This is a trick I learned years ago when working for a catering company. Cream the butter and sugar until the sugar starts to break down. It takes a lot longer than you think. You'll see the dough lighten up when it's ready. This is the #1 reason I was grateful to get a kitchen aid instead of having to always use the hand mixer.

Once you've started baking cookies like this, you'll be able to tell very easily when you eat cookies that haven't been mixed enough at that stage.

Should I feel stupid for having to google "wd~50"?

I can understand creaming the butter and sugar, but I've always been told not to overmix the dough (i.e. flour) otherwise gluten omg omg!

@1 my grandmother made the best shortbread ever and I'm convinced it was because she melted the sugar and butter together with her hands first. She'd just sit in front of the tv and knead a bowl of sugar and butter for as long as it took to not feel the sugar granules anymore. Amazing shortbread!

Also, one of my favorite recipes, from Cook's Illustrated (here http://www.crumblycookie.net/2009/04/04/…) has an interesting method of letting the batter rest between stages. I'm not as into the science as some people, but I found that the recipe made INCREDIBLE cookies.

You can totally make mini-cheesecakes. I like to make the savory mini-cakes (even w/o crusts) a la Jaques Pepin, but you could do that w/ the Grasshopper recipe easily.

@3 - you are correct. You can mix all you want at the butter/sugar stage, and at the egg stage. Once flour joins the party, you want as little mixing as possible.

Flour is kind of a party killer.

@5 Oh yes, I've done mini cheesecake before, but her cheesecake recipe is a no-bake recipe (she admits to being obsessed with Jell-O no bake cheesecake mix as a kid--me too!). So I'm curious to know how it'd stand up to being baked. I might have to change the recipe a bit to use a baked cheesecake version.

I'm going to apply this knowledge to the chocolate pound cake I'm about to make.

I AM GOING THERE IN TWO WEEKS AND IM GOING TO EAT ALL THE THINGS!

@1 - i only make cookies with the stand mixer, and i never mix the butter and sugar for less than forever. mostly because i let the stand mixer go while i'm getting out all the rest of the ingredients, emptying the dishwasher, feeding the dog, etc, etc.
cookies are also significantly more awesome if they're baked in an oven with convection heat.

@9 If you don't bring me treats I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU.

I know what I must do.

I (heart) baking geeks!