Cookie Baking Question

[disneyfanatic60]

I consider myself to be a very good cookie baker. I've baked since I was a little kid with my Mom. We makes "thousands" of cookies each holiday season.

In the past few years, I've had problems that I had not experienced in the past. My cookies (especially choc. chip--tollhouse recipe) are spreading and getting real thin!

I have done/checked:

1. My maragarine (not using light or whipped, etc.) Last year I even tried the baking butter sticks by LOL and still had some problems.

2. My oven temperature (bought a good thermometer and tested my oven at various temps)

3. I always chill my dough. I prefer to make all my dough and put in the refrigerator and then bake as I have time. Last year, I tried not chilling the choc. chip cookies and it helped some but not much.

4. I leave the margarine out a few hours before using it. I don't micro it to soften or anything. I'm wondering if I should just use it straight out of the refrigerator?

Any help or suggestions? I'm mind-boggled.


Michele

 

[camlace]

What type of flour do you use? I've always used Gold Medal flour and recently a friend suggested I try King Arthur flour. While the KA flour was better in my cakes, it was awful in my cookies...all of my cookies that where previously thick and full of texture came out thin and flat. So needless to say I went back to Gold Medal for baking cookies

 

[QuiltTeddy]

I don't use margarine - only use butter. You might try making that change.

 

[Jiminy102]

You may be over mixing. This type of problem tends to happen when you over mix. I know it does with butter anyway!!

 

[piratesmate]

Also check your baking soda/powder. How long have you had it? Once I was trying to be cheap & used what I had - even though I knew it was pretty old. Once I got the new box/can, everything was fine.

 

[TN Traveler]

Oh my gosh, Michele, I have had the EXACT same problem in the last couple of years!! I have always made AWESOME choco chip cookies--even had people call me and beg me to make cookies for them. But in the last 2 or 3 years I don't know what has happened. They just aren't as good anymore. They spread out and get real thin.
This year I decided to use Land of Lakes butter (mom's recommendation), a brand new box of brown sugar, a brand new bag of Martha White self rising flour and brand new bag of chips. I'll see how it goes this weekend when I make them and let y'all know.

Isn't that strange thought, we have both have the same problem!!

 

[disneyfanatic60]

Well, you have all given me some good things to look at. I generally do use Gold Medal flour. The overmixing might be the problem. I do mix all my cookies with the mixer. However, weird that it really only happens with my choc. chip cookies. I did try the baking butter by LOL last year and didn't help too much. I always buy new baking soda/powder every year since I do make so many cookies.

I had really thought the problem was with the oven. That's why I bought an oven thermometer. I thought my oven (despite being fairly new) runs about 25 degrees hotter so I just adjust my temperature accordingly. I thought the oven might be too hot and they spread faster.

It's certainly got me baffled. I've tried all different things and the result is pretty much the same. I've always used the same Toll House recipe so it's not that. I guess we'll know this weekend when the baking begins.

Thanks everyone!

Michele

 

[piratesmate]

Just a thought....if your first tray comes out thin again try taking a bit of the dough & add some more flour. Bake those & see if there is an improvement.

I got to thinking about this & realized that my cookies tend to come out thinner when DD helps. She still does the exact measuring technique taught in home-ec at school....you know, spoon the flour into the cup, level with a knife. OTOH, I just dip the measuring cup in the cannister & scoop some flour. To level it, I generally just "shake off" the excess. All of those things are wrong - I know I end up packing more flour in than doing it correctly, but I also don't get the thinner cookies like DD sometimes gets.

Just a thought.

 

[hockeymom7691]

I agree with adding more flour. I also use the Tollhouse Recipe, I don't use any particular kind of butter or flour, I use a mixer, etc.

I add in extra flour right from the start. Of course I can't tell you how much because I don't measure it, but I'm guessing about 1/4 - 1/3 cup.

 

[bclydia]

The only thought I had, was do you allow your cookie sheets to cool before putting more batter on them and re-using them? If the pans are still warm, they can cause the dough to melt and thin out too quickly resulting in thin cookies.
Let us know how it goes!

 

[disneyfanatic60]

I never use hot cookie sheets. I'm always good about that. Hmmm--I think I will use extra flour when I first make the cookies. I've always done a "test" cookie and then added some extra flour which sometimes helps. I never really thought about just adding a little more to my recipes. I can include myself as one of those that just shakes the measuring cup around--no exact measuring here! I think I'm going to have to try this.

One thought--does anyone chill the dough first? If so, do you bake while cold out of the refrigerator or do you let it come back up to room temp? I always put all my dough in the refrigerator and bake it cold during this time of the year. As I said, I make all my doughs one day (get all the mess done once) and then bake a few dozen at a time when time permits.

 

[RumpleMom]

I have noticed the same thing with my Nestle recipe, so I switched to the Ultimate chocolate chip recipe using Crisco. Wouldn't you know half the family likes the new recipe because the cookies aren't flat and half the family likes the flat cookies. So what do I do? Now I bake both recipes to keep everyone happy.

 

[disneyfanatic60]

Well, I did my baking yesterday. I started out on a very good note. Then--the chocolate chip cookies go into the oven. I'll be darn--I added more flour and they still fell flat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What's a girl to do???? I added more flour and turned my oven down about 5 degrees and it worked! I finally had some very nice chocolate chip cookies. Only lost the first tray so that wasn't bad! All my other cookies came out great (made over 1000--not kidding--in two days and a danish puff).

Michele