Cookie Bites

Despite their simplicity, cookies can be unpredictable. One of the biggest challenges is how much they spread during baking. Too much spread and they end up too thin and crispy; too little and they can be thick and cakey. If not monitored closely, the unpredictable spread can result in over or underbaking. One way to address this is to control the spread by using a muffin pan. There’s no way for the cookies to expand beyond the confines of the pan, so the whole process becomes more reliable.

Most muffin pans have 6 or 12 wells, and are fairly large. If you need a larger number of smaller cookies, I’ve found that a mini-muffin pan works wonders. Cooking time is on par with un-panned cookies of a similar size. While liners can help with easy removal, I usually just coax them out with my fingers or a butter knife. It’s not a solution that works for lovers of thin and crispy cookies, but its consistent.