Contents
Page List
Guide
Cover
LIVE WELL
BAKE COOKIES
Classic Cookie Recipes for Every Occasion
DANIELLE RYE
CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION
Hi there! Im Danielle Rye. You may know me from my little corner of the internet, Live Well Bake Often, where I teach people how to bake from scratch.
Ever since I can remember, Ive had a passion for being in the kitchen and making desserts. When I was a kid, I used to stand on a chair and help my mom whip up a cake mix or roll pieces of biscuit dough in cinnamon and sugar to make monkey bread. I loved watching how the desserts transformed in the oven and getting to enjoy them afterward.
As I got older, I started using baking as a creative outlet. What originally started as a hobby blossomed into a passion to learn everything I could about baking. I spent years in my kitchen teaching myself how to bake and eventually decided to create a website so I could share my recipes with others.
While I was teaching myself how to bake from scratch, cookies became one of my favorite treats to create. I loved how easy it was to mix up a batch of cookie dough and how versatile cookies were too. So, when I decided it was time to write a cookbook, I knew that I needed to start with cookies!
In this cookbook, you will find a mix of classic cookie recipesall things chocolate and peanut butter, oatmeal cookies, and everything in between. You can find a cookie for any time of year! There are also recipes for small batches, cookie bars, cookie cups, whoopie pies, an edible cookie dough, and even a cookie cake.
But I didnt want to share just cookie recipes with you. Ive included all my cookie baking tips as well as a troubleshooting guide to ensure that every single recipe you make from this cookbook turns out perfectly.
My hope is that this cookbook will serve as your ultimate resource for cookies and that you will feel confident when it comes to making any recipe in iteven if youve never baked anything from scratch in your entire life.
INGREDIENTS
These are the most commonly used ingredients for the recipes throughout this book. Always read through the recipe to see what you need before you start baking.
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
Flour provides the structure for your cookies so that they hold together. I prefer to use Gold Medal bleached all-purpose flour because bleached flour creates baked goods that are softer, making it ideal for cookies. You can use unbleached flour if you prefer.
BAKING POWDER
Though similar in name to baking soda but not interchangeable, baking powder is used to leaven cookie dough. Just be sure that you use the correct amount that each recipe calls for; otherwise your cookies may not turn out quite right.
BAKING SODA
Though similar in name to baking powder but not interchangeable, baking soda is used to leaven cookie dough. Just be sure that you use the correct amount that each recipe calls for; otherwise, your cookies may not turn out quite right.
BROWN SUGAR
You will find brown sugar in most of my cookie recipes because it adds moisture to the dough and creates chewier, more flavorful cookies. I use light brown sugar in all my cookie recipes, but it would be fine to use dark brown sugar too. Just keep in mind that if you use dark brown sugar, it will slightly change the taste of your cookies. When measuring brown sugar, always make sure to pack it into your measuring cup.
BUTTER
Because the amount of salt in salted butter can vary quite a bit between different brands, I prefer to stick with unsalted butter. By using unsalted butter, you can control the amount of salt that goes into your cookies. If you only have salted butter on hand, simply reduce the salt in the recipe by teaspoon per stick (115 g) of butter. Make sure that you use actual butter and not margarine.
CHOCOLATE
If a recipe calls for semisweet or white chocolate to be melted, whether for adding to the cookie dough or dipping the cookies in, I highly recommend using bars of chocolate. My favorite brands are Bakers and Ghirardelli. You can typically find 4-ounce (113 g) bars in the baking aisle.
COCOA POWDER
For all my cookie recipes, I prefer to use natural unsweetened cocoa powder. Unlike Dutch-processed cocoa powder, its acidic and will react with the baking soda in your cookie dough. I also recommend sifting your cocoa powder to remove any lumps.
CORNSTARCH
Also known as cornflour, this simple ingredient is added to a few recipes to help keep the cookies soft.
CREAM CHEESE
Always use blocks or bricks of full-fat cream cheese. Avoid using cream cheese spread in a tub because it has ingredients added to it to thin it out.
EGGS
All the recipes in this cookbook are made with large eggs. For best results, avoid using medium or extralarge eggs as this could affect the amount of moisture in your cookie dough. Most of these cookie recipes call for a room-temperature egg. If you forget to set your eggs out ahead of time, simply place them in a bowl of warm water for five to ten minutes, then use them as directed in the recipe.
ESPRESSO POWDER
I love to add instant espresso powder to some of my chocolate cookie recipes because it enhances the flavor of the chocolate. Feel free to leave it out if you dont have any or dont want to use it, but dont worry, it wont make your cookies taste like coffee!
GRANULATED SUGAR
This helps to sweeten your cookie dough and allows your cookies to spread as they bake in the oven. If you reduce or increase the amount of granulated sugar in your dough, it can cause the cookies to either not spread very well or spread too much as they are baking. For best results, always stick to the exact amount of granulated sugar called for in these recipes.