What is it about the drop in temperature that makes the smell of fresh-baked cookies all the more enticing?

Pumpkin spice shortbread, cinnamon snickerdoodles, iced sugar cookies in fun holiday shapes or even the classic chocolate chip — foodies can’t get enough of these delicious treats this time of year. But even though supermarkets with bakery sections are happy to serve up happiness by the dozen, their traditional commercial baking equipment might stand in the way of perfect cookie execution.

Oddly enough, for a lesson in modern cookie baking, let’s take a page out of Grandma’s cookbook and see how old-fashioned flair can help you reimagine your bakery operations.

Start with the right ingredients
Grandma knew the most scrumptious cookies never came from a box or had too much going on. Simply put, a great cookie speaks for itself.

If your business really wants to drive sales during the holiday season or throughout the whole year, you should always bake with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Turn your cookies into a conversation piece featuring foods your community is known for. Are you located in Vermont, maple syrup capital of the United States? Then find new ways to sweeten your cookies with syrup tapped from trees in your neighborhood. Cookie lovers will rally behind bakers that proudly place local foods on a pedestal. What’s going on in your neck of the woods, and how can you distill your story into a bite-sized morsel?

Mould with care
When Grandma makes cookies, she has all the time in the world to shape each one by hand. Commercial bakers don’t have that luxury, but that doesn’t mean customers won’t expect the same attention to detail.

Any bakery looking to mimic that special touch without spending too much time should invest in automated moulding equipment. Bakery professionals can program moulders to shape and cut cookie dough into myriad shapes, including seasonal favorites, faster than any manual cookie cutter could move. All that’s left to do is pop them in the oven. Moulders not only ensure the consistency your goods but also the efficiency of your ingredient usage.

Bake until just right
Ask any matriarch how long to bake a batch of their family-renowned cookies and you’re likely to hear the following: “Until they’re done.”

Thanks Granny. Very helpful. But again, a busy baker in a fast-paced commercial environment doesn’t have time to check and recheck their goods. Doing so risks jeopardizing other important tasks, burning product or creating inconsistency between orders. And when your bakery makes many different cookies with many different baking times, a single minute too long or too short compromises quality.

Programmable ovens can help bakers manage their cooking times through a simple interface. For an even more impressive result, try an oven with steam-assisted baking features. Steam prevents cookies from drying out and may even shorten baking time, allowing your bakery to squeeze in an extra batch or two every day.

Take that, Grandma! Now who’s got the best cookies in town?