My aunt swore I needed to chill my dough overnight and I finally listened

She's been baking for 40 years and always told me my cookies spread too thin. Last weekend I made chocolate chip cookies and stuck the dough in the fridge for 12 hours instead of baking right away. The difference was night and day. They came out thick and chewy instead of flat and crispy. I used the same recipe as always, just let it sit overnight. Has anyone else had a tip they ignored for years that turned out to be true?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse_nguyen1mo ago

Right there with you. My grandma told me the same thing for years about her pie dough and I thought she was just being extra (she's super extra, honestly). Finally tried it and now I won't even start a batch unless I know I can stash it in the fridge overnight.

oscarb711mo ago

Oh man, actually that's one thing I gotta push back on a little. Leaving pie dough overnight is fine but anything past 24 hours and the gluten can start to relax too much, making the crust kinda soft and less flaky. I usually aim for like 6-8 hours minimum, that's the sweet spot for me. Your grandma probably meant it's good to chill it overnight, not that you gotta leave it for days on end.