Cookie baker failure

[Night Elf]

We can't make good chocolate chip cookies. We've tried at least 3 recipes. They just never turn out the way we think a cookie should be. So now we decided to try a sugar cookie recipe. And it didn't turn out either! I'm going back to cupcakes that we can do well.

[kewb]

I find that weather can have an effect on my cookies.  Also, some people just have the knack.  I make excellent cookies.  Cake-not so much.  The cake is serviceable but somehow is missing that something that makes it wow.

[Farrar]

I find that this is the most forgiving cookie recipe I routinely bake:

https://asarcasticappetite.wordpress.com/tag/sara-foster/

 

The America's Test Kitchen recipes tend to be pretty good - detailed enough to get you through. I wish I could find the older version of their chocolate chip cookie recipe. I find that one was pretty easy to get right. It had melted butter and an extra egg yolk.

[Guest]

Try this webpage- Ultimate Cookie Troubleshooting Guide. It might help you figure out what your ideal is and how to get it:

 

http://www.handletheheat.com/ultimate-cookie-troubleshooting-guide/

Edited May 8, 2017 by texasmom33

[unsinkable]

I find that this is the most forgiving cookie recipe I routinely bake:

https://asarcasticappetite.wordpress.com/tag/sara-foster/

 

The America's Test Kitchen recipes tend to be pretty good - detailed enough to get you through. I wish I could find the older version of their chocolate chip cookie recipe. I find that one was pretty easy to get right. It had melted butter and an extra egg yolk.

Ive made that one. I use a library book but this recipe looks right: ( the picture doesn't...I don't think they were that flat and thin)

 

http://www.food.com/amp/recipe/perfect-chocolate-chip-cookies-americas-test-kitchen-387119

[Carol in Cal.]

It's so individual.

For sugar cookies, the best advice I have ever seen is to use powdered sugar rather than flour to dust the rolling pin and board.  That way the dough doesn't get tougher.

 

I usually like most cookies doughs better than the actual cookies, and Ree's chocolate chip cookie recipe gives the best tasting dough I have ever had.  The cookies that you bake from it are not as good, IMO, as the ones from the back of the Hershey's bag, but the dough itself--wow.

[goldberry]

Altitude?  I have trouble where I live 8500 ft.  Moved two years ago from 9500!

[Farrar]

Ive made that one. I use a library book but this recipe looks right: ( the picture doesn't...I don't think they were that flat and thin)

 

http://www.food.com/amp/recipe/perfect-chocolate-chip-cookies-americas-test-kitchen-387119

 

That's the one I turned up when I looked, but the one I use is older, I think. Also from a book. It's a huge recipe, but it has four eggs (or, two eggs and two yolks) and three cups of flour. And you can just melt the butter in the microwave - you don't have to brown it.

 

ETA: Found it! I recalled the name of the cookie:

https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/cookies/big-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

Edited May 8, 2017 by Farrar

[kitten18]

What do you want the cookies to look like?

 

I like flat, greasy chocolate chip cookies. I was always very happy with the Toll House recipe using butter and measuring flour by gently scooping it into the measuring cup so I didn't have too much flour. We've been GF for years now so I haven't made them in a long time.

 

I was a Home Ec teacher and had my students use that recipe. I always knew they didn't follow the measuring directions if their cookies were puffy.

[Guest]

What do you want the cookies to look like?

 

I like flat, greasy chocolate chip cookies. I was always very happy with the Toll House recipe using butter and measuring flour by gently scooping it into the measuring cup so I didn't have too much flour. We've been GF for years now so I haven't made them in a long time.

 

I was a Home Ec teacher and had my students use that recipe. I always knew they didn't follow the measuring directions if their cookies were puffy.

Those are my faves as well. They turn out just about anywhere!

[Night Elf]

My cookies are bready and flat. I threw out all my ingredients and bought all new stuff and that didn't help.

 

Our altitude is about 1200 feet according to my DH.

[Closeacademy]

This one truly makes the perfect chocolate chip cookie.  The others I tried were not good but this one turns out every time if you follow the steps exactly. It's a bit more to follow and it's not a just dump everything in together type of recipe but they are so good. We like to make them with a mix of chocolate and butterscotch chips.

[Peaceseeker]

I had a few hit or miss years with chocolate chip cookies and I was tired of the inconsistency! I did some research and found out that they do much better if you chill the dough for at least 2-3 hours before baking. I haven't had any problems since, except the one time I was lazy and microwaved the butter instead of letting it soften.

 

Not sure if that is your issue but you might try chilling your chocolate chip cookie dough a few hours or even overnight and see if they come out better.

[bibiche]

Invest in a kitchen scale.

