All recipes can be broken down into ratios. A recipe doesn’t work unless the ratio is correct. If your cookies are to hard, to soft, to crisp, to chewy…. your ratio is off. The ratio of certain ingredients in respect to the other ingredients which are also in that recipe.

So it goes without saying that there are different ratios for different cookies. If you get your ratios correct, you’ll have a perfect cookie every time.

If you’ve ever wondered about what sugar does in your cookies, or what kind of substitutes you can use for it, then this is a must read.
What Sugar Does
When it comes to cookies, sugar is not only a sweetener, but also a tenderizer. It caramelizes as it melts, altering the texture of your cookies. The [...]

I’ve read several blogs where people are hunting for the “perfect” cookie recipe. I suppose the word “perfect” is subjective, according to your tastes.
But in reading these blogs, I did find some hints and tips that I’d like to pass on.
On one woman’s blog, her search was for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. Not to [...]

I was talking to my friend the other day about some cookies she wanted to make. I was helping her check her kitchen to see if she had all the necessary ingredients and supplies for the recipe she wanted to make.
I got to the part of the recipe that called for parchement paper for lining the cookie [...]

Here’s what you need to know about substituting natural sugars for regular sugar when baking cookies.
1 – Honey is a good substitute for granulated sugar on a one-to-one ratio by weight. However, you have to reduce other liquids in cookie recipes by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used.
2 – When using Maple syrup, [...]

If you’ve ever wondered about the best way to store your cookies, especially if you bake in advance of special occassions, wonder no longer. Here are 10 tips for doing just that.
Never store different types of cookies together. The aroma and taste will mingle, and you’ll end up with cookies that don’t taste very good.
Store [...]

Like a lot of folks around the world, you’ve probably wondered if you could bake your cookies and eat them too. Cookies can be sinful, but there are many ways to make them healthier. My guest blogger Robin, has this to say on the topic:
We’re coming up on that time in the year when we [...]

I’m sure that we’ve all wondered what makes our cookies spread, what makes ‘em crispy and what makes them soft. Here’s a compact, comprehensive list of characteristics and ingredients that will make your cookies one vs another.
For Crispiness:
1-Low Proportion of Liquid
2-High Sugar, High Fat
3-Longer Baking
4-Thinness
5-Proper Storage: Don’t let them get stale
For Softness:
1-High Proportion of Liquid
2-Low [...]

Ever wonder why some cookies are soft and chewy while some others are crispy and crunchy? Here are some guidelines to help you make that perfect chewy cookie!
Fat content:In general, fat content determines the tenderness of the cookie. When you buy a store-bought cookie, the manufacturer probably included some form of trans fat, or a [...]

Baking without regular, refined sugar is an art. You have to know how to adjust your recipes according to the sweetener you are using. Be prepared to have a few batches flop completely before you get it right. I’ve found that, more often not, even recipes from recipe books, need adjusting.
A lot will depend on [...]

Refrigerator cookies are great because they are relatively low fuss.
Most of these types of doughs are intended to use with cookie cutters. But who says you have to do that?
Plus, you can make the dough ahead of time, and slice off a few to bake fresh as you need them. They’re great to have on [...]

The quest for the perfect cookie can be a frustrating one. You can try batch after batch, and still not end up with the cookies you were hoping for.
So I thought I would compile a few tips from various sources and from my own experience to help you out in this department.
Be sure your oven [...]

This is a topic that I have covered in the past. But my guest blogger Robin has some really good information to add to this topic.
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As far as I’m concerned, baking is one of the most forgiving hobbies that you can take up. You can overcook some cookies for a different result and some of [...]

Say it isn’t so!
You actually have some stale cookies in your pantry??? How on earth did you manage to hold onto them for so long? Did somebody forget to add the sugar?
Oh dear. Well… let’s not fret. Providing your cookies aren’t growing their own head of hair, there is one thing you can do to [...]

You would think this would be a “no-brainer”. But believe me, I’ve had my trials and errors with freezing cookie dough.
I would simply put my dough in a zip lock storage back, and stuff the entire lump into the freezer. End of story. But then, I ran into trouble when I would try to defrost [...]

