Küpsetis

Küpsetis is an Estonian term for a baked confection produced by baking dough or batter in an oven. The word is used to describe a broad category of sweet and sometimes savory baked goods that are prepared in individual portions, including cookies (küpsised), biscuits, short pastries and similar items. In everyday Estonian, küpsetis most often refers to what English speakers call cookies or biscuits, but it can also denote other small baked treats depending on context.

Typical ingredients include flour, sugar, fat (butter or margarine), eggs or other binders, and flavorings such as vanilla or spices. Leavening agents are optional for cookies; many recipes rely on chemical leaveners, or rely on creaming the fat and sugar to develop texture. The dough is shaped by dropping, rolling and cutting, or by forming logs and slicing. Baking temperatures range roughly from 160 to 190 degrees Celsius, times vary from a few minutes for delicate cookies to longer for thicker bars, until the edges brown and the centers set.

Common forms include drop cookies, pressed or rolled cookies, sandwich cookies with fillings, and crisp biscuits. Fillings may include jam, chocolate, cream, or nut pastes. In professional baking, küpsetis also includes pastries and bars made from doughs that are rolled and cut or poured into molds.

Historically, cookies and similar baked goods have been a part of European baking for centuries; domestically, küpsetis are a staple of home baking in Estonia and nearby countries. Proper storage in airtight containers protects crispness; most cookies keep for several days to weeks depending on ingredients; frozen doughs can be stored longer.