How do we make the best biscuits?

The festive season is upon us, or the days when almost every kitchen smells at least once of sweet, crumbly, chocolate or "write-in-your-favourite-flavour" biscuits or other small pastries. The preparation of biscuits and other small pastries does not sound complicated, and we do not feel that there is any need to prepare any special preparation for the preparation of sweet snacks. But is it? It isn''t. If you''re the kind of person who smells like gingerbread or cinnamon rolls at least once during the festive season of December, you know exactly what I''m talking about. Yes, about biscuits that are too thick or too hard, cinnamon rolls that don''t rise or cakes that are cut unevenly. That''s why we''ve put together a few tricks and tips on how to make biscuits that succeed without a shadow of a doubt.

1. Is it really that important to bring the ingredients to room temperature?

The temperature of the ingredients used to prepare a dessert is certainly one of the important factors. Even so, it could be part of the list of ingredients. Temperature is therefore crucial in any baking recipe, and this is no doubt also true for biscuits. If the ingredients are not brought to room temperature, the dough will not mix properly. It is very important that the butter used is warmed to room temperature; this means that a fingerprint can easily be left in it. To achieve this temperature, remove it from the fridge at least an hour or two before making the biscuits.

The eggs are usually placed next to the butter, remembering that it is also very important that the eggs are at room temperature. If cold eggs are added to softened butter, the butter will harden and break up the creamy butter-sugar mixture.

So, remembering the golden rule: all liquids or ingredients such as eggs, sour cream or butter must be brought to room temperature before use.

2. Chilled dough, an important factor?

Chilling the dough not only improves the texture and appearance of the biscuits, it also thickens their flavour. Biscuits made with chilled dough do not stretch as much and even brown better in the oven. Most drip biscuits, especially chocolate biscuits, need to be chilled for at least 30 minutes before baking.

3. Consistency is key.

The main element of consistently well-baked cookies is consistency. If all the biscuits are roughly the same size and shape, they are more likely to bake evenly. This way, with the same baking time, some cookies will not be over-baked and others will still be too juicy. Cookies, because of their size, are more sensitive to baking time than larger baked goods. Sometimes just a few seconds can mean the difference between a chewy cookie and a crispy cookie, or a golden edged cookie and a burnt cookie. For drip biscuits, my favourite tool for evenly distributing the batter is the scoop. Plus, scooping the biscuits is simple, quick and hassle-free.

Drip cookies spread as they bake, so remember to leave enough space between them on the baking tray to allow them to spread without touching each other. When making cut-out cookies, roll out the dough to an even thickness. The baking time in the recipe is for a specific thickness. If it is uneven, the thin spots in the dough will crisp and brown too quickly and the thicker parts will remain too soft or chewy. Check the recipe for the correct thickness of the dough, but in general most recipes give a thickness of about 0,5 cm.

4. Bake one batch of biscuits at a time.

If you have time, it is best to bake the biscuits in one baking tray and one tray only. This way you can concentrate on one batch at a time and make any necessary adjustments for subsequent batches. The centre of the oven is the ideal environment for even baking: it is equidistant between the two heating elements and allows for efficient airflow. Do not forget to cool the baking trays between batches. If you place the biscuit dough on a warm baking tray, the biscuits will bake unevenly and will spread too much.

If you need to bake more than one tray of biscuits at a time, turn the trays halfway through the baking time. Place one baking tray on the rack in the top third of the oven and the other on the rack in the bottom third. Halfway through baking, rotate the baking trays 180 degrees and swap racks.

5.Cool the biscuits on the baking tray first

A warm cookie out of the oven is a magical experience: comforting and full of melting chocolate. However, cooling the biscuits is an often overlooked aspect of baking, which is especially important if you are storing the biscuits for later serving. Cool the biscuits on the baking tray for about 5 minutes to cool them completely. The biscuits continue to bake and set on the baking tray even after they are removed from the oven. If you try to move them before they have set, they will fall apart or break. Remember to allow the biscuits to cool completely before icing or adding decorations.

So, now that the tricks and tips are clear, we''ve put together a few more ideas for making biscuits:

• Linzer biscuits with salted caramel
• Homemade butter biscuits
• Cinnamon roll flavoured biscuits
• Brownie biscuits
• Grandpa''s moustache