5 Tips That Will Instantly Level Up Your Cookie Game

Tips on how to bake the best cookies + my favorite cookie recipes on CT

This month is my birthday month, so I thought I would share with you something that is near and dear to me, and that’s cookies! When I started the blog, I never thought I would ever become a huge baker. I thought this would just be a place where I shared my grandma’s recipes and that’s it. But a few years into it, I really got into cookie making, especially chocolate chip cookies. Specifically, I got into the science behind it. What goes into making them so good, and those little tricks that make it seem like they come out of a bakery.

So today, I’m sharing my favorite tips and tricks that make my cookies so good. This is not just me humble bragging, but a lot of people have said my cookies are the best! And I’m here to say, yours can be too!

I would like to say these tips are most useful for chocolate chip cookies and variations using a similar type of dough, but some of these tips are universal to all cookie making.

#1: Mixing the wet ingredients really well

I think most people don’t mix their sugar, butter, and eggs well enough. They just mix it a few times, and that’s it. Allowing that extra mixing time helps the ingredients really come together and also adds a bit of air to the dough which helps create that tender cookie texture.

#2: Not over mixing the dry ingredients

Contrary to the wet ingredients, most people over mix the dry ingredients. Every time you mix flour, you create more gluten which makes your cookie tough, so it’s important to mix just enough. This can be hard if you’re using a stand mixer, so what I like to do is run my stand mixer a couple times, then finish mixing with a spatula.

#3: Let the dough rest for at least an hour

I know it’s hard to let the cookie dough rest when you want one ASAP, but this is actually the #1 tip to getting better flavor. When your dough rests (in the fridge), it’s almost like the cookie dough is marinating in its ingredients, and like in savory foods, longer marination leads to better flavor.

Additionally, if you use a lot of butter in your cookies or browned butter, resting the dough in the fridge prevents the butter from melting too fast in the oven, which leads to flat cookies. Don’t do this for more than 72 hours though, or your cookie dough starts to go bad.

#4: Placing some of the filling on top to make it look pretty

This is more of a food styling/food photography tip, but they do make your cookies look professionally made. When I bake cookies for the blog, I like to stick a few pieces of the filling on top, so you can see them on the cookie when they’re baked. Perfect example - my banana miso pistachio cookies. I stuck a few chocolate chips and pistachios on top of the cookie, so you can see them after they come out of the oven. You do eat with your eyes first, so this makes the cookie look more appetizing.

#5: Use a round cookie cutter to make your cookies round

Also a great food styling/food photography trick but one that is useful to improve the look of your cookies. After the cookies come out of the oven, I use a large biscuit cutter to make my cookies round. I place it around my cookie and move it in a circular motion around my cookie until it’s round! You can also do this with a bowl or a large cup. Make sure whatever you’re using is larger than the cookies. This also helps create crinkles in the cookies.

Bonus tip: Don’t shy away from salt

You’re probably thinking - wait what salt?! YES! SALT! Adding salt brings out the flavors of every other ingredient, making it taste so much better. A little salt goes a long way in all types of baking.

White Chocolate Matcha Cookies

This the most popular recipe on my blog, and for good reason! They’re so good, and that green color is the best.

Ube Cookies

Ube + white chocolate is the ultimate combination. Tender, chewy, and full of flavor. These are some of the best cookies on the blog.

Vietnamese Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vietnamese Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies

If I could create a perfect chocolate chip cookie, it would be this one.

Strawberry Milk Tea Cookies

Eating this cookie is like drinking strawberry milk tea. A tender cookie filled with freeze-dried strawberries, earl grey tea, and white chocolate chips.

Banana Miso Pistachio Cookies

This cookie was inspired by my time in London. A chocolate chip cookie filled with banana, white miso, and pistachio chunks. An interesting combination but so so good!

Che Bap (Vietnamese Corn Pudding)

Vietnamese Coffee Marble Cookies

Char Siu Chicken

Dubai Chocolate Ice Cream

I won’t be posting any recipes in the next few weeks as I will be on my honeymoon in Japan! Follow along on IG for all the yummy eats and cool sights! I might post 1 recipe when I get back, but otherwise, I plan on enjoying my time off. See you again in June!

✍️ Thank you so much for reading! I love reading all your messages, DMs, and emails. If you have any feedback, comments, or just want to say hi, message me on Instagram, email me at becca@cooking-therapy.com, or just comment below!

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