Cookies are a microcosm of cooking chemistry and a few fixes can turn them into the puffed, mounds of goodness you crave. Privacy Policy ), but if you have a problem with flat cookies after your first batch, you may need to wash away residual grease between batches. They melt at different temperatures and each has a different percentage of fat. Of course, your cookies didn’t turn out–you didn’t follow the recipe! Learn how to measure everything from flour and sugar to honey and shortening. If you’re like me, you’ll dovetail steps to make the least amount of dirty dishes humanly possible. Do you swap ingredients willy-nilly with complete disregard for how that recipe became tried and true? What to do instead: Always preheat your oven and invest in a good oven thermometer. Use a high-protein flour such as all-purpose or bread flour and your cookie turns out flat. Cookies are a microcosm of cooking chemistry and a few fixes can turn them into the puffed, mounds of goodness you crave. Copyright © You should also switch from baking soda to baking powder because the acidic nature of the baking powder means the cookies spread less. I’m not going to go so far as to say wash the sheets between batches (ugh! , Fine Cooking: Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies, PARTNER & LICENSEE OF THE LIVESTRONG FOUNDATION. Chilled dough, especially if it contains butter, melts more slowly when it encounters the heat of the oven -- limiting spread. If you’re out of eggs, though, there are some legit egg substitutes to use in a pinch. What to do instead: Use a large spoon to gently scoop dry ingredients into a measuring cup, then level off with the flat side of a butter knife. She’s a mom, a foodie and enjoys being active in her rural Wisconsin community. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the LIVESTRONG.COM Andrea Boldt has been in the fitness industry for more than 20 years. Chocolate chip cookies that have a high butter content and too much liquid tend to spread as they bake. For final assurance that your cookies avoid flattening out during cooking, chill the dough before it goes in the oven. Plus, residual grease left on the sheet from the previous batch can lead to too much spread. The LIVESTRONG Foundation and LIVESTRONG.COM do not endorse The material appearing on LIVESTRONG.COM is for educational use only. would you use fewer chocolate chips than the recipe called for? What to do instead: Always allow the baking sheets to come to room temperature between batches. When eggs encounter heat, they set and hold the cookie together so they don't spread as much. You know how it goes. But, if you opt for butter, beware -- it melts quickly, which causes the cookies to spread and flatten out. She studied dietetics at the University of Illinois and completed post-graduate studies at the Medical University of South Carolina to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. Granted, most of us have no trouble eating those pitiful-looking sweets, but they’re definitely not potluck-worthy. If this is you asking this question, you’re not alone. Now, you’re ready. For most cookies, there’s enough fat in the dough to keep them from sticking to your baking sheets—no greasing required. Copyright Policy Why (why!) When that happens, cookies will flatten before they’ve been able to set. Really, it’s important to measure all ingredients correctly, not just the sugar. Chocolate chip cookies that have a high butter content and too much liquid tend to spread as they bake. Adjusting your recipe's liquid and the ingredients that absorb it changes the texture and shape of your cookies. and . If you’re heavy-handed when measuring, that extra sugar means extra liquid and more spread when the cookies bake up in the oven. Leaf Group Ltd. Craving a gooey chocolate chip cookie only to pull … LIVESTRONG.com may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. used as a substitute for professional medical advice, That’s cookie blasphemy. If you want to soften butter quickly, cut it into small pieces and let it stand for just 15 minutes instead of using the microwave, where it’s more likely to get too soft. You know what I’m talking about: It was the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe, the dough tasted delicious, and you used a #60 cookie scoop just like a professional, but when you took them out of the oven they looked more like lace cookies than something from Mrs. Fields. The batter may hold together as it bakes, but it won't puff. Don't worry if the batter seems almost runny from the added egg when you form the cookies on the sheet to bake; the cookies will puff rather than spread. After all, at one time, it was developed with love and a specific ingredient combination to give great results every time. Check out recipes inspired by Grandma's cookie jar. ), but if you have a problem with flat cookies after your first batch, you may need to … Go preheat the oven, set out the butter to soften (but not too much), and bake up a batch of perfectly puffed cookies that you’d totally sneak from Grandma’s cookie jar. If it does, just a light coating of cooking spray will do the trick. Have you ever felt the disappointment of flat cookies? It should not be Cake flour or low-protein Southern flours, popular in the Southern region of the United States, absorb less water from the liquid ingredients in the batter and thus leaves that water in the dough to steam during baking which turns out a puffed, cakier cookie. If they’re greased unnecessarily, the dough will flatten too much as it bakes. An extra egg in the batter causes a cookie to puff, writes Shirley O. Corriher in "Cookwise." Peggy is a Senior Food Editor for Taste of Home. LIVESTRONG is a registered trademark of the LIVESTRONG Foundation. If butter has gone beyond the perfect level of softness, it will melt faster in the oven. If your pans are still hot from the previous batch, the fat in the dough will start melting even before the cookies hit the oven. For puffed cookies, cut sugar by a few tablespoons. 2020 A personal trainer, run coach, group fitness instructor and master yoga teacher, she also holds certifications in holistic and fitness nutrition. What to do instead: Always allow the baking sheets to come to room temperature between batches. ----- The most important part of our job is creating informational content. diagnosis or treatment. any of the products or services that are advertised on the web site. Cornstarch Instead Flour • Why do my chocolate chip cookies go flat? If your oven is too hot, the fat melts faster than the cookie is able to set up, and you end up with pancake cookies. If you use margarine instead of butter or butter instead of shortening, chances are you’re going to be disappointed with the results. Got grimy baking sheets? What to do instead: Grease baking sheets only if the recipe says so. Even new ovens can be incorrectly calibrated, so check the actual temperature every time you put a pan in the oven. What to do instead: Use what’s called for in the recipe. Mine, on the other hand, used to look like chocolate chip pancakes – until I figured out why.. At times, you’re actually meant to have flat cookies, like with our oatmeal lace desserts. Too much sugar makes a cookie crisp and thin. Note that Southern flours already have leavening added, so if you choose to use them adjust your recipe accordingly. Shortening-based cookies spread less, so consider replacing some or all of the butter in your recipe with shortening to keep your chocolate chip cookies puffy. Peggy has nearly 20 years of experience in the industry. What to do instead: If you’re short on the ingredient called for, mix and match add-ins to equal the total volume called for in the recipe. Learn how to measure everything from flour and sugar to honey and shortening. Sugar is solid at room temperature, but liquefies when heated. Kitchens tend to get heated up during any baking extravaganza, which means the butter you left on the counter to soften might just get too soft. Take caution, though, when reusing the same baking sheets. I’m not going to go so far as to say wash the sheets between batches (ugh! If there’s one question I get as I share cookie recipes for all the world to see, it’s “Why are my cookies flat?”. Are you a serial substituter? Terms of Use This Holiday Oreo Cookie Tin Is Packed with Fudge-Covered Oreos, This Is Our First Contest-Winning Recipe Ever, How to Make the Best Almond Macaroon Cookies, Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. Whether you decreased the amount called for because you ran out and didn’t want to run to the store (poor excuse), or you were trying to save a few calories (worse excuse)—don’t do it.