powdered sugar to coat.

Softer Cookies

Cookies made with corn oil or corn oil margarine will be softer than cookies made with butter or other types of margarines.

Cooling Cookies

Unless a recipe specifies otherwise, drop cookies should be removed from the baking sheet soon after coming out of the oven.

Chocolate Drop Cookies

These rich cookies are my dad´s favorites. The recipe is a very old one from my grandmother.

1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup solid shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. orange rind
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Sift dry ingredients and add nuts. Cream shortening, add brown sugar and then orange rind and beaten egg. Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to the batter, beaten well after each addition. (This means add 1/4 of the flour mixture, beat well. Then add 1/3 of the milk, beat well. Continue.) Add the chocolate last. Drop on greased cookie sheet by teaspoonfuls and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Frost with Buttercream Chocolate Frosting when cool.

Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

For the thinnest, crispiest chocolate chip cookies, add a little bit of milk to the dough, and bake for 12 minutes at 375 degrees.

Easy Fancy Cookies

These cookies taste like so much more than the sum of the ingredients. Something about the oats and powdered sugar combination make them mouth-wateringly tender and crispy. Make a few batches and store them in your fridge to whip out for last-minute guests.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/4 cups flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
Chocolate star candies

Cream butter and sugar and add vanilla. Stir in flour and oats. Shape dough into 2 rolls, each 1-1/2" in diameter. Wrap well in waxed paper, twisting the ends to seal. Chill well. When ready to bake, cut dough into 1/4" slices and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Top each with a chocolate star. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove to racks to cool.

Even Cooking

Be sure to rotate baking sheets from back to front mid cycle to ensure even browning. Even the best ovens can build up hot spots in certain areas.

Cookie Cutter

To keep cookie cutters (especially plastic ones) from sticking to cookie dough, lightly coat them in some vegetable oil.

Soft or Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies

For soft chocolate chip cookies, bake at 325 degrees until light golden brown. For crisper cookies, bake the same dough at 350 degrees, until golden brown.

Soften Hard Cookies

If your cookies have become hard and crunchy, place them in an airtight container. Then put an apple wedge or slice of bread on some waxed paper on top of cookies for a day or so. They will become soft again.

Quick Chocolate Chip Cookies

Next time you make a batch of chocolate chip cookies, double the recipe and bake half. After making the dough, form the extra into balls and freeze on a cookie sheet. When they are frozen solid, toss into a plastic zipper container and store in the freezer. When you are in the mood for a cookie or two, pop them out of the freezer, thaw for 30 minutes and then bake! Yum!

Peanut Blossoms

1 (8 ounce) package milk chocolate kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
more granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375 F. Remove wrappers from chocolate. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup sugar and brown sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Chill for 1 hour in fridge.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate piece into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Pressed/Spritz Cookies

If you are making cookies using a spritz press and the design is not crisp and clean, refrigerate the dough to firm it.

Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies

2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 pkgs. chocolate mint wafers (the rectangular kind if you can´t find round)

In large bowl, combine all ingredients except mint wafers, and beat at low speed until dough forms. Chill dough at least 2 hours.

Form about two teaspoons of dough around each chocolate mint wafer, making sure to cover the candy completely. Smooth edges and bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for 9 to 12 minutes, until light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet immediately. You can glaze these with some melted chocolate, or top them with a walnut or pecan half before baking, if you like.