Tuesday Tip of the Week {cookie spread, part 1}

Thanks to my good friend Isabel, I've decided to offer a Tuesday Tip of the Week! This week's tip was one I learned early on and really changed my cookies.....

Have you ever baked some cookies that started out looking perfect, only to take them out of the oven and find they look like one giant glob? Spreading cookies may not be a disaster if you're baking circles, but if you're trying to make something with fine details, cookie spread can be the kiss of death.

There are two things that I've found that can help your cookies keep their shape. The first is in the recipe you use. I use only a little bit of baking powder to allow the cookies to rise slightly, but not enough to make them spread. Check back in a few weeks and I'll share my cookie recipe on another Tuesday Tip of the Week!

The other key to keeping your cookies from spreading is that they need to be cold. After you roll and cut out your cookies, place them on the cookie sheet and into the refrigerator for at least an hour. Then bake them straight from the fridge. They hold their shape much better when they're cold and baked on a cold cookie sheet.

Happy baking!