Cookie primer, from the pros

Some pretty wonderful bakers have graced the pages of our annual Holiday Cookies issue over the years, and they’ve provided us with a folder full of tips. Here are some of our favorites:

ORGANIZING

Gallery

Christmas cookie recipes 2012: Expand your portfolio with an international assortment, or perhaps a little heavenly fun.

More from Food

25 recipes under 500 calories

These healthful recipes by Nourish columnist Stephanie Witt Sedgwick are low in calories, fat and sodium.

• 5 so-called health foods you should avoid

Gluten-free recipes

PHOTOS | Gluten-free main course meals to try any night of the week.

If you’re using recipes from multiple sources, photocopy them first to avoid piling books, magazines and newspapers onto crowded counters. (Be sure to label the copies!)

Take an inventory of equipment and ingredients — and that includes opening containers. Sniff spices to make sure they’re fresh.

Overestimate your need for staples such as flour, sugar, butter and eggs/egg replacer. You never know when you’ll be inspired to double a particular batch.

If recipes require ingredients such as butter or cream cheese that need to be softened, it’s safe to take them out of the refrigerator late the night before. Eggs should stay in the fridge until an hour or two before they are used.

For marathon baking sessions, get an early start. Baking in the early hours means you won’t be distracted by phone calls and tweets. Also, make or plan what you’ll have for lunch in advance; it will keep you from picking at nuts and chocolate throughout the day.

To maximize the number of cookies you can make in the shortest amount of time, freeze the doughs in advance.

If you’re hosting a cookie swap, each participant should plan on bringing six dozen, plus six to 12 cookies for snacking and sharing.

ASSEMBLING

For cutout cookies, roll the dough between two pieces of wax paper. Peel off the top layer of paper, use the cutter to make designs in the dough, then put the top layer of paper back on. Slide onto a baking sheet and freeze for 15 minutes. The cutouts will be easier to dislodge and transfer for baking.

To slice thin, even cookies from logs of dough, chill or freeze first until quite firm. Use a serrated knife for cutting.

When rolling small pieces of a soft, chilled dough, incorporate the scraps right into the next piece of dough rather than re-roll all of them at the end, when they might be too soft to roll easily.

Dip cookie cutters with intricate corners or designs into flour before creating each cutout cookie, tapping off any excess flour; this will help keep dough from sticking.

FLAVORING

To get the most out of citrus zest, mince or grate it and then mix it into the amount of sugar called for in the recipe. That way, the citrus oils will be dispersed and evenly released.

Toast coconut (spread on a baking sheet) before you add it to recipes that call for coconut; this will add a subtle crunch.

Liquid food coloring can affect a cookie’s flavor; Americolor brand food coloring gel (available through Amazon.com and some crafts stores) is flavorless.

Blanched almonds are the traditional nut used to produce French-style macarons; that nut has the right quantity of oil and moisture.

DECORATING

Adding a bit of orange extract to a royal icing mixture will help to cut the sweetness.

Colored icing should sit, covered, for 10 minutes to develop its color, which will intensify. If you add too much color and your icing is too dark, add white icing, not water.