Helpful Hints
Handling, Baking & Selling Tips
As
a customer of Gladder’s Gourmet, you know the quality of our products
and the ease of use that makes Gladder’s products the best low-labor
lines available today. For your success with Gladder’s products, we are
providing the following tips on how best to store, bake, merchandise,
and sell the products we manufacture.
Receiving
Be
sure the temperature of your shipment of Gladder's Gourmet Classic™,
pre-portioned cookie dough is received at or below 40°F.
Gladder’s Brownies, pre-portioned cookie dough and baked, thaw &
serve products should be received frozen at or below 30°F. On
receiving your order, if the above-prescribed temperatures are
exceeded, reject the order, citing the reason (outside of temperature
safety zone). Date Codes: Gladder's Gourmet products are
marked with date and time of MANUFACTURE, along with a serial number
for each case.
Storage
For
maximum shelf life, it is key that all Gladder's Gourmet products are
kept well sealed at all times, and that the products are always
protected from cross-contamination. Gladder's Gourmet Brownies,
pre-portioned cookie dough and baked, thaw & serve products are
designed to be baked from thawed, so we recommend storing these
products at refrigerated temperatures between 36°F and 40°F, so that
the product can be baked immediately, at any time. Refrigerated,
these products will last up to 12 weeks. Refrigerated dough may
be re-frozen, and for long-term storage up to one year, keep frozen at
or below 30°F. Brownies & Blondies should always be stored frozen
at or below 30°F (one year shelf life), but can be refrigerated
(between 36°F and 40°F) for up to three weeks. Loss of moisture
is the enemy!
Preparation
Allow
the cookies and brownies to thaw entirely before baking. Remove
from the freezer the quantity of cookies you need for the day and let
them thaw while your ovens pre-heat. Ideally, a thaw time of
approximately one hour is recommended. This will ensure you get
even baking throughout the cookie, plus, the cookies also release from
the wax paper very easily. A good test to see if they are still
frozen is to push up on the center of the cookies slightly. If
the cookies are too stiff to move freely, they are too frozen to bake.
Reseal
the inside bag after you have removed the cookies you need. To
keep the dough moist in the freezer or refrigerator, simply fold the
inner plastic bag tightly against the product, and tuck it to the side
of the cookies.
Put the stacks inside individual bags for
long-term freezing. Our cookies come in cases of ‘stacks’ of
cookies. If you don’t use many cookies, or bake less of one
flavor, it may be advantageous to separate the stacks and place each
one in a separate bag (such as a large zip lock bag). This will
allow for optimum freshness of the dough for a long duration.
What
you see is what you get. When you are ready to bake cookies, look
at the top of the unbaked cookie dough for the particulates (chips,
nuts, fruit, etc). Although all of the particulates are evenly
distributed within each batch of dough we make, one side of an
individual cookie may have more of these goodies displayed on its
surface than another. Check both sides of the cookie for maximum
particulate, as that’s what you want showing on the top of your baked
cookie. A neat trick to feature these ‘inclusions’ in your baked
cookie is to gently push from the bottom of the cookie, and force the
‘inclusions’ to the surface. This will allow for a ‘hero’ to be
presented as a finished product.
Pre-heating your oven to the
right temperature is very important. The temperature calibrations
of ovens vary greatly. This means the temperature you set is very
likely higher or lower than what the actual temperature of the oven
will achieve. Test your oven two ways: One is by using a reliable
oven thermometer; the other is by actually baking a few cookies to
ensure you get the baking temperature correct.
Baking
Read
the baking instructions. Gladder's Gourmet makes a variety of
products in numerous sizes and flavors. Baking instructions for
each product are provided on every box. Be sure and only bake
items with identical baking instructions at the same time, and never
bake more than one size of cookie at a time in a single oven. Be
sure to follow the baking instructions for your type of oven.
For All Ovens: - Check every oven’s temperature with a Calibrated Oven Thermometer.
- If the oven has a draft or vent, make sure it is in the OPEN position.
- If the oven has a variable speed fan, use the lowest speed setting.
- If the oven has steam capability, make sure it is OFF
Storage: - Product to be baked MUST be thawed before baking (for best results).
- Shelf Life in freezer is
12 months; in refrigerator, 12 weeks.
- KEEP BAG CLOSED TO PREVENT DRYING OF PRODUCT.
If you are having a problem
with dryness, spot check the opened boxes of dough for an open bag!
Types of Ovens:
Convection: 300°F, Use open vent to avoid excess moisture while baking.
11-15 minutes for 1.33 oz. Cookies, about 275° for 12-16 minutes for larger cookies
30 - 35 minutes for Brownies and Blondies
Conventional: 350°F, rotate trays halfway through for most even baking results.
