ISO: ISO Cookie Problems, again...

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dawnnys

Well-known member
I just wanted to follow up on my "puffy cookie" dilemma I am still having. I posted a request for flatter cookie techniques a few weeks ago, and several batches later, I am still getting golf ball-shaped cookies!

My mother used to make these, and she says she made them the same way, but SOMEthing is wrong! They just don't look (or taste) the same way, and I can't figure out why.

First, I tried reducing the amount of baking soda. I reduced it from 1 tsp to 1/4 tsp, and I think it almost made them more domed-shape. Is that possible?

Next time, I tried reducing the flour a little bit. The texture was better (nice and light) but they were still hard on the outside (Mom's never were). The oven temp is 400 for 8 minutes. Would a reduction of temperature help me any?

Then I decided to use cooking spray on the cookie sheet (aluminum-covered). Buttered it, no change. Oiled it, same results.

I even increased the shortening in the recipe a little, hoping it would flatten 'em out. Nope.

Then this morning I even took a spatula and physically flattened the dough (which actually is supposed to look more like batter, so I should have known...). The went in the oven pretty flat, but they popped up while there were in there to become domed again.

How can I make them flatter? Would a substitution to baking POWDER make a difference (I would think that would be a stronger "puffing"/leavening agent?)

How do I tame these little cookies that are trying their darndest to frustrate me? I have seen advice on how to get cookies to STOP spreading, but I want them to spread more, and it *seems* I am doing things the right way!

There are supposed to look like this: (see link)

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cookingforengineers.com/hello/259/958/640/DSC_1144_crop.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php%3Fid%3D58&h=406&w=640&sz=75&hl=en&start=79&tbnid=Boc7GyirwrXUgM:&tbnh=85&tbnw=135&prev=/

 
LOL! You crack me up Dawn!

Sometimes, I want certain cookies to look like that dome shaped gold ball you have!

I have a shortbready cookie that stays kinda puffy like that. I've posted it for comparison, but these are baked long and at a very long time, which is what I thought preserved the shape. Not sure about yours, since you're baking at such a high temp.

Could it be the baking powder? I know there's single and double acting kinds, and the double causes more oven spring, I think, but I'm not experienced to know if that would cause your problem. (Ask you mom what kind she's using, then buy the exact same one smileys/smile.gif

See what kind of shortening she's using too. I thought shortening would not melt like butter would, so you'd get puffy cookies (maybe she uses butter...?)

Could you be overmixing the dough, and whipping some air into it?

If all else fails, try this shortbread one instead smileys/smile.gif

Noah Bedoahs
From Rosie’s All-Butter Fresh Cream Sugar
Packed No-Holds-Barred Baking Book

“One of my favorites, these are mounds of
shortbread with chocolate chips and
walnuts. They bake low and long to achieve
a wonderfully crunchy texture.”

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons cups all-
purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat the oven to 275ºF. Line 2 cookie
sheets with parchment or leave them
ungreased.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt
together into a small bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed,
cream the butter and sugar together in a
medium size mixing bowl until are light and
fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the mixer
to scrape the bowl several times with a
rubber spatula.

Add the dry ingredients on low speed and
continue to blend for 10 seconds. Increase
the speed to medium-high and beat until
fluffy 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Scrape the bowl.

Add the chocolate chips and nuts with
several turns of the mixer, then complete
the mixing by hand with a wooden spoon.

Measure out generously rounded tablespoons
of dough and roll them into balls you’re
your hands.

Place the balls 1 1/2 inches apart on the
cookie sheets, and press them down lightly
to form a flat bottom.. (I just used my
cookie scoop, and scraped off the excess
dough on the side of the bowl. Then I set
the flat side onto the sheet. You leave the
top nicely mounded.)

Bake the cookies until they are crunchy and
golden, about 1 hour. To test for doneness,
remove one cookie from the sheet and cut it
in half. There should be no doughy strip in
the center. Allow the cookie to cool on a
rack.

Makes 15 cookies.

 
The picture was misleading... it isn't a peanut butter cookie recipe, but...

was a molasses cookie. I think maybe I was skimping on the sugar content a little, which may have caused them to puff up (I later read).

Funny, Sandi, I was going to try cooking them at a lower temperature, for a longer time, thinking that maybe the heat would make them spread out before they started to bake, but after your suggestion, I am not sure that would work.

No baking powder, either, we both use/used just plain old Arm and Hammer baking soda.

Same shortening, Crisco. But butter might melt and make them flatter, good idea.

 
Hi Lisa, not pb, but the REC is inside...

But when I flattened them with a fork, yes, they did puff up (resilient little things, aren't they!).

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/2 cup Crisco, melted
1 tsp cinnamon
nutmeg, clove, allspice to taste (~1/4 tsp each)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder (I reduced to 1/4 tsp)

Bake at 400F on a greased tin for 8 minutes.

(Might try 325 or 350F for 10-12 minutes.)

 
Dawn, can I entice you to try a different recipe? REC: Susan's Ginger Cookies

I really, really like these cookies -they have the perfect amount of spice, and I love the texture.

They look a little similar to your cookies. But these are refrigerated, then rolled into balls, and rolled in sugar before baking.

I've done it as refrigerator cookies, too, but still rolled the slices in sugar. I keep the cookies really small, and have never tried to make bigger cookies.

If I'm careful with the timing, I can get soft chewy cookies, but since that means cooking each batch for 6 minutes, I gotta work pretty fast.

I try to roll all the balls, and place them on a plate, so that as the cookie sheets free up, I can just place the rolled balls onto the sheet, and into the oven they go.

Ginger Cookies
Makes about 8 dozen little cookies

3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup light molasses
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
Extra sugar, for rolling cookies in

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in egg and molasses. Sift remaining ingredients together, and add to butter mixture. Mix until just incorporated.

Place dough on sheet of plastic wrap, and form into a flat square, about ¾” thick. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut dough into ¾” cubes. Roll each cube into a small ball. Roll balls in extra sugar.

Bake on lightly greased (or Silpat-lined) cookie sheet 8 to 10 minutes (or about 6 minutes for chewy cookies.) Let cookies rest on sheets for about 2 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

 
No Lisa, thought that would make them puffy. But I'm about done trying to fix these. They taste good

even though they aren't the shape I wanted, and I guess that's the important thing. Great warmed in the microwave for 10 seconds, topped with a blob of whipped cream!!

 
Hmm, I think so. I just cut and pasted from my hard drive - I'm 99% sure it's right

I haven't made these in a little while, so I'll make them again, and let you know.

Now that has me wondering - I wonder if MORE baking soda woulda worked on your cookies?

Maybe that'll make it puff up really high, and then fall down, and crinkle and flatten, kinda like snickerdoodles...?

 
Maybe... but the experimental cookie lab is temporarily closed (lol), the cookies trials...

are doing a number on my weight loss! Please do let me know about your recipe though, when you get a chance. Thanks.

 
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