O.K.  I need some help please.

I am frustrated because everytime I bake homemade choc chip cookies, they come out so flat!!  I dont know why?!?!?!??!?!

I follow the recipe on the back of the nestle toll house bag...the only thing different I do is dont add salt and add maybe 1/3 cup more choc chips cause hey, we are a family of chocoholics!

So why are my cookies coming out so flat???  They still taste good but are funny looking and stick together on the pan cause they turn out so flat, and since they stick together they arent nice and round like supposed to be...they are in triangle and weird shaped with angles...lol.

So if anyone has any input or a recipe I can use thats better than mine please share...we'd like some round fluffy cookies

Thank you all!

Tess

Try adding an extra quarter to half cup of flour. And/or use butter flavored shortening instead of real butter.

Personally, I like the real butter better, but I'm from Wisconsin.

Get on chat NOW and I'll help you.

Did you forget the baking powder?  Otherwise, I usually add in an extra egg and/or an extra 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. of baking powder.

:)

Tess,
I have 2 thoughts here.
1 salt is necessary to help the cookies rise.....keep it IN the recipe.....
2-are you using a soft margarine?? Whipped? Anything in a tub?? Too much air, not enough buter. In fact, if you're gonna do cookies, and you know you have the choc chips in there, ya might as well go full boat- real butter, real eggs, have less and enjoy em more!  At the very least, stick margarine ,and exactly what the recipe calls for please.
Let me drag out my recipe......they are bit more work, but sooo good!
Cathi

Brew's right. Flour is the key. Add a little at a time though and bake one or two until you get them just how you want them. Personally like mine a little thick so they soak up more milk but to each their own.

Broken

You know though, even tho they're flat, if you scoop them up off the cookie sheet when they're right out of the oven, they bunch up and wrinkle.  Then when they cool, they're more chewy and yummy!  hehe

AHA!  My super-hubby has been listening/watching in the kitchen!

Rather than leveling off the flour in the measuring cup, mound it a little (like he said 1/4 to 1/2 cup more) and they'll turn out wonderfully.

I learned this the hard way, too.

Thanks everyone for your input and suggestions.

I have lots to try next time I bake...but if anyone still has any other input or recipes dont be shy....spill!

lol

Tess

Funny you should mention that Tess. I had exactly the same problem with a carrot cake last week. It looked beautiful in the oven, but as soon as it came out, it sank. :(

Would it be for the same reasons? I used cake, baking soda and baking powder (what the recipe called for).

Thank you for this thread Tess!!

SoFt and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (brought these to Dallas, so several people can tell you how good they were).

1 1/4 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of butter or margarine softened
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
4 cups of all purpose baking flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 (12 oz.) pkgs. of chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 F.  In large bowl, beat sugar, brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs and blend well.
Add flour, baking soda and salt, mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until light golden brown.


BTW, unless a cookie has baking powder, it's not supposed to *rise*, per se.  I actually look at ine about half way through baking and if they are puffing up, I pick the cookie sheets up and *drop* them to flatten the cookie back out.

If your cookies are sticking together on the pan, then you are dropping them too close together.  Do NOT use dark cookie sheets.  Use pretty, shiny ones (I actually prefer airbake sheets, more expensive, but less likely to burn).

If you want a good chewy cookie, underbake them just a bit.  Don't let them sit on the pan after you take them out of the oven for even a short amount of time because they will continue to *bake*.

You can refrigerate your dough, too for about 4 hours and that helps the dough keep it's shape on the cookie sheet.

I'm going to try these on the weekend. I always love a good cookie recipe.

Em
xx

Hey no problem Em...if you, me or anyone else can get the golden cookie award with lots of kisses for the cook, from these good recipes...then Im happy!

Tess

Hmm, since we are talking about baking, I have one question as well. My fave recipe, a chocolate cake,  always comes out from the oven looking perfect, but on rare occasions it sinks later on (I joke that it knows when I'm making it for fun and when I'm making it against my will... ;D). I do not skip the ingredients, I add the baking powder when the recipe tells me to... The only variables I can think of is the margarine/butter - we've had different brands over the years - and the size of the eggs (the recipe needs 3 of them). What do think?

Sanna