As their name suggests, Tamal Ray's freezer cookies are a prime example of dough that thrives from a substantial period in the cold. This practice raises a common question among home bakers: is chilling cookie dough essential for superior results?
The Great Chilling Debate
According to Guardian baker Helen Goh, the necessity of chilling depends entirely on the type of cookie being prepared. For instance, dough intended for stamping requires a firm consistency that allows rolling without becoming too rigid. However, the discussion around refrigeration is most prominent in the realm of chocolate chip cookies.
Flavour and Texture Considerations
Goh explains that there is a widespread belief chilling enhances flavour development and caramelisation. Yet, she emphasises that the primary benefits are practical: it makes the dough easier to handle and ensures even baking, which often outweighs minor flavour improvements.
Recommended chilling times can range from 30 minutes to overnight, though Goh cautions that extended chilling may lead to a "cakey" texture. She prefers a balance of crisp edges with a chewy centre, akin to a Goldilocks scenario. Conversely, insufficient chilling with overly soft butter can result in cookies that are thin, crisp, and potentially greasy, as the dough melts before establishing its structure.
Expert Techniques for Perfect Cookies
To achieve that ideal combination of thickness, crisp edges, and a soft, gooey centre, Abigail Scheuer, pastry chef and owner of Le Choux in west London, adopts a freezing strategy. She freezes balled-up cookie dough for at least 24 hours. This method ensures the middle remains more frozen during baking, allowing the outsides to cook first and preventing uniform texture across the cookie.
Scheuer notes that freezing also reduces spreading, as the flour has ample time to hydrate. Additionally, chocolate in the dough stays slightly melted post-baking, enhancing the overall experience. This approach offers convenience, too; batches can be stored in the freezer for two to three weeks for optimal freshness, or even longer.
Special Cases: Shortbread and Savoury Biscuits
For shortbread, Goh advises chilling the dough in phases. Initially, chill it just enough to facilitate rolling, then stamp out shapes and return them to the fridge until firm throughout. She stresses relying on senses rather than strict timers. Chilling a large block of dough unevenly can cause edges to firm up while the centre remains soft, leading to misshapen biscuits.
On the savoury front, chilling proves equally valuable. In Goh's Lao Gan Ma biscuits, featured in her book "Baking and the Meaning of Life," the dough infused with chilli crisp and parmesan is soft but requires immediate rolling into a log. Refrigeration firms it up sufficiently to achieve a perfect cylindrical shape, embodying the principle of not too firm, not too soft, but just right.
Ultimately, whether to chill cookie dough hinges on the specific recipe and desired outcome, with expert tips guiding bakers toward delicious, well-textured results.
