From chocolate chip to oatmeal raisin, no dessert satisfies quite the way that cookies do. Theyre easy to make, serve a crowd, and there are so many iterations to choose from. Using high-quality ingredients and a reliable recipe are two ways to ensure a delicious cookie—but theres something else you should do to take the dessert to the next level: refrigerate the dough.
Prep your Peanut Butter Cookie recipe up to 24 hours in advance, cover it and refrigerate it so you are ready to bake at a moment’s notice. The kids can even help you scoop, roll and flatten the cookies. If the dough is too firm to scoop, let it stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
Why You Should Refrigerate Cookie Dough
Flour contains naturally-occurring enzymes, which break down as the dough chills, leading to increased browning. The sugar in the dough absorbs the moisture from the flour, causing the cookie to brown and caramelize. Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps to make the cookie dough firmer.
Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies. “The colder and more solid the fat is, the less the cookie will spread,” says food stylist and recipe developer Caitlin Haught Brown.
How to Refrigerate Cookie Dough
To make forming the chilled cookie dough more manageable, pre-portion it by scooping balls of dough into individual cookies, placing them on a sheet pan or in a resealable bag, chilling, and then baking right away.
Should refrigerated cookie dough be brought to room temperature before baking?
FAQ
What happens if you don’t chill peanut butter cookie dough?
Should I refrigerate cookie dough before baking?
Why is my cookie dough hard after refrigeration?
Why is my peanut butter cookie dough so wet?