have you ever baked cookies on stoneware cookie sheets?

[Denisemomof4]

Last year I was SO excited to try my new stoneware cookie sheets. I was shocked when all my cookies were a total flop! Not only were they completely flat, they really didn't taste the same. Could it have been due to the stoneware?

 

Does anyone else use stoneware cookie sheets for cookies?

 

I've got my doughs prepared but am afraid to start to bake!

 

ETA: Thanks for all the input! I increased the oven temp and my apricot cookies are holding their shape! I have a new stove, maybe that's part of it. I also think using my cookie sheets more has seasoned them better. They were new last Christmas, although I believe I seasoned them with Pillsbury crescents.

 

Thanks for the input!

Edited December 23, 2011 by Denisemomof4

[Twigs]

I'm no expert, but

 

if the cookies were dry, they were probably cooked too long or too hot.

 

I don't know enough to tell you how to fix it.

[fairfarmhand]

my stoneware cooks more quickly after it gets heated up.

 

But I really love it for cookies. The outside gets firm but the inside is still a bit soft.

 

Perhaps you need to use them more so they will be better seasoned?

[Denisemomof4]

my stoneware cooks more quickly after it gets heated up.

 

But I really love it for cookies. The outside gets firm but the inside is still a bit soft.

 

Perhaps you need to use them more so they will be better seasoned?

 

they were definitely soft in the middle, but ALL cookies flopped. All of them were a flat mess.

 

I am wondering if they needed to be better seasoned? Still, I had to have made maybe 25 dozen cookies last year, and one would think that would be considered well seasoned, don't you think?

 

Maybe I'll do a test run with just a few cookies on one sheet.

[LizzyBee]

I never use metal pans for cookies since getting stoneware. I love stoneware for baking anything and everything. When the stone is cold, we have to bake a little longer, and then once they're hot, they bake faster. But the nice thing is that nothing burns on stoneware, and as long as we don't overbake, cookies turn out nice and soft.

[DaffodilDreams]

I've baked on stoneware for most of my married life and much prefer it to anything else. As far as my experience goes, there's nothing better for cookies. Whenever I have to pull out the metal pans for whatever reason, the results are never as good as with my stoneware.

[Avila]

they were definitely soft in the middle, but ALL cookies flopped. All of them were a flat mess.

 

I am wondering if they needed to be better seasoned? Still, I had to have made maybe 25 dozen cookies last year, and one would think that would be considered well seasoned, don't you think?

 

Maybe I'll do a test run with just a few cookies on one sheet.

 

I don't know why, but when I bake with butter on my stoneware, my cookies spread and are a mess. When I use margarine or shortening, they turn out well on them. So I either don't use the butter, or use the metal pans when I do.

[Denisemomof4]

this is what I thought about stoneware, which is why I bought them to begin with. But ALL my cookies were very flat last year. I'm afraid to try again! I'm going to do a test batch and will come whine here and beg for suggestions of they flop again.;)

 

should I heat the stoneware a tad first? put extra oil on them?

[Denisemomof4]

I don't know why, but when I bake with butter on my stoneware, my cookies spread and are a mess. When I use margarine or shortening, they turn out well on them. So I either don't use the butter, or use the metal pans when I do.

 

:001_huh: I don't get this AT ALL. Do you have ANY idea why that happens?

 

I have dough already made with butter and refrigerating. I really don't know that I want to try my cookies with margarine instead of butter. And that would mean a trip to the store!

 

This is very interesting. Hhhmmmmm.

[fairfarmhand]

don't go to the store! I always use butter and no problems

 

I use the Tollhouse recipe.

[DaffodilDreams]

:001_huh: I don't get this AT ALL. Do you have ANY idea why that happens?

 

I have dough already made with butter and refrigerating. I really don't know that I want to try my cookies with margarine instead of butter. And that would mean a trip to the store!

 

This is very interesting. Hhhmmmmm.

