Name ___________________________ Date _________________ Block ________
COOKIES Information Sheet
Use this Information Sheet to complete the COOKIES Worksheet.
Do you prefer types of cookies that are crisp,
crunchy, sandy or soft? Does it depend on the cookie
and/or your mood? Cookies are baked until crisp,
some until just soft, while others are not baked at all!
Hundred of thousands of cookie recipes and
variations exist. Is it wrong to want to try them all?
Most cookies are made from the same basic
ingredients. The dry ingredients consist of allpurpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
The sweetness comes from granulated and/or brown
sugar. The fat is either softened butter or margarine
and sometimes shortening. Eggs and vanilla extract
are also used. For different flavored cookies you can
add any or all of these: chocolate, cocoa, nuts,
raisins, oatmeal, spices or extracts.
Making the dough is pretty consistent with all cookies. Mix your dry ingredients in a medium-sized
bowl. In a large bowl, cream your butters and sugars, then add your slightly beaten eggs and vanilla.
To this mixture, slowly add the dry ingredients until well mixed. Usually at this point the extra
flavorings are added to the dough. Then the dough is prepared the way dictated by the cookie type.
History:
The first cookies were created by accident. Cooks used a small amount of cake batter to test their oven
temperature before baking a large cake. These little test cakes were called "koekje", meaning "little
cake" in Dutch.
Tips and Tricks:
• Use only the freshest ingredients.
• Large eggs are the standard eggs used.
• Try not to use substitute fats. If the recipe calls for butter, use butter.
• Make sure you measure your ingredients properly.
• Keep the dough chilled in between baking batches of cookies.
• Cool your cookie sheets by running tepid water over the back of them.
• And last but not least, don't eat all the cookie dough. Save some for the baking process.
Storing Cookies:
• Soft cookies, such as bar cookies, are stored in a container with a tight lid. If they tend to dry
out, add a slice of apple to the container.
• Crisp cookies should be stored in a container with a loose lid, like a cookie jar. If there is a lot
of humidity in your area, add a piece of bread to the container. The bread helps to absorb the
moisture.
Cookie types are often classified by how they are formed:
1. Bar Cookies are prepared by putting the dough in a
rectangular pan. They are baked and then cut into
squares. Most drop cookie recipes can be converted to
this type of cookie. These are the easiest cookies to
make, because several batches are baked at once.
2. Drop cookies are the easiest individual cookies to make.
Balls of dough are dropped from a spoon onto a cookie
sheet.
3. Molded Cookies dough is formed by the hands into
shapes such as: wreaths, crescents, canes, or balls.
Balls are sometimes flattened with the bottom of a
glass.
4. Pressed Cookies are made by pressing the dough
through a cookie press or pastry tube to form
different shapes.
5. Refrigerator or Icebox Cookies are prepared by
shaping the dough into long rolls and then
refrigerating them. Once cold, the dough can be
sliced and baked. This is a great prepare-ahead-oftime dough because it can also be frozen.
6. Rolled Cookies take a little more preparation. With a
rolling pin, chilled dough is rolled out. The dough is cut
into shapes by using a knife, pastry wheel or cookie
cutter.
Name ___________________________ Date _________________ Block ________
COOKIES Worksheet
Using the COOKIES Information Sheet answer the following questions.
1. What are the 4 common dry ingredients in cookies?
a. _____________________________________
b. _____________________________________
c. _____________________________________
d. _____________________________________
2. What gives cookies their sweetness? ______________________________
3. What is commonly used for fat? _______________________________
4. What kinds of things would you add to cookies to give them more flavor?
a. _____________________________________
b. _____________________________________
c. _____________________________________
d. _____________________________________
5. How did cooks test the temperature of their ovens? __________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. What’s a koekje? _____________________________________________________________
7. What size eggs should you use when making cookies? ___________________________
8. What should you do with the dough left in the bowl while you’re baking a batch of cookies in
the oven? ___________________________________________________________________
9. What should you do to the cookie sheet after you’ve removed a batch from the oven?
_______________________________________________________________________________
10. What should you add to the container if your soft cookies start to dry out? ________________
11. What should you add to the container if your crisp cookies get too soft? _________________
12. What is a bar cookie?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
13. What is a drop cookie?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________