Top tips for baking cookies and dessert

Online food editor Christine Picheca hosted a forum on December 6th, 2007, and invited CanadianLiving.com readers to submit their holiday baking and cooking questions (though these tips are good for baking any time of the year). Read on for her tips on making chewy cookies, perfect shortbread, how to bake with Splenda and other artificial sweeteners, and more.

What's the best way to keep my cookies chewy? I always end up with either rock-hard or almost-soft cookies. I just fear they're not done enough plus I'm paranoid about having awful, raw cookies. Any advice?
- CG

Hey CG,
If you are baking drop-type cookies like chocolate chip cookies, underbake them slightly - they will continue to bake with the residual heat in them after they come out of the oven.
If they are something like a butter cookie, make sure you are baking at a low temperature - 200 - 250 degrees F - so that the cookies bake through but do not colour or are just golden.

Hi - my mom's shortbread used to melt in your mouth, but mine is always harder and doesn't have the same effect. Any tips for that melty buttery sensation?
- Colleen

Colleen,
Everyone seems to have their own secret shortbread recipe. I think really good ones uses all butter and rice flour instead of regular wheat flour. It makes for a very soft melting texture because there is no gluten in the flour so the cookies have that melty quality - maybe that was your mother's secret too!

Also make sure you chill shortbread before you bake it plus bake at a low temperature so it doesn't over-brown.

Please help! I have tried numerous times to cut squares that have a chocolate icing (semi-sweet squares). The chocolate always cracks and breaks and I have to start over! What am I doing wrong? Is there a special type of chocolate I should be using?
-MB

MB - yes cutting the top of bars that have a chocolate coating can be challenging. Try bringing the bars to room temperature and use a sharp straight edge knife that has been dipped in hot water. When I want a really clean professional looking edge - I keep a tall pitcher of hot water next to where I am cutting the bars and dip the knife between cuts, also make sure you wipe the knife off so it doesn't smear melted chocolate and the bars stay clean.