Consider changing elements in your arsenal of standards to achieve desired uniformity and increase your know-how! Developmental, experimental, new...call it what you want. Unless we are willing to attempt operations "outside the box" every now and then we will never become adept at exercising judgment in unfamiliar circumstances..
- Gourmet baking sheets (coined edges add rigidity and these have a variegated baking surface).
- Cooling Racks: remove baked cookies from sheets immediately and place on cooling racks.
- Sturdy spatula (stainless steel) and clean both the spatula and cookie sheet between batches.
- Assemble all baking tools and ingredients in advance. Premix dry ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk into uniformity prior to adding into wet mixture.
- Some recipes call for pregreased (spray with no-stick) sheets.
- Roll dough into quick balls between palms; use a "magic spoon" to take identical volumes of dough from the bowl. It may be possible to roll dough balls in advance and rest them on a stick-proof surface. Chill dough or allow set time (as required) to ensure complete mixing.
- Size cookie dough balls to achieve 9, 12, or 16 cookies per sheet (space in uniform pattern) which doesn't allow baking cookies (melting dough) to touch one another.
- Adjust baking times and temperatures accordingly. Preheat or reduce oven temperatures as desired.
- Packaging: separate by size, grade by quality, stack back-to-back, sort as required.
Questions? Comments? Feedback? Please feel free to reply. Other cookie-baker-wannabees will appreciate the dialogue.
