Help- Cookies flat as pancakes

gretch&dan

Somehow I am the worst cookie maker ever- every time I think it's going to be better. I live at about 6,500 feet in Colorado. The recipe I just made called for 1 teas baking powder and 1 teas baking soda... perhaps i need more? Or they aren't fresh enough?

philandclaire

Can you post the entire recipe?

You might need to talk to Ken.  See JaxJD's post below.

2bJenniferT

Did you use all butter? Was it too soft? Warm butter can make your cookies spread. You can also try a half butter, half Crisco mixture to prevent your cookies from spreading too much. 

UDscoobychick

I don't know anything about high altitude baking, but chilling your dough for an hour or more before baking can make a big difference in keeping the cookies from spreading too much!

LesPaul

Did you make any high-altitude adjustments to the recipe?  We live at similar elevation to you, and I always have to adjust when I bake.

http://www.swcoloradohome.com/articles/food/020114_b.asp

 

 

PoliticsChick

I've found that if the butter is too warm or melted they tend to spread.

26summer

philandclaire:

Can you post the entire recipe?

You might need to talk to Ken.  See JaxJD's post below.

I just spit my soda out when I read this! 

Magdala9

Did you make them in a mixer-food processor?  If I overwork the dough in my mixer, the cookies taste good but spread out and flatten.  I hate when this happens and want to kick myself.

amandasw

Magdala9:

Did you make them in a mixer-food processor?  If I overwork the dough in my mixer, the cookies taste good but spread out and flatten.  I hate when this happens and want to kick myself.

I was going to say this.  My chocolate ship cookie recipe has you mix the dry ingredients separately, and when you get to the point where you add them, you just pulse until it's barely incorporated.  Then sometimes I finish by hand, trying not to over-mix.

blu-eyedwife

2bJenniferT:

Did you use all butter? Was it too soft? Warm butter can make your cookies spread. You can also try a half butter, half Crisco mixture to prevent your cookies from spreading too much. 

This.  spreading is a butter problem 9/10.  As the fats melt, they spread.  Shortening has a higher melting point than butter so it won't spread as much.

WineCat

You want to add less, not more leavening agents.  Baking soda causes spread so you might want to cut back by a quarter to see how that goes.  I would cut your baking powder by 1/2 or a 1/3 if you want to take a more cautious approach. 

I would also cut your sugar back by 2T a cup.  Sugar causes spread too.  Also, I agree with PPs about the temperature of your fats.

Don't over cream the butter/sugar.  If you work too much air into the batter, it will rise and spread too much. 

I'd also add 1-2T of flour per cup.  And I also like to add an extra egg because it adds moisture and structure.