[VIDEO] Cookie 101: The Creaming Method and a Recipe for Pecan Sablés

Here’s what you need to know about this mixing method and a buttery, nutty cookie recipe so you can try it for yourself.

The Creaming Method Under a Microscope

The first steps in many cookie recipes call for butter and sugar to be beaten together until light, pale and fluffy — this is the creaming method in action.

What’s happening inside the bowl is more than mixing. On a granular level, the beating of these two ingredients forces tiny air bubbles into the fat of the butter. “Sugar, if you think of it, under a microscope is kind of sharp, like little blades,” explains Chef Kathryn. “And what that does is help make space in the fat of the butter.”

This mixing method traps air into the fat of the butter, which directly impacts the cookie’s rise and final texture. “Classic creaming uses a granular consistency of sugar to create air pockets in the butter. That helps with the leavening, so it’s going to add a lightness to the cookie,” says ICE Pastry & Baking Arts Chef-Instructor Carrie Smith.

Without proper aeration, cookies are more likely to be dense, flat and greasy instead of light and tender.

Creaming Done Right

There are a few signs that indicate the butter and sugar have creamed properly.

“Anytime I’m incorporating a little bit of air, [the butter’s] going to get lighter in color, and you should be able to see this as you mix,” describes Chef Carrie.

Chef Carrie notes that the mixture will begin to cling to the sides of the bowl, appearing smooth, light in color, creamy and slightly fluffy.

If you’re curious to see what correct creaming looks like in comparison to over- and under-creaming, check out this video wherein Chef Carrie breaks down the science behind cookies.

Put the creaming method to practice with pecan sablés.

Now that you’re armed with an understanding of the creaming method, add Chef Kathryn’s recipe for pecan sablés — featured in her second book, “Les Petits Sweets,” — to your holiday menu.

Here are a few pro tips from Chef Kathryn for getting these cookies right:

• The butter and egg yolk should be room temperature: This helps the fats and water in these ingredients emulsify. “Creaming allows the emulsion to come together more permanently and be more fluffy and not wet or curdled-looking,” says Chef Kathryn. (Need an overview of emulsions? We’ve got you.)
• Beat the egg yolk before adding it to the butter and sugar: “If the egg is all stuck together, clinging to itself, it won’t help with the emulsion,” Chef Kathryn explains, adding that it’s best to incorporate the yolk slowly. “If the butter [stays] fluffy, it’s happy with the rate you’re adding the egg. If you add the egg too fast, or the butter or egg are too cold, the mixture will look wet and glistening.”  
• When slicing individual cookies from the dough log, rotate the log 90 degrees after each cut: If you don’t, Chef Kathryn warns the log will flatten, and the cookies will be misshapen.
• The cookies can be baked on a silicone mat, parchment paper or inside cookie rings: “Silicone baking sheets are nonstick, so the cookies move a bit more,” says Chef Kathryn — this translates to more spread and lower, flatter sides. If you prefer a more defined edge, Chef Kathryn recommends parchment paper instead of silicone; for the most vertical, straight edge and least spread, opt for a cookie ring.

Ready to put the creaming method to work? Here's Chef Kathryn’s pecan sablé recipe so you can bake these cookies at home.