TYPES OF COOKIES
“A cookie a day keeps you happy throughout the day”….hope all cookie lovers will surely agree to this. These small crispy baked treats are often prepared with flour, sugar, fat, and liquid. Let’s begin with a small introduction to cookies and their origin. The origin of cookies dates back to the 7th century A.D. in Persia. In India, it is normally called biscuits. Furthermore, the most loved flavor is chocolate chips. Though it is called by different names around the world, the basic ingredients used to prepare cookies remain the same.
Cookies are prepared in varied shapes and sizes, and along with the basic ingredients, there can be add-ons according to the flavors. In large-scale production, chemical leavening may be used, which is pre-blended with the flour. The right amount of adding a leavening agent is the basic factor that influences aeration and gas retention. Flours also play an important role in imparting the structure to the cookies. The cracking that occurs on the top of the cookies is referred to as a top grain, which decides the quality of the cookie.
Not everyone would be familiar with all types of cookies. Having said this, it is time for some cookie knowledge! Cookies come in the basic eight types namely: drop cookies, bar cookies, molded cookies, no-bake cookies, fried cookies, icebox cookies, sandwich cookies, and rolled cookies. Also, based on the ingredients used, they are again subcategorized into many. For instance, Almond cookies, Sesame cookies, and so on. Adding on to this, the taste of the cookies depends on the way they are baked. The methods involved in baking vastly influence the texture and the taste of the cookies.
Let us continue with a short introduction to each of these cookies so that it will make you understand the recipes better.
The dough is thinly structured. Next, a spoonful of it is dropped onto the baking sheet. The dough spreads and fattens during the baking process. Everyone’s favorite chocolate chip cookies are usually prepared this way. Other than that, coconut cookies and oatmeal cookies are some examples.
They are sometimes called cut cookies, and the reason you will understand soon. Unlike drop cookies, in rolled cookies, the stiffer dough is used, which is refrigerated in logs to turn it hard. It is then rolled out to cut into the desired shape. Later the cookies are decorated with sprinkles or sugar. The best-known cookie of this type is gingerbread men..or any cookie that uses a cookie cutter!
A comparatively soft dough is prepared and placed in a cookie bag. The cookie is then given a shape by pushing it through the cookie bag into the decorative disks. French macarons and Meringue cookies are the best examples.
As the name says, cookies prepared through this method do not require baking at all. It involves a simple method of mixing oats, nuts, or any filler based on the choice with the sticky batter. The mixture is then made into balls and pressed into a pan, cut, and then refrigerated.
Also known as Tray cookies are prepared by pouring the batter into a rectangular pan. They are then baked. Once done, the cookies are cut into an individual square size similar to cake consistency. Brownies and Lemon bars are the best examples.
Fruits, jams, or other confection is stuffed inside the cookie dough. Even better is enclosing the confectionaries inside the dough, just like a dumpling.
These types of cookies are prepared with stiff dough and refrigerated to get the harder structure. The hardened dough is normally cut into rounds and then subjected to baking. Examples of this kind of baking include pinwheels and shortbread.
The pressed cookies are bough together by placing a sweet filling like frosting, jam, marshmallow crème, or even peanut butter crème. The most popular Oreo crème sandwich is the best example. French ganache, the popular choice is filled with a layer of ganache is an elegant example and an all-time favorite for kids.
These cookies are made from hard balls of dough before allowing it to bake. A popular example being Almond crescents.
Hope your baking lessons are made simpler and more understandable with our brief introduction to each of the types.
In short….. The majority of the population is fond of cookies, and they are the best accompaniments for tea times. They are perfectly sweet, crunchy, and chewy. Sugar being the base of these recipes, you can even try experimenting with sugar-free recipes. If you do not have time, or if you are still a newbie in baking you can always order from Cravoury. Check out our products page for your favorite type of cookies. What more? We are even ready to customize according to your taste and preferences like, gluten-free cookies and sugar-free cookies. For us, customers’ health is more important than anything else…Soon order these mouth-watering cookies.. Keep noted we only serve freshly baked products!