The No. 1 Secret to Cookies That Don’t Spread in the Oven
It also happens to be the quickest method.
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
Have you ever craved warm, homemade cookies, only to be stopped in your tracks by instructions like “chill dough for two hours” or, worse, “chill overnight”? If you’re anything like me, you mutter, “No way!” and start hunting for a quicker recipe.
The problem? Chilling dough really does make a difference. It gives cookies more flavor because the sugar dissolves fully and the dry ingredients are properly hydrated. Plus, it improves texture, enhances color, and helps create those crisp edges we all love.
Most importantly, chilled dough keeps cookies from spreading too much in the oven. This is especially key for buttery recipes, where the fat can melt too quickly, leaving you with thin, brittle disks instead of the chewy, fudgy treats you’re dreaming of. Chilling solidifies the fat, helping it stay together longer in the oven.
How to Quickly Chill Cookie Dough
So, who has hours to wait for cookies to chill? Not us! Enter this clever shortcut, courtesy of Jesse Szewczyk, pro baker and author of “Cookies: The New Classics.”
Here’s the trick: Put your cookie dough in a large, clean zip-top bag. Flatten it into a half-inch-thick slab and double-check the seal to ensure no water gets in. Then, submerge the bag in an ice bath, either in a bowl or a larger baking pan for extra space.
Flattening the dough maximizes its contact with the ice water, speeding up the chilling process. In just 30 minutes, your dough will be fully chilled—just enough time to clean up the kitchen, brew a cup of tea, or take a quick break.
When you're ready to bake, scoop the dough directly from the bag and place it on room-temperature baking sheets. Return the bag of dough to the ice bath or fridge between batches to keep it cold. Alternatively, you can cut the plastic bag open, slice the dough into cubes, and then roll each cube into a ball. And don't forget—always let baking sheets cool between batches to prevent the butter from melting prematurely.
Congratulations—you’re about to bake the best cookies of your life!
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