Food - Drink
Does Letting Cookie Dough Rest Actually Help Them Taste Better?
By ANABELLE DOLINER
While many cookie recipes call for resting the dough prior to baking, whether it be for 30 minutes, overnight, or even a full day, is it really necessary? Experts say that if your recipe calls for resting the cookie dough, go for it because resting cookie dough can help your cookies taste better, as the resting process helps the flavor become more concentrated.
As the dough chills in the fridge, it loses excess moisture: this, in turn, concentrates the remaining ingredients, yielding a more flavorful end product. In addition to impacting how your cookies taste, a resting period (also called "ripening" the dough, via The Kitchn) will likely also improve their texture.
The recommended resting time for cookie dough varies from recipe to recipe: if you're hoping to cultivate a complex flavor and better browning in your cookies, you'll likely need a full 24-hour resting period in the fridge, or close. However, it is important to remember that not every cookie dough benefits from ripening, so it’s best to defer to the recipe instructions.