[Peaceseeker]

If they are too bread like it may be too much flour. I use a small spoon to scoop out of the flour bag and gently shake the flour off the spoon into a measuring cup then swipe the top off flat with a knife. You don't want compressed, packed cups of flour for baking. Measuring with a scale is the most precise way for baking, but scooping and shaking gets some air into the flour and it usually works fine.

 

If the cookies are flat and all your rising ingredients are fresh (baking soda, powder, etc..) then chilling the dough for a few hours before baking may help.

[JudoMom]

My chocolate chip cookies get gobbled up. My mom (hers get devoured as well) taught me to use the Toll House cookie recipe, except use vegetable shortening instead of butter. I grew up making it in West TN, and now make them at 6000 feet. Just don't overbake.

[unsinkable]

That's the one I turned up when I looked, but the one I use is older, I think. Also from a book. It's a huge recipe, but it has four eggs (or, two eggs and two yolks) and three cups of flour. And you can just melt the butter in the microwave - you don't have to brown it.

 

ETA: Found it! I recalled the name of the cookie:

https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/dessert/cookies/big-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

That's the one I've made. I get that book from the library often...and I remember the ratio of brown to white sugar was like that.

[Carol in Cal.]

My cookies are bready and flat. I threw out all my ingredients and bought all new stuff and that didn't help.

 

Our altitude is about 1200 feet according to my DH.

 

It sounds like you are beating the dough too much and/or at too high a speed after adding the flour, triggering the gluten to kick in and also losing much of the action of the baking powder.  If you try just gently mixing in the flour, and not mixing for very long (juuuust enough to get it blended in, barely), I'll bet your recipe will work.  Also, your oven temperature may be 'off'.  For baking I usually check oven temp with one of those hanging thermometers.  It's surprising how much they vary.

[Rebel Yell]

My no-fail recipe involves frozen dough from Gordon Food Service.

 

I hate baking cookies, I hate washing all of the measuring cups/spoons, mixing bowls, and everything else. But I love fresh-baked cookies. Preheat oven, break apart dough, bake, cool, eat. Bonus is I can make just few in the toaster oven, or the entire box of 120.

[kitten18]

It sounds like you are beating the dough too much and/or at too high a speed after adding the flour, triggering the gluten to kick in and also losing much of the action of the baking powder. If you try just gently mixing in the flour, and not mixing for very long (juuuust enough to get it blended in, barely), I'll bet your recipe will work. Also, your oven temperature may be 'off'. For baking I usually check oven temp with one of those hanging thermometers. It's surprising how much they vary.

I agree with either too much flour or overmixing.

Make sure you mix your dry ingredients in a separate bowl so you don't have to over mix when you add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.

[TrixieB]

What do you want the cookies to look like?

 

I like flat, greasy chocolate chip cookies. I was always very happy with the Toll House recipe using butter and measuring flour by gently scooping it into the measuring cup so I didn't have too much flour. We've been GF for years now so I haven't made them in a long time.

 

I was a Home Ec teacher and had my students use that recipe. I always knew they didn't follow the measuring directions if their cookies were puffy.

 

I like soft puffy chocolate chip cookies!  How do I "unfollow" the measuring directions?  My cookies always turn out flat and crispy.

[Carol in Cal.]

I like soft puffy chocolate chip cookies!  How do I "unfollow" the measuring directions?  My cookies always turn out flat and crispy.

 

Back off the baking time by two minutes, and make your dough balls a little bigger, maybe 1/3 bigger.  I'll bet that will fix both things.

 

[kitten18]

I like soft puffy chocolate chip cookies! How do I "unfollow" the measuring directions? My cookies always turn out flat and crispy.

Add more flour.

[Night Elf]

I can see us overmixing. I didn't realize that was a thing.

 

I have a kitchen scale but I can't think of any of my recipes that give weights instead of cups/teaspoons, etc.

[kitten18]

I can see us overmixing. I didn't realize that was a thing.

 

I have a kitchen scale but I can't think of any of my recipes that give weights instead of cups/teaspoons, etc.

It's easy to find conversions.

I usually use measuring spoons for small amounts.

I like to use a scale for cups, especially liquids because I don't want to wash a liquid measuring cup.

 

On some websites like allrecipes you can view the recipe in metric, those would be weights.

[kitten18]

This site does conversions for you.

 

http://m.convert-me.com/en/convert/cooking/?u=v.cup&v=1

[kitten18]

Different types of flours have different weights.

 

1 cup of all purpose flour should weigh about 120g.

 

 

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.html

Edited May 9, 2017 by kitten18

[kiana]

I can see us overmixing. I didn't realize that was a thing.

