So, you're stood in IKEA and there is a bunch of spatulas in front of you. Do you need them all? Just one? Why are there wooden and plastic spoons? The questions are endless. Welcome to baking equipment 101, where us at Gookie Dough tell you the ins and outs of utensils. 

(Image credit: Mason Cash) 

Thermometers 

No oven is the same, it's annoying but true. The first rule of baking is to ensure that the temperature is just right because this means the end result will be perfect. Oven thermometers are designed to stand or hang on an oven rack. Since the temperature inside an oven can vary from one place to another, the position of the thermometer on the oven rack is important. It's usually recommended to keep the thermometer right next to the baking tray for the most accurate reading. 

Then, there are candy thermometers. These are used to test the temperature during the cooking of jams, jellies and candies. It has an adjustable clip so it can rest against the side of a large pan. 

Spatulas 

Spatulas are used for a variety of things such as lifting and turning goods or even spreading fillings and frostings. There is the straight edge spatula, the pancake turner and the rubber spatula. 

The straight edge spatula is like a knife but doesn't have a sharp edge. It is used for spreading frostings and can be used when measuring ingredients to level off or remove excess from a measuring cup. 

The pancake turner is wide at the base which picks up the food and is used to remove baked goods from baking trays such as your Gookie Dough cookies. The sharp edge cuts the cookie from the sheet. 

The rubber spatula has a wooden or plastic handle with a flexible rubber paddle. It is great for scraping excess batter off the sides of a bowl.

Liners 

(Image credit: Pop Sugar) 

You've spent a lifetime lining trays and pans but did you know there are different types and when to use a certain one? Liners are great for transferring and are a godsend when it comes to non-stick. 

Parchment paper is a heavy grease and moisture resistant paper, it's great for cookies, pizzas and cakes. Extremely versatile. Wax paper is semitransparent paper with a coating of wax on both sides. It is good for covering food and lining baking pans. 

Tin foil is an amazing barrier to moisture, air and odours and can withstand heat and cold. It can come in regular weight for wrapping food and heavy duty which is perfect for freezer storage and lining grills. 

Cheesecloth, probably the least known. A lightweight and natural cotton cloth that doesn't fall apart when wet. It can strain liquids, form a packet for herbs that can be popped into soups and can come in fine and coarse weaves. 

They say you should learn something new every day. So, what have you learnt? Just call us professor Gookie!   

The best part of baking has to be the chocolate! Apart from licking the bowl and spoon clean and drooling over the consistency and sweet smell, there may be some terminology you're unsure about. Knowing the difference between types of chocolate can make a significant impact on your result so let's go. 

(Image credit: Reader's Digest) 

Unsweetened chocolate 

This chocolate is the easiest because it is pure chocolate without any added sugar, cocoa butter or milk products. This means that the chocolate is very bitter and isn't something you'd want to nibble on. It's usually used in recipes that use added sugar and other dairy products to enhance its sweetness. 

Dark and bittersweet chocolate 

Bittersweet chocolate contains at least 35% of pure chocolate and has a small amount of sugar added. Usually, it has a cacao percentage of more than 60%; this is typically listed on the bars of the chocolate. Dark chocolate is just a term that can mean anything from semisweet to bittersweet chocolate. Can be somewhat confusing, right? 

(Image credit: waferltd.co.uk) 

Semisweet chocolate

Semisweet chocolate is the piggy in the middle. This is because it is half sweet milk chocolate and a bitter dark chocolate. It contains at least 35% of pure chocolate with both sugar and cocoa butter added. This is a go-to for a lot of recipes and is usually the form of chocolate in chocolate chips. 

Milk chocolate 

Milk chocolate is the sweetest chocolate and is always on the shelves of supermarkets when it comes to Cadbury's and other well-known brands like Gookie Dough and our gorgeous chocolate chunks! It contains cocoa butter and sugar but also milk solids. Typically there is 10% chocolate liquor (sounds fancy) and at least 12% of milk products. 

White chocolate 

(Image credit: The Happy Foodie) 

White chocolate is the liar of the lot. It's technically not classed as a chocolate product because it doesn't include chocolate liquor and is a combination of cocoa butter, sugar, milk and flavouring such as vanilla. Products on the supermarket shelves can catch you out when it comes to white chocolate because if the ingredient label doesn't contain cocoa butter, then it isn't white chocolate and just a flavoured baking product. 

So, now you have more of an idea of how your favourite tasty treat is made up of and how true to cocoa it really is! If you need to melt chocolate of any form, it's important to do it on a low and slow level, so the chocolate doesn't harden (I'm talking to you white chocolate in particular!). The best method is in the microwave on 50% power in 30-second stages and stirring each time! Happy indulging! 

*Credit to browneyedbaker.com*

Ever eat that whole monster tub of Gookie Dough and feel the dreaded guilt? Want to eat healthily but know that your stomach feels differently. We all know the feeling, and it's a hard battle when you're built for comfort food, not rabbit food. However, these are a few foodie facts that might make you get up and pull yourself together (also, there's nothing wrong with eating a whole monster tub of Gookie Dough in moderation, of course).

Microwave Equals Good 

So, your Mum always lectured you about how you shouldn't reheat your food and you should cook from scratch. The inner student inside of you can finally prove her wrong. So, steaming vegetables in a microwave with a cup of water is a lot more beneficial than other cooking techniques as not as many nutrients are lost. 

We Love Leftovers 

Leading on from the microwave situation, it's proven that leftovers taste better. How? Because science says so, it's not all in your head after all! Chemical reactions take place when food is left in the fridge which means that new flavour molecules develop. The result? Extra deliciousness. 

