Cookie disaster HELP!

[cdepauli]

I am baking my cookies (cream cheese, snickerdoodles, choc chip) and when I put them in to bake the butter melts out of them and they are spreading out really far and then baking.

What did I do wrong?

I've made these cookies plenty of times before, and this has never happened to me.

Does anyone have any ideas if I can fix the batter I haven't baked yet?

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Are you letting the pan cool between batches? Sometimes that helps.

 

[can84]

Do you let the butter and eggs sit out for a while before baking? I know if I take them straight from the fridge the cookies spread.

 

[cdepauli]

This happened with the first batch that I did, so the pans hadn't been in the oven yet. For the second batch, I did let it cool because I was on the phone for like 40 minutes before I even baked them.

I did let the butter and eggs out and I used chilled dough (2 hours in the fridge)!

I'm so sad. I just tasted one and it tastes good but they're sooo brittle.

Any other ideas?

 

[NAB]

Just add a little flour .THis usually happen with different margrines.

 

[HunnyPots]

Did you use real butter or margarine? It sounds like your butter and sugar are separating for some reason. Was your baking soda fresh? If not, this can happen. They will not rise as quickly as they should so they spread and the butter and sugar will separate. Or it can happen if you don't cream your butter and sugar properly before adding the eggs.

 

[cdepauli]

Just add a little flour .THis usually happen with different margrines.

I will try this.

Did you use real butter or margarine? It sounds like your butter and sugar are separating for some reason. Was your baking soda fresh? If not, this can happen. They will not rise as quickly as they should so they spread and the butter and sugar will separate. Or it can happen if you don't cream your butter and sugar properly before adding the eggs.

I used real butter for sure. I think the baking soda is fresh (expire 10/2012). I did not use any baking soda in the cream cheese ones anyway and that was the first batch I baked.

I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and creamed the crap out of the butter and sugar before adding the eggs. But, I guess they still may not have combined correctly. Maybe I'll try to bake a pan of the choc chip because I melt the butter first before baking.
The butter and sugar separating definitely sounds like what happened, but I don't know why!

I used organic eggs. Would this make a difference?

Also here's a pic of my poor snickerdoodles:

 

[ryanshana]

your poor poor snicker doodles!!!

What's the cream cheese cookie??? I'm intrigued!

 

[poochie]

About 10 years ago while baking Christmas cookies, I had the same problem. First batch looked similar to yours. 2nd batch same also. Then I remembered I did not add the flour

I added my flour and they then turned out perfect. i could not believe that I forgot the flour. Sometines when you mind is racing on so many things it is easy to miss something.

 

[cdepauli]

your poor poor snicker doodles!!!

What's the cream cheese cookie??? I'm intrigued!

A lot of people make either spritz cookies or thumbprint cookies with a cream cheese batter. I made thumbprints with strawberry and blueberry preserves.

I used this recipe, even though it has an error (a package of cream cheese is 8 oz not 3!). They're supposed to hold their shape really well but mine look just like the snickerdoodles but with a blob of jelly in the middle.

At least everything tastes good so far.

 

[curious3069]

I can tell you that your 8oz of cream cheese is probably the problem with the cream cheese cookies! If I'm remembering correctly, cream cheese used to come in both 8oz AND 3oz packages. No clue if they still make the 3oz package, but I've seen many recipes that reference that smaller size...

 

[cdepauli]

I can tell you that your 8oz of cream cheese is probably the problem with the cream cheese cookies! If I'm remembering correctly, cream cheese used to come in both 8oz AND 3oz packages. No clue if they still make the 3oz package, but I've seen many recipes that reference that smaller size...

It's definitely an error, because if you reduce the recipe, it still says 3 oz, and comments from people who have used the recipe also pointed out the error. I also did a half recipe and used 4 oz. I did talk to my aunt, and she makes cream cheese cookies too, and I had the same proportions of butter to sugar to cream cheese to flour that she uses.

Anyway, it happened with both my cream cheese cookies and my snickerdoodles, which didn't have cream cheese in them at all.

I'm still stumped. I'm just going to do the rest of the snickerdoodles in bar form.

Also, I posted the picture on facebook as well, and my friends are laughing at me. It's pretty funny!

 

[quentina]

I can tell you that your 8oz of cream cheese is probably the problem with the cream cheese cookies! If I'm remembering correctly, cream cheese used to come in both 8oz AND 3oz packages. No clue if they still make the 3oz package, but I've seen many recipes that reference that smaller size...

I run C-stores, we sell the 3oz. They are still around.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

I had a similiar problem once and i realized I did not add enough flour...however, the cookies were a yummy mistake. i like crunchy!

 

[cdepauli]

I had a similiar problem once and i realized I did not add enough flour...however, the cookies were a yummy mistake. i like crunchy!

I was thinking of calling them snickerdoodle crisps!

I did sift the flour first, I wonder if that made it too airy and, therefore, and didn't put enough in. I wish recipes would give both the volume and the weight for flour, because I would use a scale instead.

 

[sunnyday123]

are you using salted or unsalted butter? I had this problem once, and my cousins girlfriend ( pastry chef) told me which one to use. Unfortunately, I can't remember which one I used that screwed up my cookies, but maybe switching from whatever you are using will help.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

sifting the flour will definitely make a difference. somewhere around 2 Tbsp less per cup. add a little more flour and try another pan of them.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I was thinking of calling them snickerdoodle crisps!

I did sift the flour first, I wonder if that made it too airy and, therefore, and didn't put enough in. I wish recipes would give both the volume and the weight for flour, because I would use a scale instead.

I think that is where your problem is. I have never sifted flour for cookies.

 

[cdepauli]

I think that is where your problem is. I have never sifted flour for cookies.

Thank you!

sifting the flour will definitely make a difference. somewhere around 2 Tbsp less per cup. add a little more flour and try another pan of them.

Thanks! I will definitely do this.

are you using salted or unsalted butter? I had this problem once, and my cousins girlfriend ( pastry chef) told me which one to use. Unfortunately, I can't remember which one I used that screwed up my cookies, but maybe switching from whatever you are using will help.

I always use unsalted butter, and I'm thinking a pastry chef would do the same.