Hello people,

Normally, I'm a really good cook and I love to bake. But lately my cookies have been flat. I have tried everything that I can think of to correct it. Doesn't matter what kind I'm making, they're always flat. I really could use some suggestions.

I use butter, not margarine. I sift my dry ingredients. I preheat my oven. I've gotten a thermometer for the oven and it's accurate. I try not to peek while they're baking. I use ECKO air bake cookie sheets. Grease the sheets when I'm supposed to and don't grease them when I'm not supposed to. If I add more flour, then my cookies are rocks. I've tried drop cookies, refrigerator cookies, rolled the dough into balls, they're all flat. Still edible, but flat.

Please help.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), January 15, 2002

Answers

I usually don't give away my best 'secrets', but...when using butter instead of margarine, you sometimes have to use less or the cookies will spread out terribly. I have a reputation of being the best chocolate chip cookie baker in this half of the state:~}(Ihad some friends whose husband would ask me to bake them for them) I used to use soy margarine and when I learned how unhealthy any margarine is I switched to butter. Boy did those cookies look terrible and the taste was lacking. So I cut back on the butter and now they're better than ever. You may have to spray the sheet, I do.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

I have found that those air bake cookie sheets have to cool completely between bakings. It's time consuming but, if I don't, the cookies get flat from spreading too much.

-- Ardie /WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

Keep the dough very cold. I even put mine in small batches in the frig, then pull out only what I need. When using real butter, the warmer the dough is, the quicker they spread out, thus making a flat crunchy cookie rather than a thick one. You might also check the age of your baking powder, if it is old or just a bad batch, they won't raise up either.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 15, 2002.

Whenever you use butter instead of Crisco the cookies are flatter. Mine are too.

-- connie in nm (karrelandconnie@msn.com), January 15, 2002.

I have also noticed a difference in my cookies since switching from margarine to butter. I think I'll try some of these tips myself.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), January 15, 2002.

Cindy, may I ask how much less you use??? Like of a recipe calls for 1 cup butter, how much would you leave out and still have success with the recipe? I am asking mostly because it would save on the cost of baking, butter is so expensive! thanks!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 15, 2002.

Hi Charleen. I've baked thousands (and thousands???) of cookies in my life. Parchment paper to line your cookie sheet is one of your best investments for great cookies. It almost virtually eliminates burnt cookies. The paper is now in most grocery stores. It can be re-used several times. I've found most recipes call for too high a temperature. Try lowering it a few degrees. And, as someone may have already mentioned, keep your cookie sheet cold. It is the residual heat in the metal that starts to melt the fat used (butter, margarine, shortning or a combination)which causes the batter to spread out. stef

-- stef (sbrogers@csonline.net), January 16, 2002.