 

I never bake with margarine - only real butter. My cookies turn out fine on stoneware. Maybe it's the recipe, the oven, brand of stoneware (mine is pampered chef), altitude, humidity, etc. Who knows? I'm sorry you're having a rough time with the stoneware. If it just doesn't work for you, pass it on and stick with what worked in the past.

[fairfarmhand]

what temperature are you baking at?

[AuntieM]

First thing I do with a new stoneware piece is cook a greasy meatloaf in it! Or for a flat piece, something with a bottom crust of crescent roll dough, that's got a high fat content. I think a seasoned stone cooks more evenly.

 

When I do cookies, I often use parchment paper. It's convenient because I can cut or drop all the cookies on sheets separate from the stone. Stoneware holds a lot of heat, so in second and later batches, if you haven't let the stone completely cool between batches, your cookie dough can start melting before you put them in the oven, resulting in flat cookies. Im pretty sure that setting cool dough into a hot oven - that quick temp change for the dough - is what results in a pretty, well-shaped cookie.

[Denisemomof4]

what temperature are you baking at?

 

300. I doubled checked because that's a REALLY low baking temp. I'm sure my other cookies will be baked at a higher temp. I'm starting with our family's favorite - Mrs. Field's Apricot. Mmmmmmmmm!

 

First thing I do with a new stoneware piece is cook a greasy meatloaf in it! Or for a flat piece, something with a bottom crust of crescent roll dough, that's got a high fat content. I think a seasoned stone cooks more evenly.

 

When I do cookies, I often use parchment paper. It's convenient because I can cut or drop all the cookies on sheets separate from the stone. Stoneware holds a lot of heat, so in second and later batches, if you haven't let the stone completely cool between batches, your cookie dough can start melting before you put them in the oven, resulting in flat cookies. Im pretty sure that setting cool dough into a hot oven - that quick temp change for the dough - is what results in a pretty, well-shaped cookie.

 

do you think I should chill the dough?

 

My stones still look new! I used them to bake a TON of cookies last year. Should I oil them up really well? Veggie oil? Then throw the cookies on top?

[HiddenJewel]

My stones still look new! I used them to bake a TON of cookies last year. Should I oil them up really well? Veggie oil? Then throw the cookies on top?

 

 

You can bake the biscuits where you buy the dough at the store to season them a bit if you need to.

 

I love my stones for cookies. Have you tried adding a little more flour? When I don't use enough mine turn out flat.

[fairfarmhand]

Have you tried raising the temp 25 degrees? It might help. That soudnds really low for cookies.

[AuntieM]

300. I doubled checked because that's a REALLY low baking temp. I'm sure my other cookies will be baked at a higher temp. I'm starting with our family's favorite - Mrs. Field's Apricot. Mmmmmmmmm!

 

 

 

do you think I should chill the dough?

 

My stones still look new! I used them to bake a TON of cookies last year. Should I oil them up really well? Veggie oil? Then throw the cookies on top?

 

I do think chilled dough works best for most cookies - couldn't hurt to try at least one bat h that way.

 

Don't put oil on the stone for baking cookies. I just meant that I try to get my stones seasoned quick so they'll be ready for baking later (nice and slick, that is).

[mandymom]

 

do you think I should chill the dough?

 

My stones still look new! I used them to bake a TON of cookies last year. Should I oil them up really well? Veggie oil? Then throw the cookies on top?

 

Chilling the dough will always produce less spread of cookies, esp if you are putting them on a warm/hot stone. Just work quickly, so that the dough doesn't spread on the pan before you even get them in the oven. Sometimes, if I'm in a hurry, I even put the cookie dough in the freezer for a little bit.

 

I think that the seasoning part really affects the sticking of the cookies more than the spread. I would bet that it was the fact that the stones hold more heat and it affected subsequent batches.

[The Girls' Mom]

Sounds like your temp is too low. It would melt the fats in the cookies before they set up, causing them to spread. I would up your temp, make sure your stone is hot, chill the dough and see if that helps. I love my stone, but I've had it so long and it is so well seasoned that it is black!

