Just a few years ago, I had never baked anything from scratch without my mom directing each step. But I discovered that I could appreciate baking when I came to college. It is the best way I have found to relax and de-stress.
My Sunday afternoons are typically spent baking. It is not unusual for me to show up to class with a plate of cookies still warm from the oven. People will not be at my house long before I offer them something I have recently made. The ultimate reason that I love baking is how it connects me to people. Food has a unique power to bring people together. More than anything else, I love to share everything that I make with others. For me, the best way to express that I care about people is by giving them something that I have made.
I enjoy baking because it’s more methodical and precise than cooking. There are “rules” in baking. These rules do not take creativity out of baking, though. I like to tweak, and create, recipes using what I know about the science behind baking. Here are a few tips I have learned to keep cookies soft and chewy, as opposed to crunchy and crispy:
- Cookies should have more brown sugar than white sugar. The molasses in brown sugar keeps them soft.
- Egg yolks keep cookies soft, while egg whites get crispy. That is the reason why some recipes call for an extra egg yolk.
- Cornstarch keeps cookies soft.
- Chill your dough for at least an hour before baking. This is my least favorite part, because who wants to wait for their cookies? But chilling the dough prevents spreading when the cookies are baked.
- Take cookies out of the oven before they look completely done. They continue to bake and set on the hot cookie sheet even when they are out of the oven.
M&M Cookies
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ tsp. baking soda
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 12-ounce bag of M&Ms
Beat the butter and sugars until well combined using a mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt until just combined with a wooden spoon. Add M&Ms.
Chill the dough (overnight is best).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll cookies to desired size and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7-10 minutes until the edges are golden brown.