"Banging" cookies half way through baking
So I found a recipe for cookies which calls to "Bake the cookies for 10 mins, taking the tray out halfway through and banging sharply on a work surface covered with a couple of tea towels - this dispels the air, making lovely squidgy cookies." (Source)
Is this sound advice?
Best Answer
Based on the recipe, it seems that the intended result here is for a denser, chewier cookie. If you were able to perform this percussive therapy maneuver in exactly the method desired by the recipe-writer, then yes, it would knock some of the air out of the cookie, and collapse its structure a bit. I think that this maneuver would be difficult to perform precisely and repeatedly. Also, you'll have lots of variation in cooking time, as you have to open the oven halfway-though which lets lots of the warm air escape from the oven.
Instead of the "bang", just introduce less air into the cookies during the initial preparation. The easiest thing to do would be to under-cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar.
Pictures about ""Banging" cookies half way through baking"
What does it mean to rotate cookies halfway through baking?
A good rule of the thumb: The more space a pan takes up in your oven, the less airflow it allows and the more likely you'll need to rotate it midway through cooking. If you've got a small oven, one standard-sized sheet pan can be enough to block all airflow around the oven racks.How do you fix half baked cookies?
Once it's clear that you do have limp cookies or less-than-crispy crackers, put them back into a preheated 300\xb0 F or 325\xb0 F oven, regardless of the original (presumably higher) baking temperature. I tend to use 300\xb0 F for items that can't afford to get darker, and 325\xb0 if a little extra color won't hurt.How do you know if cookies are cooked?
Keeping them on the sheet too long after baking can cause them to get hard or stick to the sheet. Cookies are done when they are firmly set and lightly browned. When you touch them lightly with your finger, almost no imprint will remain.What does turn halfway through cooking mean?
The instruction means "At the halfway point, turn the pan round and then continue cooking". If the cooking time is 10 minutes, then after 5 minutes, you would open the oven, turn the pan round (presumably 180 degrees), close the oven door and then cook it for another 5 minutes.Making the Insta-Famous PAN-BANGING CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
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