What's wrong with my cookies?

[Night Elf]

I'm not a baker. I cannot be creative in the kitchen. I follow recipes exactly. My cookies seem too bready. Obviously there is too much flour, right? For example, we followed the recipe for Nestle Tollhouse cookies on their package and the cookies were not ooey gooey like the picture. They were puffed up and bready. How do I correct that? Do I leave out some of the flour? How do I know how much? I once made sugar cookies and the same thing happened. This is why I prefer buying premade cookie dough, but it seems more Christmasy to make our own. It's fun but we don't like the end result.

[vonfirmath]

Have you checked your oven is cooking at the right temp?

[Night Elf]

Have you checked your oven is cooking at the right temp?

 

 

I have no idea how to do that. I just set the temp control on my oven and assume it's working the way it's supposed to.

[QueenCat]

What kind of flour are you using? I found that bread flour works better in cookies. And use butter, not margarine. Aluminum pan too. I love my clay pans but cookies do not do well on them.

[LisaKinVA]

It may be how you are measuring the flour. You don't want the flour to settle or be compacted, or you will wind up with too much volume. Think of it like this...you get more brown sugar in a 1/2 cup if you "pack it" than you do if you just scoop it in. Flour has a tendency to compact as it sits, and if you just scoop it out, or cause it to settle (by shaking the cup to level) you're going getting more flour than is needed, because it clumps together firmly.

 

When measuring flour, use a large spoon and gently "shake" the flour into your measuring cup until you have a mound. Don't shake the measuring cup to flatten the measure, instead, use the backside of a knife to scrape away the extra.

 

The most accurate way to measure flour is by weight, but the above technique works pretty well.

[fairfarmhand]

Are you using real butter? Makes a huge difference in the texture of baked goods.

[JudoMom]

I'm no baker, but I had a few thoughts.

 

Are you packing the flour down when you measure it out or are you just loosely scooping it? It should be loosely scooped. Are you using baking powder instead of baking soda (it should be soda)?

 

I make this recipe using all purpose flour, and I used vegetable shortening instead of butter.

[fairfarmhand]

are you at a higher elevation? No idea if this would change the texture, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

[Night Elf]

Okay, I'll try these ideas. Yes, I shake the measuring cup for the flour so I'm probably getting too much. In fact, my girls learned in their nutrition class how to tap the measuring cup with a knife to help it settle so you can fit more into the cup. I also use margarine, not butter, so I'll buy that too. I live in GA, so I'm sure that doesn't affect my cooking. I don't even know what my cookie sheets are made of. I don't have expensive ones, but I didn't buy the cheapest either. Thank you for giving me some ideas! Now I'm looking forward to Saturday so we can bake some more cookies. :)

[kitten18]

It may be how you are measuring the flour. You don't want the flour to settle or be compacted, or you will wind up with too much volume. Think of it like this...you get more brown sugar in a 1/2 cup if you "pack it" than you do if you just scoop it in. Flour has a tendency to compact as it sits, and if you just scoop it out, or cause it to settle (by shaking the cup to level) you're going getting more flour than is needed, because it clumps together firmly.

 

When measuring flour, use a large spoon and gently "shake" the flour into your measuring cup until you have a mound. Don't shake the measuring cup to flatten the measure, instead, use the backside of a knife to scrape away the extra.

 

The most accurate way to measure flour is by weight, but the above technique works pretty well.

 

Exactly what I was thinking.

Okay, I'll try these ideas. Yes, I shake the measuring cup for the flour so I'm probably getting too much. In fact, my girls learned in their nutrition class how to tap the measuring cup with a knife to help it settle so you can fit more into the cup. I also use margarine, not butter, so I'll buy that too. I live in GA, so I'm sure that doesn't affect my cooking. I don't even know what my cookie sheets are made of. I don't have expensive ones, but I didn't buy the cheapest either. Thank you for giving me some ideas! Now I'm looking forward to Saturday so we can bake some more cookies. :)

 

Aack. They were taught the wrong way to measure flour!

 

I also agree with using butter, not margarine.

[redsquirrel]

No, please don't pack the cup of flour for cookies, bread or cake. Please just don't. Now, a knife may be used to level the cup, but not tamp it down.

