> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Cooling on the hot pan, versus removing immediately to wire racks, is a
> matter of which cookie, and your own preferences and acquired
> technique. Sorry, no one real answer here.
>
> If tyou have a cooki recipe that rises, and you want the inside to stay
> soft but the bottoms to brown and even get crispy, then leave for a
> while on the hot pan. If you cook them to desired consistency, then
> remove to the racks immediately.
>
> As to storage, again that depends on the cookie. Some of my oatmeal
> and peanut butter cookies will last in sealed containers for a couple
> of weeks, just fine. Thinner, cruisper, more butter based cookies only
> a few days before they are dried out.
>
> and oh yes -- butter and lard are animal fat, marjarine and Crisc are
> vegetable. fats. The first two generall melt soon in baking and make
> cookies spread out and more crispy (but better tasting . The
> marjarine or Crisco have more water content and aid in (some) cookie
> recipes to rise larger and puffier. They look better, but to me are
> not as tasty. Your choice.
>

Crisco (hydrogenated vegetable oil) does not contain water. Margarine may
contain water, especially the soft, tub margarines. The reason that Crisco
does not allow cookies to spread as much is because the melting point is
higher than butter and it melts over a longer period. Butter has a sharp
melting profile. One minute it is solid and the next it is liquid. You can
see that when you try to soften butter in the microwave. It is nearly
impossible to just soften butter in the MW as it goes from solid to liquid
without slumping much.