Here ’s why it ’s always good to cool cookies on a cooling rack — and a childlike workaround if you do n’t fall out to have one on hand .

cookie are among the first things that many baking novitiate learn to make , and no wonder : Just a little effort can pay off in so many sweet and marvellous elbow room . Newcomers to baking also have intercourse that mostcookie recipescan be made with a minimum of equipment . For example , our classic recipe forChocolate cow chip Cookiesrequires just a handful of items :

While anyone who cook most likely has the first five items on the leaning , some Captain James Cook find themselves without that last detail : a wire rack to nerveless cooky . How of import is this cooky cooling rack ? What can you sub if you do n’t have one ? Good questions . Here are some straight answer .

Chocolate-Mint Snow-Top Cookies

Credit: Blaine Moats

Do I Need a Cooling Rack to Cool Cookies?

Most cookie recipe , likethumbprint cookies , sugar cooky cutout , shortbread , andsnickerdoodlesinstruct you to cool cookies on a rack . This is because when cookies are left to cool off on a hot - from - the - oven baking sheet , they carry on to broil and can become overdone in a flash . A cookie cool down stand allows aura to distribute under the cooky , chill them rapidly and completely .

salutary news : If you do n’t have a biscuit cooling stand , there ’s a workaround . To cool cooky without a rack , dispatch cookies from the baking sheet and appropriate them to cool on theme towels on the countertop . When using this method acting , you may notice that the paper towels soak up excess fatty tissue from the cookies , which is n’t of necessity bad . However , keep in head that cookies chill on paper towel will cool more slow than cookie cooling on a rack . This method creates more wastefulness , but it works as a substitute .

How Long to Let Cookies Cool?

That last point might have you wonder how long tolet cookie cool . Indeed , hot - from - the - oven cookie smell so irresistible that it ’s enticing to snag one off the sheet the minute the oven timekeeper go off . But do so once , and you ’ll never make that mistake again ! Too - spicy cookies can bite your fingers and sass ( melty - hot sugar isreally , really hot ! ) . Plus , you need to cool cooky to give them a chance to tauten up and keep their shape . at last , too - hot cookie will likely fall apart in your hands .

However , as we all know , affectionate cooky are a wonderful thing . So , let your cookies cool down just until they hold their Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe ( generally after about 5 minute on a cookie cool rack ) and savour them warm while you’re able to .

So next time you ’re wonder , " Do I need a cooling rack to cool cookies " the short answer is — it ’s better to have one than not . If you bake at all , a cool down rack is a worthy investment ; you ’ll utilize it for just about every baked commodity that comes out of the oven — pies , cakes , tart , and tortes . And cookies , of course .