 

Bready cookies might also be due to over mixing. If you mix to much you will get the gluten all in a tangle and that will make them tough.

 

I strongly suggest you watch Alton Brown's Good Eats episode called "Three chips for Sister Marsha" In it, he makes chocolate chip cookies three ways, thin, puffy and chewy. He explains what kind of kitchen chemistry causes what kind of cookie.

 

Here are the recipes:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/good-eats/three-chips-for-sister-marsha/index.html

 

But, it is worth your time to find the episode to get the whole idea and see him make the cookies

 

Here is the transcript of the show:

http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/season3/Cookie/CookieTranscript.htm

 

Gosh I love the interwebs!

[Blueridge]

Maybe you're making your ball size portions too big. If you want large cookies and start with a large ball of dough, they will stay tall and taste doughy when baked. Either make teaspoon size balls, or larger tablespoon size balls need to be slightly flattened with sugared or floured fingers or the base of a glass to completely cook through.

[Ellesmere]

I am glad weighing or watching how your measure has been mentioned. One of my baking books specifically bases measurements on a 5 oz. cup of flour while KAF uses a 4.25 oz cup. In certain recipes, it can make quite a difference.

 

I also like the Alton Brown episode on cookies.

 

Here is a link to King Arthur Flour's primer on measuring. Probably more than you want to know but you can skip on down to the parts that are important to you. They also have a lot of step-by-step cookie recipes on their blog.

 

If you ever do weigh ingredients, or need conversions, here is a chart for a lot of ingredients.

[Night Elf]

Well I would have never thought that a cup of flour could be a certain weight. I just use measuring cups! I hate cooking. It's all so complicated. DH does all of the cooking in our family.

[nmoira]

Well I would have never thought that a cup of flour could be a certain weight. I just use measuring cups! I hate cooking. It's all so complicated. DH does all of the cooking in our family.

 

I use +/-1g postage scale (weighs up to 5kg) in the kitchen. It's also handy for sticky wet ingredients like honey.

[QueenCat]

Well I would have never thought that a cup of flour could be a certain weight. I just use measuring cups! I hate cooking. It's all so complicated. DH does all of the cooking in our family.

 

I've never weighed my flour, for bread or cookies. They turn out fine using advice I gave you above.

[happi duck]

I'm clueless but chiming in because once I messed up cookies because I confused baking powder and baking soda...could that be the problem?

[I talk to the trees]

It may be how you are measuring the flour. You don't want the flour to settle or be compacted, or you will wind up with too much volume. Think of it like this...you get more brown sugar in a 1/2 cup if you "pack it" than you do if you just scoop it in. Flour has a tendency to compact as it sits, and if you just scoop it out, or cause it to settle (by shaking the cup to level) you're going getting more flour than is needed, because it clumps together firmly.

 

When measuring flour, use a large spoon and gently "shake" the flour into your measuring cup until you have a mound. Don't shake the measuring cup to flatten the measure, instead, use the backside of a knife to scrape away the extra.

 

The most accurate way to measure flour is by weight, but the above technique works pretty well.

 

I agree with this explanation. However, just to be sure, I think you need to box up all of your future batches and send them to me......for testing.....you know, quality control. ;)

[Kebo]

IN SUMMARY

Subtle variations in the course of a recipe can steer a cookie to some deliciously different places.

For thin and crisp cookies, take your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, add a little extra soda, replace some or all of eggs with milk, up the ratio of white to brown sugar and use butter rather than shortening. •add soda

•replace 1 egg with milk

•high ratio white:brown

sugar

•use butter

Thin & Crisp If your tastes run to the soft and cakey, use cake flour, baking powder rather than soda, and shortening instead of butter. Chilling the batter and scooping on the small side will add to the puff factor, too. •cake flour

•baking powder

Soft And chewy cookies call for melting the butter, holding back on the egg whites and using more, if not all, brown sugar. •melt butter

•bread flour

Chewy

 

The above chart is from Alton Brown from a program he did on cookie preferences. I have heard elsewhere that too much egg can make cookies cake, so you might try using smaller eggs, or substituting milk for one of them, as mentioned in the chart above.

 

Sorry for the funky graphics ...... I don't know how to fix that : )

 

ETA: OK, I just realized this chart is seriously hard to read (I cut and pasted), but if you google Alton Brown Crispy and Chewy Cookies, you should find the chart in readable form....

