9
white prevents them from whipping
properly.
• For whipping egg whites, both the mixing
bowl and chef’s whisk must be spotlessly
clean and dry. Any trace of fat or oil will
prevent the egg whites from whipping
properly.
• To check the freshness of eggs, place
them in a bowl of warm water – if they
float, they are not fresh.
• To melt chocolate for a recipe, place
chopped chocolate in a double boiler
insert or larger bowl over a pan of barely
simmering hot water. The water should
not boil, nor should it touch the bottom of
the double boiler insert or bowl. If it does,
this could cause the chocolate to “seize”
and you will not be able to use it in your
recipe.
• Always test yeast for freshness before
using it in a recipe. Sprinkle a little over
warm (105-110°F [40°-45°C]) water from
recipe and add a pinch of sugar or flour
from the recipe. If it does not become
foamy/bubbly in 5 to 10 minutes, the
yeast may be “dead.” Start over with fresh
yeast from a new package.
• For mixing yeast doughs, begin by using
the flat mixing paddle. When starting a
recipe, dough is thinner and more like
a batter and mixes more efficiently and
smoothly with a paddle. After a very thick,
smooth batter forms, switch to the dough
hook to complete the recipe.
COOKIE BAKING
• Use an ice cream scoop to measure out
cookie dough – this keeps the cookies
evenly shaped and uniform in size. We
recommend ice cream scoops in several
sizes – #’s 40, 50 and 60, as well as a
larger one (about
1
⁄
3
to ½ cup [75 ml -
125 ml]) for jumbo cookies. Ice cream
scoops, also known as “dishers” are
also good for filling muffin tins. Use a
#16 ice cream scoop to make muffins or
meatballs.
• To better maintain cookie shapes, put
scoops of cookie dough onto sheets of
waxed paper or plastic wrap on a tray and
chill before baking. Most cookie dough
can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days prior to
baking – be sure to wrap well.
• Cookie dough may also be frozen. Shape
into individual cookies, double wrap and
freeze for up to 3 months.
• Line baking sheets with parchment for
easy release and easy cleanup.
• Let cookies rest on sheets for 2 to 3
minutes before removing them to a wire
rack to cool. This keeps cookies from
wrinkling, crumbling or breaking.
• Cookies must cool completely before
being put into storage containers to avoid
them becoming soggy and misshapen.
