In a very simple vanilla icebox cookie that does not contain any leavener or other strongly flavored ingredient (such as chocolate, nuts, or peanut butter), we preferred the cleaner flavor of unbleached flour. However, once leavener is added to a recipe, even a simple one such as a sugar cookie, any chemical flavor that the bleached flour might impart to the dough becomes almost impossible to detect. So, with the exception of cookies that do not contain a chemical leavener, use either bleached or unbleached flour as you like.

We measure flour by the dip-and-sweep method. Dip a metal or plastic dry measure into a bag of flour so that the cup is overflowing with flour. Then use a knife or icing spatula to level off the flour, sweeping the excess back into the bag.

NUTS Many cookies derive crunch and flavor from nuts. We always store nuts in the freezer to prevent them from becoming rancid.

SALT Although we generally prefer the clean flavor of kosher salt in our savory cooking, we use regular table salt when baking because the smaller crystals are more easily incorporated into a cookie batter.

SUGAR Granulated sugar is a key ingredient in most cookie recipes. Besides adding sweetness, sugar provides some structure and chew. In fact, very chewy cookies generally have quite a lot of sugar in them.

Many cookie recipes also call for brown sugar, which is granulated sugar with a small percentage of molasses added for flavor and color. (Light brown sugar contains 3.5 percent molasses; dark brown sugar has 6.5 percent molasses.) Brown sugar lends a caramel flavor that is welcome in many cookies. Dark brown sugar has a slightly stronger caramel flavor, but in most cookie recipes the differences are slight. Unless noted, use either variety in the recipes in this book.

When measuring brown sugar, it is important to pack the sugar into the dry measure. We like to use the back of a smaller measure to press brown sugar into the cup (see figure 2).