11-15 minutes for 1.33 oz. Cookies, about 325° for 12-16 minutes for larger cookies
33 - 37 minutes for Brownies and Blondies
Deck:
350°F, to protect bottoms of cookies
from direct heat of deck, place one baking sheet inverted under the
cookie sheet. This creates an insulating layer of air.
11-15 minutes for 1.33 oz. Cookies, about 325° for 12-16 minutes for larger cookies
33 - 37 minutes for Brownies and Blondies
Carousel Rack:360-370°F, open the vent or air draft on ovens before baking!!
8-11 minutes for 1.33 oz. Cookies, 335-345° for 9-12 minutes for larger cookies
25-27 minutes for Brownies and Blondies
Conveyor: 350°F, approximately 13-17 minutes.
12-16 minutes for 1.33 oz. Cookies, about 325° for 13-17 minutes for larger cookies
33 - 37 minutes for Brownies and Blondies
Impinger: 300°F, approximately 10-11 minutes.
9-11 minutes for 1.33 oz. Cookies, about 275° for 10-12 minutes for larger cookies
28 - 32 minutes for Brownies and Blondies
**
Please note that all times and temperatures are approximates.
Your oven temperature may vary. Cookies should be baked at the
proper temperature to allow for baking in approximate times shown.
* If the cookies take much longer, the temperature is too low and they will be crisp through out.
*
If the cookies take a much shorter amount of time, then the temperature
is too high. This will make them crisp on the outside, and
underdone on the inside.
* If the cookies flow out too thin, the
vent (if your oven is so equipped) may be closed or the door may be
sealed too tightly for the steam to escape.
* You will get more consistent results if you rotate your trays halfway through the baking process.
Bake
early in the day. If you bake in your ovens throughout the day at
temperatures higher than the needed temperatures for Gladder’s cookies,
then bake the cookies early in the day before your ovens are heated to
the higher temperature. Start your ovens in the morning, heat
them to temperature appropriate to the products you need for the day,
and then increase the oven to your next highest temperature. This
is especially convenient for pizza restaurants that must use hot ovens
throughout the day.
Buy a separate oven. Many restaurants
try to do too many different things with their main ovens. This
can be difficult to manage because of the wide range of temperatures
required for the multiple uses. A separate oven will allow you to
bake cookies and more at different temperatures without affecting your
product in main ovens. With a "backup" oven, you may be able to
expand your menu to include complimentary items that you had previously
thought impractical. The higher price of a good quality oven will
pay off with less maintenance, higher versatility, and better baking
results. Avoid buying an oven that is good for only one type of
product, regardless of the cost. We have done test baking in a variety
of oven types with success, including conventional, convection, hearth,
and impinger. We can help acquire a premium quality cookie oven
at a great price—ask us!
Bake in advance on a slow day.
Our cookies tolerate baking, freezing and thawing extremely well, with
no appreciable change in taste or texture. On a slow day, bake the
cookies you will need for a week or more. Allow the cookies to
cool completely to room temperature, place in airtight, sealable bags
and freeze. Freeze the cookies on their edges, not flat, to keep
them from freezing together. Simply thaw to room temperature before
serving.
Rotate trays if cookies are unevenly baked.
Even in the best convection ovens, there may be "hot spots".
Although most are not extreme, some ovens over-brown cookies closest to
the door. Be sure your dough is going into the oven at the same
temperature (not partially thawed or still frozen). Rotate baking trays
halfway through the baking process. Usually, if the cookies
appear over-baked, then other baked goods are experiencing the same
problem.
Remove the cookies from the oven exactly on time or
seconds early. Cookies are often left in the oven until they look
the way they should be served. However, cookies will continue to
bake slightly after they are removed from the oven. The effect is
usually not dramatic, but could turn the cookies from perfect to
over-baked in a matter of moments. Watch the cookies carefully as they
approach maximum baking time.
Steam is a major enemy of
cookies. Many ovens that are used for baking breads have steam
injectors on them. Other ovens seal up so tightly that they do
not allow the steam to escape. If your oven is equipped with a
steam injector, make sure it is off. If you have an adjustable
vent, make sure it is open. Don’t bake cookies at the same time
as other steam producing goods, such as breads.
Bake your
cookies the way you want them baked. Gladder’s recommendations
are based on creating a cookie that is well formed on the outside and
chewy on the inside. If you want a chewier cookie, bake them for
a shorter time or at a lower temperature. If you want a crispy
cookie, lower the temperature about 25 degrees and bake for a longer
period of time.
