By Heath Goldman for Food Network Kitchen
There’s nothing worse than baking fresh cookies expecting perfectly fluffy results, only to have them turn into pancakes. Yes, you can still eat them, but they are not what you would expect. What went wrong? Below, we’ve compiled some of the most common reasons for excessive cookie spread.
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Problem: Butter is too soft
Many cookie recipes call for “softened” butter, which sounds like a very vague term to explain. In fact, softened butter is a very specific description of baking: butter should sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour, until it’s pliable but still cool to the touch. You should be able to indent it with your fingers and your fingerprint should look like a clean sod. Cream temperature butter has just the right consistency to mix with air when sweetened. These trapped air pockets cause the cookies to puff up and be fluffy. If the butter is hotter, it won’t absorb enough air and your cookies will expand less. Plus, warmer-than-room butter melts instantly in the oven, promoting quick roll-out of the dough.
The Solution: Chill the Dough
Refrigerate the remaining dough until firm to the touch, one to two hours. This will chill the butter so it doesn’t spread as quickly in the oven. While your cookies won’t be as fluffy as they used to be, they won’t turn into pancakes.
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Problem: You are baking on a hot griddle
You are making cookies, and after the first batch comes out, you transfer a new batch of dough to the baking sheet. While the first batch was perfect, the second spread so much, maybe so much that the cookies came together. what happened? It all comes back to butter, people. The hot baking sheet melts the butter quickly, bringing the dough with it.
Fix: Cooling griddles under running water
We understand that your pans and time may be limited. But you really want to make sure your baking sheet cools completely between batches. Fortunately, there is a trick. Let your baking sheets cool for a few minutes so they are warm and not screaming hot. Then rinse them with room temperature water until they are no longer hot to the touch. Dry them and place the cookies on the magically cool sheets.
Problem: Your oven is too hot
If your cookies repeatedly flatten, your oven is probably too hot, regardless of the recipe. This is what is happening. Butter melts very quickly in a too hot oven before the other ingredients solidify into a cookie structure. So if the butter spreads, the whole liquid cookie will spread too.
Fix: Adjust temperature
An immediate fix is to lower the oven a few degrees and bake longer. In the long run, consider purchasing an oven thermometer and leaving it in the oven so you know the exact oven temperature. You can then adjust the heat accordingly, or better yet, consult the manual on how to calibrate your oven.
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Problem: Incorrect ingredient measurements
If the ratio of flour, butter and sugar is not right, the cookies may fall apart too quickly. This can happen if your measurements are imprecise. For example, if your recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, and you add a slightly stacked cup instead of leveling it precisely, you’ll end up with too much. The sugar absorbs the liquid, and when these cookies bake, it releases the liquid and spreads the cookies. If you use too much butter, the cookies will end up flat and greasy. If you use too little flour, the butter to sugar ratio will be too high, which means the cookies will fall apart for the reasons mentioned above.
Fix: add a little
If you realize you’re using too little flour, just stir a few more tablespoons into the batter. Otherwise, shape the cookies and freeze on a baking sheet until they are firm. Although the cookies may still spread some, the frozen butter will counteract this. If all else fails, consider repurposing your flat cookies: crumble them as ice cream toppings or mixes, or whip them into cake batter or nut butter for a decadent treat.
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