Anyone who bakes knows that things don’t always go according to plan. That’s especially true when making cookies. Cookies are very easy to mess up and burn because it’s difficult to predict how fast the dough will bake. I’ve burned quite a few batches of cookies over the years, but I’ve learned some tips and tricks to save rather than trash the batch. Here’s how to fix burned cookies four different ways.
1. Use a Grater
A hand grater is a fantastic way to get burnt edges off of cookies. Simply slide the burnt part of the cookie back and forth on the grater, and watch the black bits disappear. Just be careful not to grate too hard, or you might lose control and scrape your hand.
2. Use a Serrated Knife
Using a serrated knife is similar to using a grater, but a serrated knife is better for fixing bigger messes. If your cookie is extremely burnt on the bottom, a serrated knife is easier to use than a grater because you can get more of the burnt part off. The same warning goes as before, control the knife so you don’t hurt yourself.
Voila! Look at that perfectly browned cookie. The picture above shows what the cookie looked like after it was scrubbed with the grater and knife. You can always shave more off the bottom if you don’t want your cookie to be slightly brown at all.
3. Make a Cookie Sandwich
Obviously, you should scratch off the burnt part of the cookie using methods one or two before trying this, but a cookie sandwich can hide some of that burnt taste. All you have to do is put some icing between two cookies and sandwich them together. Or, if you’re feeling wild and crazy, you could make an ice cream sandwich cookie.
4. Cover the Cookie in Chocolate
As I said before, make sure to get the burnt parts off before you use the chocolate. Once the bottom of the cookie is clear of burnt residue, dip the bottom of the cookie in chocolate and let it cool. Everyone will be too distracted by the chocolate to closely examine your cookies.
With these four methods to fix burned cookies, you won’t have to throw away a batch ever again. However, if you burn the entire cookie and lose hope of saving it, there’s no shame in starting over. You will have a better idea of how long to bake your cookies the second (or third) time around.