Cookie Spreading Panic
I recently tried a cookie recipe that I followed to the tee. It warned about spreading, but didn't address how to fix or prevent the problem. The cookies turned out tasty, but the size of my hand/face instead of my palm.
I'd like to try again, but what should I change this time around?
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9 Comments:
i've heard about this before with a snickerdoodle recipe. one person suggested that you chill the dough in the fridge and also chill your baking sheets. it should reduce the spreading significantly. good luck!
_greenbean at 4:44PM on 10/14/09
I agree with chilling the dough and baking sheets.
dhorst at 5:06PM on 10/14/09
I've never chilled my baking sheets, but definitely my dough. Also, it does depend on the fat you're using. I know you said you followed the recipe to a tee, but you definitely didn't substitute out butter for margarine, or something of that nature?
stratusgd at 5:20PM on 10/14/09
Thanks for the baking sheet tips. I definitely used full-fat unsalted butter!
annosaurusrex at 5:34PM on 10/14/09
How about adding a little extra flour? That works for me.
BakerPhlebo at 7:49PM on 10/14/09
I agree, you need to be careful which shortening you use. Even using butter only can give inconsistent results, such as melted or too soft butter will yield a cookie that spreads. Also, cheaper butters have extra water whipped into the butter. I use only Land O Lakes butter and get consistent results without chilling my dough. If cookies are spreading more than you like, stir in extra flour. The cooking baking divas, Martha Stewart and Betty Crocker, both specify part butter and part vegetable shortening in cookies such as Snickerdoodles and Peanut Butter. I've tried using all butter in these recipes without much luck. If you want your peanut butter cookies to keep the fork criss cross shape, you have to use part vegetable shortening.
Suzzanne at 9:35PM on 10/14/09
I agree with bakerphlebo that you should try adding a little more flour.
Whenever I try a new recipe, I always do a trial run; baking only 2 cookies the first time and then adjusting the recipe after I try one of them.. (the 2nd one is for anyone walking by that HAS to have a cookie NOW)
:o)
cookiebear at 3:34AM on 10/15/09
The cookies can spread when the butter is cold, too. If you google Alton Brown's "the thin, the puffy, the chewy" episode over at food network you can get some idea of what makes a difference in texture. (All 3 are chocolate chip cookies) It was when Alton said the thin needed colder butter that I realized why my cookies didn't come out as thin and crisp as my mother's. She always made me cream the butter and sugar together when i considered the butter much too cold, so I let it get warmer when I was on my own. (The recipe itself doesn't mention this though.)
I'm very fond of thin, crisp cookies that become very butterscotchy when cooked enough so many would consider them overcooked. Even add a tsp of water to some doughs. Different tastes....
lemonfair at 6:47AM on 10/15/09
Chilling the dough makes all the difference. I sometimes chill chocolate chip cooky dough because of the textural/chewy-ness improvements I see when I bake off dough I've prepared in advance vs. something freshly mixed. It makes perfect sense - Most recipes call for "room temp butter" for thorough mixing but when you bake the dough, it can spread quickly. These days, I refrigerate almost every type of cooky dough I make before baking.
therealchiffonade at 7:23AM on 10/15/09