Here are some tips for making great homemade cookies from scratch which can be found at Maceri’s Soup & Scoop, Pitas & Subs. I learned the secrets to cookie baking from my Italian Grandma Pauline starting at a very young age. I remember at age 6 rolling the Italian Biscotti cookie dough. The dough is used for a wide variety of Italian cookies including the S cookie, frosted, sesame, biscotti, and filled cookies.
Use butter in all cookie recipes. It will give you a fuller cookie and avoid having flat cookies. You can also use half butter and half shortening, Italian cookies will use all shortening. Using whipped butter can often ruin the recipe. It has added air in it and will change the consistency of the recipe. Most cookies call for softened butter for the best blending consistency. Let butter stand at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes. Be careful not to let it soften too long as this can result in dough that is too soft.
Preheat oven 10 to 15 minutes before baking cookies. Do not overbeat the dough after adding the flour, or cookies will be tough. Place dough to be baked on “cool” cookie sheets. Rotate cookie sheets. Use shiny aluminum pans for baking cookies. They brown evenly and lightly. Do not grease pan, as added oils produce flat cookies.
Make sure to leave room between cookies usually 2 inches between cookies. Use a baking sheet that is at least 2 inches smaller all-round than your oven. This will allow for the proper circulation.
Leave cookies on baking tray for one minute to set, be careful not to leave them too long as they continue to bake on hot tray. Place cookies on wax paper. Watch the baking time. Always check cookies at the minimum baking time. Even one minute can mean the difference between a cookie that is done or overcooked.
You can find homemade cookies from scratch at Maceri’s Soup & Scoop, Pitas & Subs restaurant located in Shelby Twp., Michigan on the corner of 21 Mile & Hayes. Daily cookies include our famous Chocolate Chip and varieties of Oatmeal cookies. Specialty cookies are made to order or great for catering orders. 586-566-7484 www.soup-scoop.com
