Hi,

I bought a new convection oven just before Thanksgiving...Southbend
Marathoner Gold Half-size electric convection oven (10 rack), and I'm
having some difficulties adjusting the time and temperature differences
for my cookie recipes. I have lowered the oven temperature 50 degrees,
and shortened the baking time by about 2 minutes, which has seemed to
work. The cookies, baked at the regular temperature, or even at only
25 degrees lower, were cooking too fast. The major problem I have now
is that the cookies are spreading too much. Do you think I need to
adjust the amount of leavening I have in the cookies, or is there
something else I'm missing?

Thanks,
Claire

In article m>,
says...
> Hi,
>
> I bought a new convection oven just before Thanksgiving...Southbend
> Marathoner Gold Half-size electric convection oven (10 rack), and I'm
> having some difficulties adjusting the time and temperature differences
> for my cookie recipes. I have lowered the oven temperature 50 degrees,
> and shortened the baking time by about 2 minutes, which has seemed to
> work. The cookies, baked at the regular temperature, or even at only
> 25 degrees lower, were cooking too fast. The major problem I have now
> is that the cookies are spreading too much. Do you think I need to
> adjust the amount of leavening I have in the cookies, or is there
> something else I'm missing?
>
> Thanks,
> Claire
>
>
I'd expect the temperature calibration of your new oven to be pretty
accurate, but have you checked it? How accurate was the one it
replaced? There could be significant differences in dial settings vs.
actual steady-state temps between the two that are contributing to the
problem.

Bob

> In article m>,
> says...

> > The cookies, baked at the regular
> > temperature, or even at only 25 degrees lower, were cooking too fast.
> > The major problem I have now is that the cookies are spreading too
> > much. Do you think I need to adjust the amount of leavening I have in
> > the cookies, or is there something else I'm missing?
> > Thanks,
> > Claire

While Alan has oatmeal cookies that will not spread, Claire has the
problem I seem to have: Virtually all my cookie attempts spread too much,
as well as initally rising nicely, but then collapsing into thin crisps.

I do bake with white spelt flour, rather than wheat, but it handles and
bakes pretty much the same. Maybe stays a little wetter for the same
amount of liquid, and takes a little longer or hotter to brown, but not a
huge difference. The only cookie I have consistent success with is an
excellent peanut butter cookie recipe someone here shared with me. These
rise, then firm up without melting all over or collapsing. The dough
consistency is no firmer than any other cookies I try, and softer than
most. It just seems to work... It has a high fat content, with both dairy
and peanut butters, well creamed, with a lot of beating at each stage of
addition, but when I do the same for other recipes, it doesn't improve the
results, so I'm still lost!

Dave

Claire, if you click on the "Find" button in the upper right part of the
screen and then type "convection" in the subject line, you will bring up
prior posts that address this issue.
frank
"claire" > wrote in message
s.com...
> Hi,
>
> I bought a new convection oven just before Thanksgiving...Southbend
> Marathoner Gold Half-size electric convection oven (10 rack), and I'm
> having some difficulties adjusting the time and temperature differences
> for my cookie recipes. I have lowered the oven temperature 50 degrees,
> and shortened the baking time by about 2 minutes, which has seemed to
> work. The cookies, baked at the regular temperature, or even at only
> 25 degrees lower, were cooking too fast. The major problem I have now
> is that the cookies are spreading too much. Do you think I need to
> adjust the amount of leavening I have in the cookies, or is there
> something else I'm missing?
>
> Thanks,
> Claire
>

Thank you Frank. I'll check other posts relating to convection ovens
and check the calibration as well. I've "fixed" the problem for other
types of cookies...all except for the oatmeal raisin ones...I'll keep
experimenting and see what happens.
I appreciate your input.
Claire
Frank103 wrote:
> Claire, if you click on the "Find" button in the upper right part of the
> screen and then type "convection" in the subject line, you will bring up
> prior posts that address this issue.
> frank
> "claire" > wrote in message
> s.com...
> > Hi,
> >
> > I bought a new convection oven just before Thanksgiving...Southbend
> > Marathoner Gold Half-size electric convection oven (10 rack), and I'm
> > having some difficulties adjusting the time and temperature differences
> > for my cookie recipes. I have lowered the oven temperature 50 degrees,
> > and shortened the baking time by about 2 minutes, which has seemed to
> > work. The cookies, baked at the regular temperature, or even at only
> > 25 degrees lower, were cooking too fast. The major problem I have now
> > is that the cookies are spreading too much. Do you think I need to
> > adjust the amount of leavening I have in the cookies, or is there
> > something else I'm missing?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Claire
> >

claire wrote on 19 Dec 2006 in rec.food.baking

> Hi,
>
> I bought a new convection oven just before Thanksgiving...Southbend
> Marathoner Gold Half-size electric convection oven (10 rack), and I'm
> having some difficulties adjusting the time and temperature differences
> for my cookie recipes. I have lowered the oven temperature 50 degrees,
> and shortened the baking time by about 2 minutes, which has seemed to
> work. The cookies, baked at the regular temperature, or even at only
> 25 degrees lower, were cooking too fast. The major problem I have now
> is that the cookies are spreading too much. Do you think I need to
> adjust the amount of leavening I have in the cookies, or is there
> something else I'm missing?
>
> Thanks,
> Claire
>

Have you considered putting the 'oven ready' cookies in the fridge to chill
prior to baking....that's a trick I learned from watching Martha Stewart.
Chilled cut cookie dough keeps a better edge and crispness to their shape.
Also the easier the shortening melts the more the cookies will spread.
Cookies made with butter will spread more than cookies made with something
that has a higher melting point...say crisco.