Serves: 5

MEASURING THE INGREDIENTS

TIP: When measuring sticky ingredients such as honey and peanut butter, always grease the measuring cup first, as this will make removal easier.

TIP: When measuring butter, remember that a 1/4-pound stick equals 1/2 cup, or 8 tablespoons. Usually, the butter wrapper has tablespoons clearly marked, making it easy to measure out the proper amount.

Earlier in the chapter, I mentioned the importance of accurately measuring cookie dough ingredients. (See Basic Cookie-Making Equipment.) In addition to following the basic guidelines presented in that discussion, keep these tips in mind when preparing your Mason jar cookie dough.

* There's no need to sift the flour before--or after--measuring it for your Mason jar cookies. But keep in mind that the amount of flour used is crucial, so care should be taken to avoid adding more flour than recommended. To keep the flour light and the measurement true, either dip the cup in the flour bin or spoon the flour into the cup before leveling with a straight edge, such as a spatula or knife.

* When measuring honey, molasses, peanut butter, or any other sticky ingredient, remember to grease the cup first, as this will facilitate easy removal. A rubber spatula will further aid you in scraping every last bit out of the cup.

* When measuring butter, soften the butter only until it is malleable enough to be packed into a dry measuring cup. Then level off the top with a straight edge.

* Measure brown sugar by packing it firmly into a dry measuring cup and leveling it off with a straight edge. When the sugar is turned out of the cup, it should hold its shape.

* When measuring raisins and other soft, chunky ingredients, press them into the measuring cup. When measuring dry, chunky ingredients- chocolate chips and chopped nuts, for instance-spoon the ingredient into the cup, tap the cup against the table to make the ingredients settle, and add more if necessary.

MIXING THE DOUGH

TIP: If the butter becomes runny, rather than light and fluffy, while you're creaming it, simply place the bowl in the refrigerator until the mixture becomes firm. Then begin creaming it again.

TIP: Although electric mixers can sometimes be used to blend wet and dry ingredients, whenever a cookie dough contains chocolate chips or other chunky ingredients that you want to remain whole, you'll enjoy best results by mixing with a wooden spoon.

Nearly every Mason jar cookie recipe requires that you cream the butter with one or more of the other ingredients, such as the vanilla extract or the egg. This is the most important step in cookie mixing as it helps insure the proper blending of the cookie dough ingredients and also incorporates air into the batter, which will enable your baking soda and baking powder do their work. Although I use a portable mixer to cream the required ingredients, this step can also be performed with a wooden spoon or a fork. Just keep mixing or beating until the ingredients are well blended and the mixture is light in color and fluffy in consistency.

Once the butter has been creamed, most recipes will direct you to add the dry ingredients to the butter. In some cases, the ingredients can be combined with either a wooden spoon or an electric mixer set on low speed. Be aware, though, that when the ingredients include chocolate chips or other goodies that might be chopped up by an electric mixer, it's best to use a spoon. Whichever tool you use, do not overmix the dough, but beat or stir only until the ingredients are combined.

FORMING AND BAKING THE COOKIES

TIP: When forming cookie dough into balls, first dust your hands with flour or powdered sugar to prevent sticking. If the dough is dark, dust your hands with cocoa powder instead.

TIP: Baking times vary from oven to oven, and can even differ because of variations in ingredients. For best results, check cookies for doneness at the minimum baking time.

TIP: Allow your Mason jar cookies to cool for about 5 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Never leave them on the hot baking sheet, or they'll continue to cook.

The vast majority of Mason jar cookies are drop cookies, meaning that you form the cookies by scooping the dough up with a teaspoon and dropping it onto the baking sheet. Cookie doughs vary in consistency. Some will fall easily from the spoon, and some may need a push from a second spoon. To make the cookies uniform in size, use a measuring teaspoon rather than the teaspoon from your everyday flatware, and scoop up a heaping teaspoonful.

When a recipe directs you to form the dough into balls, make sure that the dough is stiff enough to handle easily. If not, chill the dough until it reaches the proper consistency and, if necessary, lightly dust your hands with a little flour or powdered sugar to prevent the dough from sticking. With a little practice, you'll soon be able to form balls of a consistent size.

Cookie dough must also be relatively stiff when the recipe directs you to roll and cut it. If the dough seems soft and sticky, refrigerate it for twenty minutes or so. Then lightly dust the work surface with a little flour, and use a rolling pin to form the dough into a sheet of the correct thickness. If sticking continues to be a problem, you can also dust the rolling pin with a little flour. Don't use too much flour, though, as an excessive amount of flour will create a tough cookie. After cutting the dough, place the remaining pieces in the refrigerator so that they will again become firm enough to roll and cut.

As the cookies are formed, place them at least two inches apart on your cookie sheet, as this will allow for spreading. It is not necessary to grease the baking sheet unless the recipe specifically directs you to do so. Bake only one sheet of cookies at a time, and make sure that the sheet is on the middle rack of the oven with at least one inch between the edge of the pan and the oven itself. This will promote proper air flow and even heating.

Most ovens run either a little hotter or a little cooler than the temperature to which they're set, so be aware that you may have to compensate by adjusting either the temperature to which the oven is set or the baking time. (I recommend using an oven thermometer to determine the precise temperature.) Since baking time and oven temperature affect the cookie's final texture, you may also choose to make adjustments according to your personal preferences. If you want your cookies to be chewy, slightly underbake them. If you want them to be crisp, bake them a little longer. In most cases, cookies are done when they are slightly browned around the edges. A watchful eye is very important when baking cookies, as they can quickly turn from done to hard.

When your cookies are ready to be removed from the oven, place the baking sheet on a heatproof surface for five minutes to allow the cookies to cool slightly. Then use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a rack or plate, and cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

From "The Mason Jar Cookie Cookbook." Copyright 2002 by Lonnette Parks. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

More Recipes from the The Mason Jar Cookie Cookbook Cookbook:
01-Introduction
02-The Basics
03-Ingredients
04-Basic Cookie-Making Equipment
05-Making the Cookies
06-Creating the Jars
07-How to Use this Book
08-Metric Conversion Tables