Decorating cookies is a very broad topic. There are so many different ways to decorate different cookies, that you could write a book on it, and probably still not include everything. But there are some basics that we can cover here to help get you started on your masterpieces.
Here are a few different methods just [...]

I’m a sucker for a really chewy cookie. But I do know people that prefer a crispy one. If you have a recipe you really like, but wish you could “tweak” it a bit to make it a little more, or a little less chewy, here are some ideas to help you.
1. Would you like [...]

Drop cookies are great because they can be done so quickly. There are no cookie cutters, no rolling pins, just a couple of spoons, and your cookies are ready to bake.
Here is a list of drop cookie recipes I think you might enjoy.
How do you use the spoons when making drop cookies? You need two [...]

This may seem like a pointless topic. I mean, doesn’t anyone following a recipe know how to pop some cookies in the oven and bake them? Not necessarily.
First of all, not all ovens are created equal. For example, when a recipe says to bake at 350 degrees, I know I have to set mine at [...]

If you’ve ever experienced some of the mayhem that can result from baking with kids, then I have some really good “how to” information for you.
There are 5 steps to take when baking with kids. They are:

Getting Ready
Preparing Ingredients
Be Supportive and Flexible
Focus On Positives
Eat. (Or Don’t)

If you’d like to read about each of these steps, [...]

If you are going to bake a great cookie, you have to start with great ingredients. You can’t purchase the cheapest ingredients you can find, and expect to produce the next best thing since Mrs. Fields.
The truth is, that cookie ingredients can make or break your cookies. These little delicacies tend to be temperamental. So [...]

If you’re like me, at one point or another, you’ve had a ton of cookie cutters that tend to rust as the years roll on. I use tin cookie cutters that belonged to my Oma. I’ve slowly replaced them over the years, not understanding why they would rust or “spot”.
Eventually, I got tired of throwing away all [...]

At first, I thought this was a rather redundant topic. I mean, who can’t melt chocolate? That’s what I thought until I realized that so many people have never done it before.
There are two methods for melting chocolate.
1 – Double Boiler Method
2- Microwave Method
Now, I’ll admit to being a double boiler snob. I really feel [...]

Planning holiday baking is a really important step. Especially if you have a lot of baking to do for holiday gifts. So whether you are baking at home, or are planning a cookie bake for friends and family, here are some important steps to remember.
Sit down well in advance and pull out all your recipes. Make a [...]

If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is, or which one you should decorate your cookies with, this is the difference between the two.
Frosting is thicker and can be used to create different shapes and more intricate decorations like rosettes. Most folks like frosting a lot more because it has a richer, creamy taste. Frosting [...]

My guest blogger has absolutely outdone herself. These cookies are not only yummy, but they’re positively gorgeous too! Here’s her post:
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When I was little, I would go to the store every weekend with my mother to pick up groceries. My favorite part of the store, naturally, was the bakery. Sweet smell of cakes, sometimes a [...]

If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between baking soda and baking powder in baking, wonder no longer. Here is what the white stuff does to your cookies.
Both baking powder and baking soda are leavening agents. They cause the “rise effect” in your cookies.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. When baking soda is [...]

There are few things quite as frustrating for me, as getting all excited about the cookies I’m baking, only to have them come out all wrong. I can usually attribute it to something I’ve done wrong, but a lot of folks don’t know how to do that. So here are some ideas for troubleshooting your [...]

Environment plays a big role in baking. You can bake the same recipe in different environments, and end up with either the perfect cookie, or a complete mess. Here I’ll go over the effects of different environments on your cookie baking.
High Altitudes
If you live in an altitude that is 3000 feet or higher above the [...]

The “doneness” of a cookie varies from recipe to recipe. But here are a couple rules of thumb that I like to follow.
If your recipe gives you a time range, for example 7-10 minutes, then bake your cookies for 7 minutes, and check every minute thereafter until done.
If I’m going for a chewier, gooier cookie, [...]

Every baker knows the importance of sugar in their baking. Sugar isn’t just a sweetener, it also contributes to the texture, moisture, color and stabilization of your baked goodies.
There are many types of sugars you can use in baking.
Obviously, for those of you who bake at home, the regular white stuff is what you will [...]