[kitten18]

I use +/-1g postage scale (weighs up to 5kg) in the kitchen. It's also handy for sticky wet ingredients like honey.

I agree. When I print baking recipes from sites like allrecipes I often convert them to metric so I can weigh the ingredients on my food scale.

[Ellesmere]

I've never weighed my flour, for bread or cookies. They turn out fine using advice I gave you above.

 

My mom has baked for years and is very good at it. She's never measured by weight, either.

 

My dad doesn't bake much but has one thing he makes once a year. It comes out different every time. I watched him and he's not at all exact about anything. He'll use liquid cups for dry ingredients and vice versa. The recipe is very forgiving so whatever he makes, it is always good. But he rarely makes it the same way twice and knowing the recipe, he'd get consistent results if he either weighed or measured consistently. But no one cares that the final result is always a bit of a surprise.

 

He's mentioned his mom made bread just tossing ingredients together. It was always good.

 

Just my opinion -- I think some recipes are more forgiving, some bakers are better able to tell as they go if they need to adjust, and if someone is consistent measuring one way or another, they are more likely to hit it. But if someone is really having issues, is using a fussy recipe, or just wants to be nerdy about baking, weighing is a nice option.

 

If I could bake like my mom, I would, but I can't. And so I end up weighing most ingredients.

[Arcadia]

I strongly suggest you watch Alton Brown's Good Eats episode called "Three chips for Sister Marsha" In it, he makes chocolate chip cookies three ways, thin, puffy and chewy. He explains what kind of kitchen chemistry causes what kind of cookie.

 

But, it is worth your time to find the episode to get the whole idea and see him make the cookies

 

Because of your suggestion, I am watching the episode on youtube

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MYuXRaW0B0

[besroma]

 

 

I have no idea how to do that. I just set the temp control on my oven and assume it's working the way it's supposed to.

 

 

You can purchase an oven thermometer at Lowe's or on Amazon. They are not expensive, and ovens can be off by quite a bit.

 

We make the same recipe regularly. We buy the huge bag of chips!

 

We use unbleached AP flour (placed in measuring cup by spooning it in, then leveled with a knife). We use 1/2 Crisco, 1/2 butter. I never bake with margarine.

 

Also, remember to pack the brown sugar and watch carefully regarding the use of baking soda versus baking powder. This can make a big difference.

[jenn-]

Make sure you are using all purpose flour and not self rising.

[redsquirrel]

I am so glad you found that episode on YouTube! I love it.

[thebacabunch]

Lots of good advice and you will learn a lot from AB. Just want to add that shortening or margarine make puffy cookies. Butter is the only way to go. I never weigh. I never overmix either.

[Shamzanne]

Another secret to ooey gooey cookies - don't overbake! For the Nestle tollhouse recipe I usually take them out at 8 minutes when they're still not completely set, and use a good spatula to scoop them onto paper towels laying on the counter. Weird, I know. It keeps them together as opposed to putting a gooey cookie onto a cooling rack. They do firm up enough but they retain their gooeyness.

 

On a side note, I just made these cookies with pomegranate arils in them and they are fantastic!

[lollie010]

Another secret to ooey gooey cookies - don't overbake! For the Nestle tollhouse recipe I usually take them out at 8 minutes when they're still not completely set, and use a good spatula to scoop them onto paper towels laying on the counter. Weird, I know. It keeps them together as opposed to putting a gooey cookie onto a cooling rack. They do firm up enough but they retain their gooeyness.

 

On a side note, I just made these cookies with pomegranate arils in them and they are fantastic!

 

 

I agree. Undercooking is the way to go. The problem is that you have to wait for them to cool and firm up before sampling.

[Night Elf]

 

I agree with this explanation. However, just to be sure, I think you need to box up all of your future batches and send them to me......for testing.....you know, quality control. ;)

 

 

And have someone else critique my bready cookies on the board? I'd lose my 'cool' status! :coolgleamA:

[Night Elf]

Because of your suggestion, I am watching the episode on youtube

 

 

This was very helpful. Thanks. That's the guy from Iron Chef: Redemption, my favorite Food Network show right now. Cool!