Post by @tammyscookiecompany

DC Think your cookies look raw when they come out of the oven? They might be PERFECT. 🍪 One of the hardest things to learn when baking cookies is knowing when to take them out. A cookie can look soft, puffy, and even a little underbaked when it first comes out of the oven—and that’s often exactly what you want. Here’s what’s happening: 🔥 They keep baking on the hot pan. The cookie and baking sheet are still holding a LOT of heat. That heat continues moving through the center after you pull them from the oven. This is called carryover cooking. 🥚 The proteins are still setting. Egg proteins continue to firm up as the cookie cools. So that soft, gooey center you see right out of the oven can become perfectly set and chewy as the cookie cools. 🍬 The sugars are changing, too. Some of the sugar that dissolved during baking begins to crystallize again as the cookie cools, which helps change the texture and structure. The type of sugar matters here—brown sugar, molasses, honey and other liquid sugars behave differently and help retain moisture and chewiness. 🌾 The dry ingredients keep absorbing moisture. Flour and other dry ingredients continue to redistribute and absorb moisture as the cookie cools. This is one reason a cookie can be beautifully soft and gooey when it’s fresh but noticeably firmer later. And this is also why a cookie that is perfect today can be too dry tomorrow. The cookie doesn’t stop changing the second it leaves the oven. Moisture continues to move around, the structure firms up, and the texture evolves as it sits. So please don’t judge your cookies by how they look in the first minute out of the oven. If the edges are set and lightly golden but the center still looks soft, that may be your cue to pull them—not put them back in.** And remember: “gooey” and “undercooked” aren’t necessarily the same thing. For food safety, recipes containing eggs should reach at least 160°F internally. (Food Safety and Inspection Service) The goal isn’t a cookie that looks completely done when it comes out of the oven. The goal is a cookie that finishes becoming the cookie you actually want while it cools. 🍪 #CookieTips #BakingScience #CookieBaking #BakingTips #PerfectCookies