Do you have problems making cookies? Vent/Advice Please

dulcemariamar1

Why is making cookies here so hard. They come out flat half of the time and then get hard as a rock.

Advice please? What am I doing wrong? I am using baking soda from the States.

lelia

I think it?s the flour here. I don?t know how your flour is sold, but ours is by types, like 405 for regular, 550 for cake, etc., and that seems to be a little different from our usual self-rising flour. Also are you using a convection oven? If so, you?ll need to adjust the temperature and baking times a bit. I usually bake at 160 and watch my cookies like a hawk because they?re usually done much faster than they would be in a regular oven.

dulcemariamar1

Thanks. I buy the cake flour here. Maybe, cookies are just not my thing. You see I get paranoid about taking them out too soon so I always leave them for the time that the recipe states. I have one last batch in the oven. Hopefully, it turns out better because it is going to suck to have to wash all those dishes for nothing.

allibally

Mine were always flat too. I could never get a cake to rise either. I didn't have an electric mixer which I found out is really important to create air bubble for rising.  

anna7602

I have no advice, just wanted to commiserate. I looove cooking, but can't bake cookies to save my life. I get stressed out just hearing the word "bake."

Bananas0827

Try tweaking half a batch of cookies and see how they turn out.

Adjust the temperature of your oven, and take them out a minute or two before you think they're done. Keeping them on the pan will continue to cook them, so leave them for a couple of minutes.

Use a mix of  baking powder and baking soda. The powder should help your cookies rise. Most of the recipes for flat cookies call for soda, fluffier cookies call for powder.

Also, a lot of recipes are temperature/humidity sensitive. The drier your climate is, the harder your cookies will be. Try adding a tablespoon or two more liquid to the dough and see how they turn out.

By tweaking your half batch, you should find out the best methods for your environment. HTH and good luck!

ooolalalolo

Good ideas, Bananas. I especially agree with taking them out just before they seem done. They are the best this way and they do keep cooking for a bit.

Another thing that helps cookies rise is eggs, so you might make sure the size of egg is right for the recipe or go with a slightly larger egg. You could try applesauce as a substitute as well. 

NCV2

Don't over mix.  Remember that cookies keep cooking after you take them out of the oven so take them out before they look completely done.

 

Check this out. http://theperfectchocolatechipcookie.com/instruct.php 

callatini

Whenever I get flat cookies, it's usually because the butter is too soft.  It only needs to cool for 35-45 minutes before mixing. And actually if you are moving baked cookies off the cookie sheet and adding new dough to the hot sheet, that can also start softening the butter in the cookie dough.

The best thing to do is to always chill your dough before baking.  Good luck!

dulcemariamar1

Thanks!!! I will take everything into consideration the next time I bake. It sounds like rocket science.

kelly321

In our house we have a kitchen agreement. I cook, he bakes. And there's a reason for that.

I agree with others, though, that if the cookies are too flat then generally the butter was too soft and if they're too hard then there's something wrong with the flour (too much, wrong kind, etc).