Storage & Merchandising of Baked Products
Cool
cookies to room temperature before placing them in a display
case. Warm cookies can raise the temperature in the case and
cause premature drying out of the product or make cookies “wilted” by
trapping moisture in the case.
Keep your display full of
cookies. A full case of cookies helps them from drying out
prematurely. A full case is also visually appealing and
appetizing to customers. Seeing a full display of fresh baked cookies
will increase your cookie sales. ROTATE YOUR STOCK!!
Avoid
displaying cookies in lighted display cases that are not designed for
baked products. Some lighted display cases act as heat lamps on
the cookies, causing the cookies to dry out and appear over-baked.
Keep
your display area clear and uncluttered. Stacking unnecessary,
unrelated things around a display case detracts from the products
within. Keep the display case clean and clear of clutter, and
clear those crumbs!
For baked cookies, thaw only what you’ll be
selling for that day. Baked cookies should be consumed as soon
after thawing as possible for best flavor and texture. Under
ideal conditions, baked cookies that have been thawed should last for
several days before moisture loss results in a crispy, crumbly
cookie. ROTATE!
Display prominently. Cookies and
brownies are impulse items that generate high margin ‘plus
sales’. Gladder's Gourmet offers a variety of merchandising
displays for packaged and locally baked products. Ask us!
Marketing and Special Tips
Combine
more than one cookie to create larger cookies. Combine multiple
pieces of cookie dough together (compress the dough to approximately
the same height as the original) to make extra large cookies.
Baking temperatures may need adjusting for this new size. For
example, combine three 1.33oz cookie dough pucks one on top of another,
then press down to a height of about ‘two fingers’ to make a 4oz
cookie. Also known as “Stack ‘Em & Mash ‘Em”!
Make
smaller, bite-size cookies. By cutting your cookies in half
before baking, you can provide twice as many cookies. This helps
in some markets where consumers may not be willing to pay .59 cents for
a full-size cookie, however 2 half-size cookies for .29 cents each is
acceptable.
Make pan cookies. Pan cookies, for birthdays
or other events, are often popular. Using a round, heart-shaped or
other pan, layer the bottom with Gladder’s unbaked cookie dough.
Wet your fingertips with water and press the cookies together until all
of the exposed areas between the cookies are filled. Bake time
will be slightly longer than normal; watch the pan cookies carefully to
bake to perfection.
Make cookies on a stick. Take an
unbaked cookie dough portion and place a popsicle stick into the side
of the cookie before baking. This is fun way to sell cookies by
creating something new.
Create a cookie-duo. Create a new
flavor and new appearance for cookies by joining two different doughs
together. For example, take one Fudge Chocolate Chip and one
Sugar Cookie, cut each one in half, press together and bake. The
new “tuxedo” cookie is fun and appealing, as well as tasty.
Spruce
up the sugar cookie. Sugar cookies have easy and quick decorating
options. Coarse, colored sugar and other sprinkles are ideal for
holidays or special occasions. Simply add and bake. Rolling the sugar
cookies in cinnamon before baking instantly makes Snickerdoodle
cookies. Another common additive is to place nuts or fruit on top
of the cookie before baking.
Pre-sell your
desserts. Teach your wait staff or cashiers to
cross-sell/suggestive sell your dessert items while taking the initial
food order. If your dining guest is too full for dessert at the
end of their meal, the sell is lost. If they anticipate dessert at the
time of ordering, you can make the sell.
Take ‘em home.
Unlike desserts such as pies or ice cream, cookies are ideal takeout
food. Up-sell your customer with a dozen cookies to take to the
office or home.
Include a cookie with a meal deal.
Many food combos include a drink or chips, but many do not include a
dessert. Be unique in your neighborhood and add a cookie.
Offer
Cookie Variety Trays for take-out or catered events. These are
terrific solutions for office meetings and even formal affairs, and not
only generate great benefits to your bottom line, but create strong
return business with your customers who know you can provide a fast and
tasty solution!
Pick a unique flavor as your signature
cookie. Add assortment and interest to your cookie offering
by selling a unique flavor not sold everywhere else.
Cater to
specific needs. All Gladder's Gourmet products are certified
Kosher. Our Kosher Pareve items are completely non-dairy, and are
also lactose free.
Offer cookie dough as ‘Take
–‘N-Bake’. While your customer enjoys your main menu items, they
can pop cookies or brownies in their own oven for that homemade aroma
and dessert hot from the oven right on time! Dough can be offered
by the pound or the portion. Be sure to provide the product in a
well-sealed bag, and provide baking instructions.
If you have
any tips of your own to share with others, or have any questions or
suggestions about our products, please call us. We’d love to hear
from you. And, if you ever find yourself in Lockhart, just south
of Austin, Texas, stop by and say hello!
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