Egg Yolks 

We love that yellow gooey goodness in the centre of our beloved egg. And guess what? The yolk of the egg contains all the vitamins and minerals which are vital for the body. Don't exclude your whites entirely because they're packed with protein. At the end of the day, just eat eggs! 

There are 10,000 different types of apple 

We don't know who's had the time to sit there and count every unique kind of apple, but it's a cool fact. Apples vary in size, shape, flavour and colour; some may be sweet while others can be a little more on the tart side. Either way, move over Golden Delicious.

Tomatoes 

Where do tomatoes grow? In a greenhouse. So why do we pop them in the fridge after they've ripened and we've just bought them from the supermarket? When tomatoes are put in cold temperatures, they lose their ability to fully develop their delicious flavour which is why they can appear bland.

Lemons are full of sugar

Lemonade is sweet, but we add tonnes of unnatural sugar or sweeteners into the process which is why it tastes so delicious. However, did you know that lemons contain way more sugar than a strawberry? The mind is blown! However, the reason we don't notice is that the high levels of citric acid counteract the sugar levels and make lemons super sour.

Spicy Foods Are The Way To A Prolonged Life

Say what? Some people would disagree and state that technically, too much spicy food is bad for us and in a way, we agree. But according to studies, eating one spicy dish daily can reduce the risk of death by 14%. This is due to bioactive ingredients that maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Boom! 

Inspired to try out some more healthy dishes? Found some kitchen hacks and proof due to the magical knowledge of science? If you have any more foodie tips, then let us know in the comments below! 

So if you're still following your New Years Resolution, then we congratulate you, because here at Gookie Dough, we're 100% failing. You, my friend, are definitely a champion. But why shouldn't you still be able to enjoy your favourite treats? We've found the perfect recipe which will allow you to control that calorie consumption and give the satisfying sweet craving that you need. Hello, 100 calorie chocolate chip cookies! Revolutionary, you can eat the whole batch and still be within your calorie intake, yay! 

(Picture credit: amyshealthybaking.com)

You will need (makes ten cookies):

Directions

First of all, heat the oven to 160 degrees Celcius (Gas mark 4) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the oats, flour, almonds, salt and sugar in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, maple syrup and vanilla. Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and add the chocolate chips. Then mix together to form the dough. 

(Picture credit: Endless Slimmer)

Now spoon ten mounds of dough onto the lined baking sheet and squish them slightly with the back of a spoon. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Now leave to cool on the sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy! 

Nutritional Information

(Picture credit: ifoodblogger.com)

(Per cookie)

Everything small and classed as bite-sized is certainly a trend when it comes to the baking industry, and we can't help but dribble over the sound of cookie dough cheesecake bites. Cheesecake is the sassy sister that brings life to the party and with cookie dough added; they're a match made in heaven. In this recipe, we use homemade cookie dough, but you can definitely use Gookie Dough in any flavour of your choice as it will work the same way!

(Image credit: lifeloveandsugar.com) 

What you'll need 

For the cheesecake: 

678 grams of cream cheese softened 

207 grams of sugar 

Three tablespoons of all-purpose flour 

Four eggs 

240 ml of sour cream

One teaspoon of vanilla extract 

For the cookie dough: 

Six tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature 

36 gram of brown sugar 

52 grams of sugar 

One teaspoon of vanilla extract 

130 grams of all-purpose flour 

1/4 teaspoons of salt 

Two tablespoons of milk 

85 grams of chocolate chips 

*ALTERNATIVELY A GOOKIE DOUGH MONSTER TUB OF YOUR CHOICE 

For the chocolate topping: 

95 grams of Flora White 

1020 grams of chocolate chips 

170 grams of white chocolate chips 

What to do: 

Firstly, preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius and line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Ensure that you grease the sides. Next, mix the cream cheese, sugar and flour until it is combined thoroughly. 

Add the eggs one at a time and beat them slowly, then add in the sour cream and vanilla extract. Take your electric whisk and mix at low speed until combined. Pour the mixture into your springform pan.  

Place the springform pan which you need to cover with tin foil, inside of another pan. Fill the outside with warm water but ensure that the water level doesn't go over the edge of the tin foil. Bake like this for one hour. When the hour is up, turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Then open the oven door slightly and leave the cheesecake there for another 30 minutes. 

Next, remove your cheesecake and chill until completely cold. Now it's time to make the cookie dough (skip the next section if you're using Gookie Dough).  

(Image credit: neuroticmommy.com)

Cream the butter and both sugars together until they are light and fluffy, then mix in your vanilla extract. With your whisk on, add in your flour and salt until it is combined nicely. Next, add the milk and continue mixing. Stir in the chocolate chips, and you should have a thick, delicious dough. 

Make balls of your cookie or Gookie dough until it's all used up. Pop them in the fridge so they stay cool. 

Take your cheesecake and spoon two tablespoons at a time. Squish it together in the palm of your hand so it merges together and then flatten it out. Place the cookie dough in the centre and wrap the cheesecake around it so you now have a gorgeous bite-sized treat. Keep repeating this until all of the mixture is gone. Pop them back in the fridge. 

Next, microwave the chocolate chips and flora together. Do this 20 seconds at a time and stir well until fully melted. Dip your cheesecake bites into the chocolate. Drop the ball into the bowl and used a spoon to cover it fully. Then life out with a fork and pop onto parchment paper so it solidifies. Once this is done, microwave the white chocolate and drizzle the balls. 

Keep refridgerated at all times. 

So, it may be a long winded recipe but in our opinion, it definitely looks worth it. Remember with the use of Gookie Dough, you're saving time!