 

I have a kitchen scale but I can't think of any of my recipes that give weights instead of cups/teaspoons, etc.

 

Overmixing is very easy w/cookies. 

 

Depending on the age of the book the conversion factor for cups to ounces w/flour (the one where it really matters) will vary. Since the recipe you're using isn't working anyway it may be better to just get a recipe tested for weight measurements. King Arthur's website is one that will convert all their recipes to weight for you. If you are scooping the flour directly out of the bag you're almost certainly getting too much.

[Tanaqui]

I can see us overmixing. I didn't realize that was a thing.

 

Oh, yeah. The girls have a habit of overmixing when they make pancakes. Bad enough when they use the all purpose, but when they accidentally used the bread flour - completely inedible!

 

If you tend to overmix, you can try looking up recipes that don't use wheat flour. Grain free = no gluten. Bad for bread, good for pastries!

 

[KatieJ]

It does sound like it is your method rather than your recipes.

 

Americas test kitchen has detailed recipe . Give them a try.

 

Or try the flourless peanut butter cookies, or the Monster cookies which don't have flour either, just oatmeal.

 

My mom taught me, shortening , sugar,and then eggs.

 

Cream your shortening, add in the sugar and mix that well, then the the eggs, again mixing in well.

 

I can post recipes later if you need them.

[Jann in TX]

I have finally mastered chocolate chip cookies.

 

I use the Toll House recipe and real butter (not shortening or margarine).  I use a stand mixer and VERY soft butter.  I let the sugar and butter combine until very fluffy on a medium/high speed.  It is important that the sugar starts to dissolve.

 

The biggest secret I found was to go a bit lighter on the sugar-- just a tablespoon or so less of the white and brown.  I also FLUFF my flour before I measure-- you do NOT want to pack it- best if you spoon it into the measure cup just until it reaches the top... I used to just 'scoop and dump'-- I measured it on a scale once and this old method was adding too much!

 

I mix in the flour at low speed just until mixed.

 

I will admit I have a secret ingredient-- homemade vanilla (my current batch is over 2 years old and is spectacular!)-- I put at least 2 tsp in.

 

I bake on a baking stone too...and use a cookie scoop (small 'icecream' scoop)

 

Before the above my cookies were either 'bready' or flat and greasy... I want moist and chewy... and that is what I get all of the time now.

Edited May 9, 2017 by Jann in TX

[bibiche]

We can't make good chocolate chip cookies. We've tried at least 3 recipes. They just never turn out the way we think a cookie should be. So now we decided to try a sugar cookie recipe. And it didn't turn out either! I'm going back to cupcakes that we can do well.

https://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/baking-tips/cookie-troubleshooting-guide

[kiana]

You know, if you still have trouble after these tips, my next idea would be to contact a friend who makes amazing cookies and say "Could you possibly come over here and SHOW me how you make those delicious ____? I will buy the ingredients and compensate you with wine/cheese/whatever else would be a reasonable compensation for the friend you have in mind." They can illustrate what it means to mix "just enough" and precisely how they measure flour. 

[marbel]

This may be more detailed than anyone wants, but this article from King Arthur Flour gets into the chemistry and how to achieve different types of chocolate chip cookies.

 

I agree with those who say overmixing and possibly too much flour are the problem.   

[Carol in Cal.]

OH!  If you're out of vanilla, use brandy.  Just in general.  The chemistry is the same, and it gives a good, complex flavor.

[heartlikealion]

I think this is the recipe dh uses:

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/15004/award-winning-soft-chocolate-chip-cookies

 

I don't always like soft cookies, but I liked these.

[unsinkable]

I think this is the recipe dh uses:

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/15004/award-winning-soft-chocolate-chip-cookies

 

I don't always like soft cookies, but I liked these.

bb

 

It is funny that you posted that bc I was thinking that cookies with cornstarch or pudding mix make soft Cakey cookies

[Carol in Cal.]

To the OP:

How I know about over mixing is a funny story.

 

In my FOO, we had a Mixmaster.  Those older ones had actual labels on the speed dial to help you choose the appropriate speed.  "Creaming" is a fast speed.  "Mixing" is slower".  "Beating eggs" is the fastest IIRC.  "Adding flour" is the slowest.

 

So once I was making mint chocolate chip cookies, and put the flour in before the eggs, accidentally.  Naturally I turned the mixer to the beating eggs setting when I added them afterwards.  And the flour just up and pouffed out of the bowl (well, a lot of it did).  I ended up with a thin veneer of green dough in a huge overabundance of chocolate chips, and no rising power at all.

 

Think thin little flat green pancakes with lots of chocolate chips rising up out of them.  :)