Dorothy Kern - Crazy for Cookies, Brownies, and Bars

Cookies are fun and easy, which makes them the perfect place to start if youre a baking novice, and theyre a tasty way to get in the kitchen for regular bakers. Cookie recipes arent finicky or intricate and can be very forgiving, but there are still a few things we should talk about before you start your journey into cookie wonderland. First up: ingredients. Using good ingredientsand paying attention to what the recipe is calling formeans everything for a successful outcome.

Baking Soda and Baking Powder: These are different ingredients and do very different things to your recipe. Many of the cookie recipes in this book use baking soda but youll notice a few calling for baking powder. Make sure that yours is not expired (if you dont bake very often, you may need to check the expiration date).

Butter: The recipes in this book were tested with unsalted butter. If you wish to substitute salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by teaspoon per cup (113 g) of butter. A lot of the recipes call for softened butter, which means that the butter is soft to the touch. A good rule of thumb is to leave the butter out on the counter for an hour or two before beginning the recipe.

Chocolate: Be sure to pay attention to what kind of chocolate the recipe requires. Chocolate chips are obvious and come in different flavors (semi-sweet, milk, dark, white, and so on). For the most part, you can substitute any kind of chocolate chip if they are being used as mix-ins for cookies or bars. Baking chocolate, often referred to as unsweetened chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, comes in bar form in the baking aisle of the grocery store. Be sure to use the kind that is called for in the recipe, as the sweetness of the final product can be affected by interchanging the kinds of baking chocolate.

Cocoa: The recipes in this book were tested using unsweetened cocoa powder, just the basic kind you get at the grocery store. Unless otherwise specified, use a regular cocoa powder (such as Hersheys brand). A few recipes call for Special Dark Cocoa, which is also a Hersheys product, but you can substitute regular unsweetened if you cannot find the Special Dark. A few also call for Dutch process cocoa, which shouldnt be substituted unless specified. However, you can substitute regular unsweetened cocoa or Hersheys Special Dark for the Dutch process.

Eggs: Any recipe calling for eggs was tested with large eggs. Eggs are important for structure in cookies, and any substitution of other-size eggs can alter the recipe.

Flour: All of the recipes in this book use all-purpose flour. Substituting different kinds of flour in these recipes can probably be done but will alter the texture and outcome of the recipe. To measure your flour, spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then level with the flat side of a knife, if not using a scale.

Milk and Heavy Whipping Cream: The recipes using milk have been tested using whole milk, unless otherwise noted. Sometimes you can use whole or nonfat interchangeably; when that is the case, it will be noted. When it comes to heavy whipping cream, make sure to buy the one labeled heavy, not plain, whipping cream. They act differently depending on the recipe, so be sure and double-check.

Nonstick Cooking Spray: This is my savior when it comes to bar cookies. I always grease my pans with nonstick cooking spray (such as Pam). Occasionally, as is the case with cookie cups, I like to use nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour in it). You can also just grease your pans with butter or shortening, but the spray is so much easier.

Oil: All recipes tested for this book calling for oil used vegetable oil. You can substitute canola oil instead.

Peanut Butter: We are huge peanut butter lovers and the recipes in this book reflect that. All recipes in this book were tested with regular store-bought peanut butter. Homemade peanut butter or peanut butter that requires stirring arent suitable for the recipes in this book. You can use any kind of Skippy or Jif (or similar brands), including Skippy or Jif Naturals, for my recipes.