Whether you’re on a tight budget or you’re just in a bit of a hurry, stretching your cookie batter is a must in some situations. Perhaps you need three dozen cookies for your daughter’s class tomorrow. Maybe you simply don’t have the money to go get more ingredients at the store. No matter what the reason, here are a few tips that can make that dough go a bit farther.
Make Smaller Cookies: This may seem like a fairly simple solution, but it’s true. Go for animal cracker sized cookies, and you have the perfect little bite, but you have lots of them. Instead of a dozen jumbo cookies, it may be best to get three dozen tiny cookies from your dough. This doesn’t just work with sugar cookies either. You can make a tiny version of almost any cookie type. With sugar cookies, though, you’ll likely need a tiny cookie cutter to get the clean shapes you want in the right size.
Make Crispier Cookies: If you’ve ever had a 100-calorie package of cookies from the store, you know that thin and crispy is the key to this genius marketing strategy. Fortunately, it’s a good way to make the most out of just a little cookie dough, too. Start with a smaller amount of dough, but be sure to flatten it when it hits the cookie sheet. You’ll get a thin, crisp cookie, but it will still have the rich, delicious flavor you want in your dessert. In fact, you may want to eat a few extra ones because they’re so good.
Add a Candy Center: Many cookies have candy in the middle, and it’s a great way to make your dough stretch just a little. You can start with a much smaller bit of cookie dough, then smash the candy into the middle. From chocolate candies to candy kisses to more decadent choices, if you stick something in the middle of the cookie, you’re going to have more dough for every other cookie you bake. Just be sure to get the dough fairly thin toward the middle of the cookie as you place the candies.
Don’t Chill the Dough: This tip could affect the way your dough actually bakes, but if you’re trying to get as many possible cookies out of a recipe, don’t stick the dough in the refrigerator. It causes it to firm up, and that means you’re going to have a much tougher time scooping it onto the pan. As a result, you’re far less likely to be precise with your scoops of dough, helping to pack in extra dough that you don’t actually need to use for the cookie. In some cases, though, you may experience a bit too much cookie spread by following this tip.
There’s no reason you have to mix an entirely new batch of cookies just to get the perfect number from this batch. Try one of these tips instead, and you‘ll always have the right amount for tomorrow’s delicious treats.
Featured images:
- License: Creative Commons image source
Sarah is a writer who also enjoys baking and sharing recipes. You can see more of her work on the Gourmet Cookie Bouquets blog, where there is also a variety of delicious cookie bouquets.
