Slash Your Cookie Baking Time!

I've taken on some new responsibilities, including watching another child four days a week, and it seems as if time is no longer the abundant commodity it used to be for me.

Tuesdays are my crazy days, as I clean our church and give 5 piano lessons, in addition to child-sitting.  Wouldn't you know that I realized Monday night that my stash of frozen muffins and cookies for Ben's breakfasts and lunches was depleted...  So Tuesday morning I was up with the chickens to make muffins and cookies.  I re-discovered a little secret that I had learned at a friend's house. 

I baked 48 cookies in 8 minutes!

This isn't exactly rocket science, but if you have pans that will sit side-by-side in your oven, you can bake a lot more cookies than a single pan in one shot! 

Move both oven racks to your two center-most positions.  In my oven, I have 5 positions, so I moved them to positions #2 and #3.  I figure I can see if the top is burning a lot easier than I can check the bottom of the cookie.

Load up 4 trays with cookie dough, place them in two to a rack, then set your timer for half of the baking time prescribed in your recipe. 

At half-time, switch the trays rack #2 to rack #3, and the cookies from rack #3 to rack #2.  This will promote even baking.  Reset your timer for the remainder of the baking time minus a minute.  I find that the top will be done sooner than the bottom rack, and should be removed a minute or less sooner.

I know this is simple but it works for me, and it is a great time-saver that you might be scared to try.  I mean... they are cookies, and who in their right mind would waste 4 dozen cookies in an attempt to save time?  :)

This post is linked to

Works For Me Wednesday.