How to Make Perfect Sugar Cookies

I received an email from Kathy about preparing the “perfect” sugar cookie. She told me she made two batches of sugar cookie dough using the same recipe and one batch turned out perfect while the other “was puffy and lost shape.”

Kathy wanted to know why this happened so I contacted my friend Chef Jennifer Field, a graduate from the Orlando Culinary Academy, for some help since I’m not much of a baker. Jennifer had a bunch of questions that were answered in Kathy’s next email. Here is what she said,

“The batches were made and cooked on different days. The second batch was refrigerated for a couple days (at least). The recipe was the same, however, I may have beat my shortening, sugar and egg mixture longer the second time. Temp the same.”

Kathy’s Definition of the Perfect Sugar Cookie

“My definition of a perfect sugar cookie is one that is light and a little crisp with the buttery icing softening it just slightly. I’m not into a fluffy cakey sugar cookie. I definitely want one that will hold the shape and design of my cutter. I want to make snowflake shaped cookies at Christmas and my cutter has little cut outs you can add for more detail.

This is the recipe I used:
 
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cup flour
 
I’m not sure exactly if my mixing was different either time usually I mix in this order: sugar and fats together till creamy, add eggs till fluffy, add dry ingredients that have been combined beforehand, and end with vanilla.
Bake at 325 degrees in a convection oven.
 
I’m anxious to hear from you and what your suggestions will be for my success.
Thanks again – Kathy”

Chef Jennifer Field’s Recommendations

With these facts in hand, Chef Jennifer was able to point out why the second batch did not turn out “perfect” plus offer some changes to Kathy’s recipe for future cookies.  Here is what she said,

“What immediately jumps out at me is the refrigeration time for the second batch of cookies.  I see that your leavener was baking soda.  Baking soda in a baked good only has one chemical reaction:  it fizzes and bubbles when it gets wet.This, of course, happened when you first mixed your ingredients together.  Since you baked your first batch immediately, the soda did its job correctly. 

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How to Make Incredible Molten Chocolate Cake at Home

Sorry for the delay in posts but I’m on vacation with my family at the Jersey shore. I’m trying to find time to write about some of the delicious meals we are having but between the beach, meals and taking the kids to different night entertainment, I’m not finding time to get much writing done.

Here’s the receipe for the Molten Chocolate Cake that I promised to post in my Humbled But What a Great Night of Cooking blog. If you didn’t read it, this recipe came from a cooking class my wife and I attended at a great BYOB restaurant called Blackfish. Not only did we have a fun night of cooking and a great meal, I learned a lot from Chef Jeff Power and Chef Ashley Hess.

Molten Chocolate Cake
Makes 20 cakes

Important Tip –I learned from Chef Jeff while preparing this recipe it is critical to not to get any water in the melted chocolate. He made it clear that even a drop of water would ruin the chocolate.

Ingredients

1 lb. chocolate (we used those chocolate chips you buy for cookies)
1 lb. butter
5 oz sugar
4 oz sifted flour
10 eggs
10 egg yolks
20 aluminum tins (butter & floured)*
Powdered sugar for dusting at the end

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I wanted to treat you to more of Chef Robert Reynolds. I was reading his web site and came across this paragraph where he was discussing preparing an elegant but simple fish dish. He served it with three garnishes but each garnish added only one flavor.

He said, “The first garnish is a simple sauté of onions, cooked without browning until they are soft and sweet. They are garnished with lemon rind that has been blanched and then cut into threads. The slivers of lemon rind disappear into the onion compote; you don’t see them, but are surprised to discover the little burst of lemon they offer when you bite into them.”

These are the morsels of information I want to learn more about. What a simple technique described so well you can almost taste it. Can you imagine attending his cooking school, Chefs Studio, and getting 8 weeks of this kind of knowledge? I do.

I also wanted to share with you Chef Reynolds’ first cooking video, giving you a glimpse of who he is and how he works. It is berry season at the time and he is making a Genoise Cake covered with strawberries that have been mixed with honey, marmalade, red wine and heavy cream.

Genoise cake is basically a sponge cake except the egg yolks and whites are NOT beaten separately. It’s of Italian decent and gets its name from the city of Genoa. Instead of using any kind of leavening agent, it gets its volume from the air suspended in the batter while mixing.

Here’s Chef Reynolds’ version of Strawberry Shortcake. To view the video, click here or on the image.

Genoise

6 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup sugar
tiny pinch of salt
1 cup flour, twice sifted
Butter for the cake pan

2 pints of strawberries
2 or 3 tablespoons excellent quality honey or, 2 or 3 tablespoons sugar
1 or 2 tablespoons orange marmalade (optional)
1-1/2 to 2 cups red wine, or real fruit juice
1-cup excellent quality heavy cream, whipped to soft peak, sweetened with sugar if desired

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