I have a confession to make…
I suck at making cookies… And I don't know why, so I need your help…
Every time I make cookies I follow the recipe and my cookies always turn out the same, flat and burned. I try everything I know to do…
I make the dough balls bigger in hopes they don't become so flat – Still burned on the bottom and they become bigger flatter cookies
So I turn the oven down a little – they don't cook
So I turn the over back up and put them on he top rack – they don't cook
So I watch them for the 8-10 minutes they are in there and when the bottom is burning the top is runny so I can't take them out yet.
There is nothing wrong with my oven because I can make perfectly delicious muffins and other things, but not cookies.
I always use margarine instead of butter just to cut down on the fat… is that the problem? How important is it to use butter when you are making cookies.
I just made some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and they are OK but still flat and half of them are overcooked on the bottom and the other half fall apart because they are undercooked.
I want to make cookies that are thick but not too thick, and chewy not crunchy. I want soft but firm cookies like you would buy from a bakery. I have never made cookies like this in my life. What am I doing wrong?
I want to make some Chocolate Chip cookies and come Peanut Butter cookies this weekend. I will use butter and see if it makes a difference.
Any pro cookie makers out there? Got any advice for me? Explain it to me like I am a 4 year old. Got a fool proof recipe for me for Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookies?
Thanks for you help… My kids will appreciate it!
LOL…. I complelely understand. I’ve started letting Brittany be the baker in our house. My mom owned her own bakery and the tip she gave me for Choc Chip Cookies is to use butter favored Crisco instead of butter or marg. Marg apparently makes cookies hard. I’ve tried it and it does work! Now if I could just remember I put them in the oven in the first place….sigh
are you at a higher altitude? if so, you may have to google or something for some tips on adjusting the recipe. maybe lessen the baking soda?
other than that….maybe you could check out getting a high-grade cookie sheet. it makes a bigger difference than you’d think.
It must be you! Ha ha. You know I’m kiddin’. I still can’t make my muffins exactly like yours and I’m following your recipe so I won’t bother giving you advice except to say that margarine instead of butter is fine.
The baking stones work better, without burning, instead of baking sheets. They spread the heat out evenly. Next best thing is an double insulated cookie sheet. But I still prefer a baking stone. And truthfully, as a southern girl, I prefer butter. It makes a difference to me. Butter bakes up flakier. Butter flavored crisco gives the same results as butter…almost.
Lori,
Are you using “low fat” margarine? Because my cookies turn out just as you describe when I use the low fat soft margarine. I think there is more water or something in that type. Regular BECEL should be fine, but I have better luck when I use the hard margarine that comes in those little quarter pound squares.
I’ve never used butter but all the great chefs say to use it, so there must be something to it.
Also, I find when the humidity is high, my cookies are terrible – all runny and crumbly and just sad looking.
Who knew something that is supposed to be so simple to make could be so challenging? Grrr. I used to have good luck with cookies all of the time; now I have good times and bad times. Must be the margarine – I don’t think my technique has changed that much from batch to batch! Good luck.
Why make cookies, my friend tells me that you make the best muffins ever!!!
Do they ship to cali??
For cookies I do use my baking stone, I use half and half, margarine/butter. works perfect!!
Love ya!!
ALWAYS use butter. Margarines (even the good & heart healthy ones) are synthetic and the heating and then cooling of the molocules results in hard cookies. Also – never (ever!) bake cookies as long as a recipe tells you to. If the recipe tells me to bake for 12 minutes, I bake for 6! Really! They come out looking half baked, but similar to the theory of the microwave, they do continue to bake for up to two minutes after removal from the heat. I have (in my humble opinion) the best Ch.Chip Cookie recipe on my blog: http://theheartofapastorswife.blogspot.com
Click on Goossen Kitchen. Or — here:
http://goossenkitchen.blogspot.com/search/label/Cookies
btw – I visit your blog every so often and LOVE what you’re doing.
Kindest Thoughts,
Esthermay
P.S. I’m going to try the baking stone idea. That’s a new one to me.