In the convection oven, the baking temperature is reduced from 375°F to 350°F, and the baking time from 12 to 9 minutes. If that alone isn’t enough to convince you to turn on the convection bake mode, I bake three sheets of cookies at one time, which is what the recipe yields, reducing the total baking time from 36 to 9 minutes.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 dozen cookies

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened

　　1/4 cup vegetable shortening

　　1 cup packed brown sugar

　　1 egg

　　1/4 cup dark molasses

　　2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 teaspoon baking soda

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　1 teaspoon ground ginger

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

　　1/3 cup granulated sugar

　　

Step 1

Position the oven racks so that they are evenly spaced. Preheat the oven to convection bake at 350°F. Cover three cookie sheets with parchment paper.

　　

Step 2

Measure all the ingredients except for the 1/3 cup granulated sugar into the large bowl of an electric mixer. Turn the mixer on low and mix until a dough forms, scraping the sides of the bowl.

　　

Step 3

Shape the dough into balls the size of walnuts. Roll them in the granulated sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets, dividing the cookies evenly between the three sheets. Bake on multiple racks for 8 to 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Do not overbake. Slide the cookies with the parchment onto a countertop to cool.

　　From Cooking with Convection by Beatrice Ojankangas. Copyright (c) 2005 by Beatrice Ojankangas. Published by Broadway Books.Beatrice Ojakangas has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Beatrice Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas' Light and Easy Baking, Pot Pies, Quick Breads, Light Desserts, The Finnish Cookbook, and The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. Beatrice works as a consultant for Pillsbury and other major food companies, teaches cooking classes, and writes for various food magazines. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.