5 Habits of Highly Effective Cookie Bakers

A busy day today, but not much going on that's of interest in blogsphere. Morning workout: lift and swim for an hour. Evening workout: an hour on the Stairmaster.

So ... I thoughti I'd share 5 cookie-baking tips that I've gathered through my cookie-baking experiences.

1. Use good butter. I always use unsalted (unless the recipe calls for salted). My favorite is Land O'Lakes. I stock up when it goes on sale (it's spendy). It freezes well. If you MUST use margarine, use one that's got 100 calories per Tablespoon. If it's less, it's got too much water in it and your cookies won't be as good. The texture won't be right. And the flavor won't be as good. Also, let the butter soften before creaming. It should be slightly bendable. Be very careful if attempting to soften it in the microwave. It can go from solid to liquid quickly!
2. Use good vanilla. Don't use imitation vanilla. Use the real deal. It's worth it.
3. Use good chocolate. Again, don't use chocolate-flavored chips. Use real chocolate. I really like Ghirardelli bittersweet. They're available in most grocery stores and at Sam's Club.
4. If you're using nuts, toast them first. 350 degrees for about 5 minutes or until they smell fragrant. Let them cool before adding to your batter! If you're using chocolate chips, they'll melt when coming in contact with warm nuts. (Trust me ... it's happened to me ... once. :-)
5. Oven tips: Let your cookie sheets cool off between batches. I bake them on the center rack in the oven, one sheet at a time, unless the recipe specifies otherwise. (Some Cooks' Illustrated recipes call for 2 sheets, in the upper- and lower-middle of the oven, rotated and swapped halfway through baking).

Sounds like we're in for another interesting weather weekend. Just in time for more travel nightmares.  And difficult running. Bummer ...

Going to sign off for today. Good night.