[happyWImom]

I don't know why, but when I bake with butter on my stoneware, my cookies spread and are a mess. When I use margarine or shortening, they turn out well on them. So I either don't use the butter, or use the metal pans when I do.

 

I was excited to do cookies on my stoneware (it was actually a pizza stone, but I was hoping it would turn out the perfect cookies), but they were flat as pancakes, too. I never thought it could be the butter, which I always use.

[kewb]

I bake cookies on my stoneware all the time. I only bake with butter. I have never had any issues at all. I don't know why yours turned out flat.

[Liz CA]

I cannot imagine what happened since I always bake my cookies on the Pampered Chef Stone on which I also bake bread. They always come out great.

Does yours need more seasoning? Mine is seasoned by years of use...but even then they should not be flat. Did the recipes require baking powder and was it fresh? I had some less than stellar results with aged baking powder.

[Denisemomof4]

This is year two of using my cookie sheets for my Christmas cookies. I also have a new stove. MY COOKIES ARE PERFECT!!!!!!!! So I think last year's failure was due to not enough seasoning on the cookie sheets (I do believe I seasoned with Pillsbury crescents)

 

Doing the happy dance!!!

 

ETA: As I stated in update to my original post, I increased the temp for the apricot cookies, they are perfect! And I'm working only with refrigerated dough now. I think being that the stones were new last year, they just needed more seasoning.

 

Thanks!!!

Edited December 23, 2011 by Denisemomof4

[HiddenJewel]

Very glad they turned out!!!

[AuntieM]

Yay! Such a good feeling when the whole lot turns out great!

[LizzyBee]

:001_huh: I don't get this AT ALL. Do you have ANY idea why that happens?

 

I have dough already made with butter and refrigerating. I really don't know that I want to try my cookies with margarine instead of butter. And that would mean a trip to the store!

 

This is very interesting. Hhhmmmmm.

 

I use butter and bake on stoneware without any problems. My stoneware is Pampered Chef - I don't know whether that matters or not. I do sometimes preheat the stone, but sometimes I don't.

[ma23peas]

This is year two of using my cookie sheets for my Christmas cookies. I also have a new stove. MY COOKIES ARE PERFECT!!!!!!!! So I think last year's failure was due to not enough seasoning on the cookie sheets (I do believe I seasoned with Pillsbury crescents)

 

Doing the happy dance!!!

 

ETA: As I stated in update to my original post, I increased the temp for the apricot cookies, they are perfect! And I'm working only with refrigerated dough now. I think being that the stones were new last year, they just needed more seasoning.

 

Thanks!!!

 

That is exactly what I was going to recommend! The stone sheets need many cooking with 'oils' to help season it...my pizza stoneware was seasoned after about the 4th use and I rubbed it with olive oil each time I baked a pizza.

 

I always bake refrigerated dough when I want them to look pretty..I only use metal pans for cookies though, have the commercial grade metal pans and they come out perfect each time, I use parchment paper almost everytime as well just b/c it's easier to remove them.

 

Glad they're perfect! You're tempting me to try some bar cookies, I have a stone bar cookie pan that I've only used once because the first batch stuck like crazy to them and I did butter it well...

[Holly IN]

I use my stones to cook cookies. No problems at all. However I did notice after a few times using it the amount of time in the oven needed gets reduced due to the stone being hot and retains heat after being out of the oven. So you really have to babysit the oven while it is baking the cookies.

 

I will never go back to metal after using stone for cookies and even the paleo version cookies turned out great!!

 

 

:)

 

Holly

[Daisy]

I ONLY use stoneware (Pampered Chef) for my cookies and they are never flat. I don't put the cookie dough on hot stoneware until right before they go into the oven though.

 

Not sure what else to tell you.

 

Oops I missed your update. Good for you! Glad to hear things turned out better this year.