The Six Major Kinds of Cookies
Posted on March 2, 2009, by Colin Joss, under Food and Drink.
Cookies are generally easy to make and one of the first things a beginning baker makes. There are only six major types of cookies, each with their own particular methods. Below, I have listed all six types (plus a seventh) and some characteristics and tips to help you make each one.
Molded Cookies
Moulded cookies are made by hand-rolling the dough and forming them into balls. Like peanut butter cookies they can be pressed flat with a fork. To stop the dough from sticking make sure to dust your fingers and utensils with flour.
Dropped Cookies
Dropped cookies are usually the easiest kind of cookie to make. Drop a teaspoonful of cookie dough onto a cookie sheet. Make sure you leave sufficient room between cookies for spreading. A space of about a couple of inches is usually best. If uniform size is important you may wish to use a cookie scoop.
Rolled Cookies
The dough for rolled cookies, or cut out cookies, is rather stiff. It is rolled into a sheet onto a lightly floured board and then cut into shapes with a knife or cookie cutters. Work with only a portion of the dough at a time. Use as little flour as possible to keep your cookies from getting tough. Rolling out thinner will produce a crisper cookie and thicker will make a softer and chewier cookie.
Pressed Cookies
Making pressed cookies - like spritz cookies - is easiest with a cookie press. The dough needs to be soft enough to pass through the press but stiff enough to keep its shape. If the dough is too soft put it in the fridge for some time. If it’s too hard, mix in an egg yolk.
Refrigerator Cookies
Also known as sliced cookies, these cookies are made by rolling the dough into a thick bar. The dough is then chilled in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Make sure you wrap the rolls good so they won’t absorb other odors from your refrigerator. Dough may be kept up to a week like this. After chilling, the dough is thinly sliced with a sharp knife and then baked.
Bar Cookies
Bars or squares are more like cakes and are a softer type of cookie. They may be crisp or chewy. They may also be layered or filled. Brownies are one good example of bar cookie. They are baked in a baking pan with sides. Make sure you use the proper size pan or your bars may not turn out right. When done these cake-type cookies are cut into squares. Most bars will cut better if allowed to cool first.
No Bake Cookies
As the name suggests, these cookies don’t need baking. To be honest, they’re not really a cookie. They’re more like candy. A good example is a no bake chocolate oatmeal cookie. They’re made using a candy thermometer and double boiler.
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