Welcome to a new (to Bake at 350) blog feature...Works For Me Wednesday.
Before my tip, let me tell you how I found out about WFMW...
Around Christmastime, we moved to a new house. I met our neighbors, but hadn't really had a chance to get to know them. The day before Valentine's Day, their son was over at our house playing and I was finishing up making the Homemade Hostess Cupcakes.
I had them all laid out on the table, taking pictures from every angle, when out their son walks into the kitchen. All I could think was, "oh great...he's going to go home and tell his parents that the crazy lady next door takes pictures of FOOD!" But, do you know what he said? "Do you have a blog?" :)
It turns out, his mom, my neighbor, has an amazing blog, a real blog!!! It's called We are THAT Family. Have you seen it? Go now, seriously! (It's really good, so please come back eventually!)
I am so excited to have a friend next door (that's only happened to me once, and it was like heaven on earth), and a bloggy friend at that! You can check out her more colorful account of meeting a "blogger next door" here.
We Are THAT Family is now the host of Works for Me Wednesdays...I can't wait to read through all of the great ideas posted there!
Without further ado...
To help cookies keep their shape, freeze them! I freeze each batch of cut-out cookies for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. They rise just slightly higher and keep their shape better. This really helps when using an intricate cookie cutter, but I do this even when baking circles.
If I'm baking a large batch of cookies, I normally have one sheet in the oven, one in the freezer, one on the counter for loading and one cooling and I just rotate through them.
Hope that helps! :) Is there anything you are wondering about cookie making? Post a comment and I'll try to add it to future WFMW.
FAQs
To help cookies keep their shape, freeze them! I freeze each batch of cut-out cookies for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. They rise just slightly higher and keep their shape better.
How to get cookies to hold their shape? ›
Sandwich your dough between two sheets of parchment, roll, then freeze; it makes cut-out cookies a breeze! If you plan to store it for only a few hours or days, there's no need to overwrap the baking sheet; for longer storage, wrap the entire baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap before freezing.
Why do my cookies not keep their shape? ›
If your butter is under mixed, it won't have the air pockets to hold it's shape. If it's over-mixed, the air pockets decrease in size and are unable to hold their shape in the oven—causing your cookies to spread. It's best to cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
How do you get Pillsbury cookies to hold their shape? ›
If your cookies are spreading out too much and not holding their shape, place the entire cookie sheet of cut cookies into the fridge or freezer for a bit, maybe 5 minutes, before baking. Cool on the pan for 1 minute before removing onto a cooling rack. Letting the cookies cool allows them to firm up a bit.
How do you keep a cookie cutter in shape? ›
It holds its shape, and one major trick is that after you make your dough, you'll roll it out, cut out your cookie shapes, and then put them on a lined baking sheet and only then PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER for 10 minutes, then straight into the oven after. No cooling and then rolling. You roll, cut, and then cool!
What ingredient helps cookies keep their shape? ›
Flour. Having not enough flour in the cookie dough is yet another reason why your cookies may spread and not hold their shape well.
Why is my cookie dough not holding shape? ›
First, try adding more liquid to the dough. This can be milk, water, or even just a little bit of extra oil. If that doesn't work, you can try kneading the dough for a few minutes to help it come together. Lastly, if all else fails, you can always add in a few tablespoons of flour to help bind the dough together.
Why do my cookies flatten out so much? ›
If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.
Is it better to bake cookies at 325 or 350? ›
350° is the standard temp for a cookie, and it's a great one. Your cookies will bake evenly and the outside will be done at the same time as the inside. Baking at 325° also results in an evenly baked cookie, but the slower cooking will help yield a chewier cookie. The outsides will be a little softer, too.
Do you cut cookies before or after baking? ›
Quick Preparation: Using cookie cutters after baking reduces the need to spend time rolling and shaping the dough. Creative Cookie Bites: You can create interesting shapes from baked cookies for decorating or using in other desserts like milkshakes.
Too much sugar and butter can make sugar cookies spread and lose their shape when baked. This one requires a little patience because once you roll out your dough, you are ready to bake. Be patient and bake your cookies when the dough is really cold.
How do you stabilize cookies? ›
Chill the dough: Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes (or as directed in the recipe) before baking. Chilling the dough helps solidify the fat and allows the cookies to retain their shape better during baking.
Before my tip, let me tell you how I found out about WFMW...
To help cookies keep their shape, freeze them! I freeze each batch of cut-out cookies for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. They rise just slightly higher and keep their shape better. This really helps when using an intricate cookie cutter, but I do this even when baking circles.