Chilling cookie dough - Flourish. Why refrigerate chocolate chip cookie dough – or for that matter, any basic drop cookie dough – before baking? Does chilling cookie dough really make any difference?

The short answer: yes, chilling cookie dough prior to baking does make a difference. But the story behind that “yes” might surprise you. I recently tested this question with a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. Understand, though, that these results can be applied to other kinds of plain drop cookie dough: sugar cookies, snickerdoodles…First I baked some of the cookie dough immediately, without any chilling. Then, I put the dough in the fridge and continued to bake cookies over the next 1.

The result? Chilling cookie dough for just 3. The cookies pictured above are the same size, weight- wise. But look at the difference in spread – the cookie dough that was refrigerated spread less. The cookie dough without refrigeration also browned less.

How to store Cookie Dough to extend its shelf life? You can help cookie dough keep fresh by refrigerating it in a tightly closed container to keep out moisture and. Cookie dough can keep for a week in the fridge as long as it doesn't start to dry out. Be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. You can also freeze cookie dough for up to three months, which may be your best option if you are trying to get ahead on time.

So, the longer the dough is chilled, the more the cookies change? The longer you chill cookie dough, the smaller the changes become. Call it the law of diminishing returns. The major difference is between no chilling at all vs.

After that, the baked cookie continues to evolve – though very gradually. Over time, chilling cookie dough produces cookies with darker color and more pronounced flavor.

Here you see the beginning and end of the test: clearly the cookie baked from dough chilled for 1. Its flavor is also more pronounced; our taste testers couldn’t identify any particular flavor note that stood our above the rest, but simply noted that the 1. My personal evaluation is that the cookies baked immediately tasted rather flat; and their texture was soft and rather doughy, without being chewy. Cookies baked after chilling the dough (for as little as 3. So, what does chilling cookie dough do, exactly? Chilling cookie dough controls spread. Chilling cookie dough before baking solidifies the fat in the cookies.

Refrigerator Cookie Recipes Make now, bake later! The dough for these refrigerator cookies can be wrapped and frozen, or just kept in the fridge for slice-and-bake. How long can I keep cookie dough in the fridge? I made cookie dough a week ago and forgot to freeze it, can I still use it? I figured I can since cookie dough. Get the answer to the question “How long does homemade cookie dough last?, learn how to maximize the shelf life of cookie dough and. How long can you.

As the cookies bake, the fat in the chilled cookie dough takes longer to melt than room- temperature fat. Family Dinner Recipes there. And the longer the fat remains solid, the less cookies spread. In addition, the sugar in the dough gradually absorbs liquid. If you bake the dough immediately, before sugar has a chance to absorb much liquid, that liquid remains “free” in the dough, and promotes spread. Think of this in terms of thin vs.

Most cookie dough can be refrigerated, well-wrapped, for three to five days before baking. If you want to make it farther in advance, freeze the dough. See my previous post on freezing cookie dough for. A while ago i made cookie dough, and kept it in the fridge for a while and didnt get ill. However if your dough has eggs in it i would use it up within 3 days in the fridge. But if it dosen't have eggs you could try a week. But please please put it in something seal-able, preferably air tight. How long do I cook a cookie dough crust. I don't plan on ever using the Pillsbury sugar cookie dough. I have used several of the refrigerated cookie. And that’s why I can’t leave the butter out too long if I’m not going to refrigerate the dough. How To Make Pizza Rolls.

Same with cookies. That’s fresh dough, at left; three- day- old dough, at right. The longer the dough chills, the drier it becomes.

Chilling cookie dough concentrates flavor. As the dough chills, it gradually dries out, concentrating the flavors of all the ingredients. Think of watered- down lemonade, vs. Same with cookies. Something else happens as the dough rests: part of the flour breaks down into its component parts, including a simple carbohydrate, sugar. Thus, since sugar is a flavor enhancer (like salt), the cookies may taste more flavorful, as well as sweeter.

Chilling cookie dough changes texture. Again, it’s not really the chilling, but the dough gradually drying out, that’s responsible for texture change. The drier the dough, the more concentrated the sugar.  And a higher percentage of sugar creates cookies with chewy/crisp (rather than soft/doughy) texture. So, enough with the science; let’s enjoy one of these fresh- baked chocolate chip cookies, shall we? At the end of the day – or even after just 3. Do you have any chocolate chip cookie tips to pass along?

Please share in “comments,” below.