The word "cookies" comes from the dutch word kockie, meaning "little cake". Cookie is used only in North America, although Britain uses the term biscuits in the same content. English buiscuits are usually smaller than North American cookies and almost always are crisp rather than soft and chewy.

   Cookies come in infinite shapes, sizes, flavors and textures. Crispness, softness, chewiness and spread are the characteristics that vary in each cookie. Cookies are classified by their makeup methods as well as by their mixing methods. No matter which cookie method you use, theymust be made of uniform size and thickness. This is essential for even baking.

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• Bagged/Pressed : made from a soft dough that can be piped or put through a cookie press.
• Dropped : a soft dough that are the same as bagged, but deposit cookies with a spoon or scoop.
• Rolled : cut out from a stiff dough usually those cute cookie cutters are for this sweet dough.
• Molded : a fast and accurate way of dividing cookie dough into equal potions. Press the dough into the desired mold. This also includes rolled out dough that is pressed and then cut.
• Ice Box/Refrigerator : great for longterm storage to be baked fresh later. Cookies can easily be sliced and baked as needed. This method is also used to make multicolored cookies in various designs, such as checkerboard and pinwheel cookies.
• Bar : the dough is baked in long - narrow strips and later cut crosswise into bars.
• Sheet : they are almost like sheet cakes, only denser and richer, they may even be iced like sheet cakes. Some consist of two or three layers that are added and baked in separated stages.
• Stencil : a special technique used with a particular type of soft dough. This batter is often called stencil paste. It is used not only for making this type of cookie but also for making ribbon sponge cake for decorative work in delicate cakes.

  To test out some of these cookie styles checkout Alton Brown's sugar cookie recipe as a base.

    Have you ever come across a recipe with Buttermilk and thought "what is that?  milk and butter? " well,  ponder no longer!  today we learn the how to's and what's about the mystery that is Buttermilk.

     What is it? Buttermilk is regular milk with emence amounts of lactic acid produced by bacteria. So, it's milk turned sour in a controlled environment. Buttermilk can be drunk straight, and it is used for cooking. The role of buttermilk in almost any baking recipe is to add tenderness and lightness to the batter. Once the acids in the buttermilk get in contact with the baking soda or baking powder in the batter, a giant fizz-fest takes place. The reaction with the baking soda or powder cancels out the sourness of the buttermilk, leaving our baked goods airy, tender, and tasty beyond reckoning.

    How it came to be:


   In the old days, buttermilk was simply the liquid left behind after cream was churned into butter. As unpasteurized cream sat “ripening” for a few days before churning, naturally occurring bacteria caused it to ferment by converting milk sugars into lactic acid, which made the resulting buttermilk mildly sour and slightly thickened.

     How to make it at home: 


Ingredients
1 scant cup milk (whole, 2%, or heavy cream)
1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar

Instructions

1. Combine the milk and lemon juice. Measure 1 scant cup of milk. Stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.
2. Let stand 5-10 minutes. Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. When it is ready, the milk will be slightly thickened and you will see small curdled bits. (This substitute will not become as thick as regular buttermilk.)
3. Use the buttermilk. Use this substitute (including curdled bits) as you would buttermilk in your recipe.

     Buttermilk Substitutes: 

• Yogurt : mix 3/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup water to thin. Use as you would buttermilk.
• Sour Cream: Mix 3/4 cup sour cream with 1/4 cup plain water to thin. Use as you would buttermilk.
• Cream of Tartar: Mix 1 cup of milk with 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tarter. Let stand 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened and curdled.