This Simple Trick Will Keep Your Cookies Soft

Nothing beats a freshly baked cookie straight out of the oven. Unlike brownies, which are often considered better the next day, or biscotti, which is only good when it's super crunchy, cookies generally taste the best as soon as they're done baking. At this stage, they're perfectly chewy and moist with lightly crisp edges, but soon after being left out a little too long, they quickly start to turn stale. 

If you've ever made the mistake of making an extra big batch of them, you know that once cookies harden, they're difficult to salvage and sometimes just end up in the trash. Fortunately, there's an easy way to extend both the shelf life and softness of your cookies. According to Pure Wow, all you need is a piece of bread. It might sound odd, but it works the same way as putting bread in with your brown sugar to keep it from hardening. Bread contains moisture, and when trapped in an airtight container, the cookies will absorb this moisture, allowing them to stay fresh and soft.

When storing your cookies with bread, keep in mind that not all bread has the same properties. Pure Wow recommends using only neutral breads, as ones with any sort of herbs or extra seasonings will transfer their flavors along with their moisture. It's also important to not put in too much bread, because it'll add an excessive amount of moisture and will make your cookies mushy over time. 

America's Test Kitchen, therefore, suggests tortillas. Because they're flat, they don't take up much room, and they contain an ideal amount of moisture for keeping cookies soft. The best way to use the tortilla method is to place a single tortilla between parchment paper and put it at the bottom of the container, stacking the cookies on top. If you're storing a larger amount of cookies, simply add more layers of tortilla and parchment. This will maximize the freshness of your cookies and allow you to enjoy them for days on end.