Hello, I'm a noob to baking and one of the questions I have been unable
to answer, or find an answer to, is how to make my cookies soft! I've
read tips on keeping the cookies in plastic containers or taking them
out before they're fully done and letting them "bake on the tray."
However, none of these techniques seem to give my cookies the Tim
Hortons' softness. That rich chewy cookie that remains rich and chewy
even after several days. Can anyone tell me the secret to making my
cookies that soft? ^_^

"Cornofstarchy" > wrote in message
news:dWHnf.101438$ki.80136@pd7tw2no...
> Hello, I'm a noob to baking and one of the questions I have been unable
> to answer, or find an answer to, is how to make my cookies soft! I've
> read tips on keeping the cookies in plastic containers or taking them
> out before they're fully done and letting them "bake on the tray."
> However, none of these techniques seem to give my cookies the Tim
> Hortons' softness. That rich chewy cookie that remains rich and chewy
> even after several days. Can anyone tell me the secret to making my
> cookies that soft? ^_^

I would start with a cookie recipe designed to be soft. I know that seems
like a given, but some cookies are not suppose to be soft. What kind of
cookies are you baking?

Cooling on the hot pan, versus removing immediately to wire racks, is a
matter of which cookie, and your own preferences and acquired
technique. Sorry, no one real answer here.

If tyou have a cooki recipe that rises, and you want the inside to stay
soft but the bottoms to brown and even get crispy, then leave for a
while on the hot pan. If you cook them to desired consistency, then
remove to the racks immediately.

As to storage, again that depends on the cookie. Some of my oatmeal
and peanut butter cookies will last in sealed containers for a couple
of weeks, just fine. Thinner, cruisper, more butter based cookies only
a few days before they are dried out.

and oh yes -- butter and lard are animal fat, marjarine and Crisc are
vegetable. fats. The first two generall melt soon in baking and make
cookies spread out and more crispy (but better tasting . The
marjarine or Crisco have more water content and aid in (some) cookie
recipes to rise larger and puffier. They look better, but to me are
not as tasty. Your choice.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> Cooling on the hot pan, versus removing immediately to wire racks, is a
> matter of which cookie, and your own preferences and acquired
> technique. Sorry, no one real answer here.
>
> If tyou have a cooki recipe that rises, and you want the inside to stay
> soft but the bottoms to brown and even get crispy, then leave for a
> while on the hot pan. If you cook them to desired consistency, then
> remove to the racks immediately.
>
> As to storage, again that depends on the cookie. Some of my oatmeal
> and peanut butter cookies will last in sealed containers for a couple
> of weeks, just fine. Thinner, cruisper, more butter based cookies only
> a few days before they are dried out.
>
> and oh yes -- butter and lard are animal fat, marjarine and Crisc are
> vegetable. fats. The first two generall melt soon in baking and make
> cookies spread out and more crispy (but better tasting . The
> marjarine or Crisco have more water content and aid in (some) cookie
> recipes to rise larger and puffier. They look better, but to me are
> not as tasty. Your choice.
>

Crisco (hydrogenated vegetable oil) does not contain water. Margarine may
contain water, especially the soft, tub margarines. The reason that Crisco
does not allow cookies to spread as much is because the melting point is
higher than butter and it melts over a longer period. Butter has a sharp
melting profile. One minute it is solid and the next it is liquid. You can
see that when you try to soften butter in the microwave. It is nearly
impossible to just soften butter in the MW as it goes from solid to liquid
without slumping much.

Hello "Cornofstarchy" & all;

"Cornofstarchy" > wrote in message
news:dWHnf.101438$ki.80136@pd7tw2no...
> Hello, I'm a noob to baking and one of the questions I have been
> unable to answer, or find an answer to, is how to make my cookies
> soft! I've read tips on keeping the cookies in plastic containers
> or taking them out before they're fully done and letting them
> "bake on the tray." However, none of these techniques seem to give
> my cookies the Tim Hortons' softness. That rich chewy cookie that
> remains rich and chewy even after several days. Can anyone tell me
> the secret to making my cookies that soft? ^_^

I too like soft, chewy cookies. I make mine with this recipe:
http://www.innerlodge.com/Recipes/Co...ealCookies.htm

They're probably the hardest cookie to make and actually get to eat.
There seems to be an underground telegraph of some sort when I make
them. My kids & GK's come from all corners of the globe to glom
onto a few...(:-o)!

If you decide to make 'em, please let us know how they came out for
you...


L8r all,
Dusty

Yay so many replies ^_^ Thanks for replying. Some answers to questions...

>>>I would start with a cookie recipe designed to be soft. I know that
seems like a given, but some cookies are not suppose to be soft.<<<

Dusty gave a link with a soft cookie recipe. Do you know of any others?
Maybe one from you secret collection?

>>>What kind of cookies are you baking?<<<

Um, I'm looking at chocolate chip, caramel, raisin oatmeal, peanut
butter, and maple. I'm also going to bake some biscotti but those can be
as hard as rock lol. They're going to be "gifts" this year which saves
me the trouble of having to think of what to get for each person. I
mean, everyone loves baked goods!

>>>I too like soft, chewy cookies. I make mine with this recipe:
http://www.innerlodge.com/Recipes/Cookies&Cakes/SpicyOatmealCookies.htm<<<

Thanks! I will definitely try this out. Have you tried variations of
this? You know, adding chocolate chips instead of oatmeal, etc.

>>>With regards to the type of oil...<<<

I tend to use vegetable oil (cause we usually don't have butter or
margarine sticks around). Is that bad? =/

Cornofstarchy wrote:
> Hello, I'm a noob to baking and one of the questions I have been unable
> to answer, or find an answer to, is how to make my cookies soft! I've
> read tips on keeping the cookies in plastic containers or taking them
> out before they're fully done and letting them "bake on the tray."
> However, none of these techniques seem to give my cookies the Tim
> Hortons' softness. That rich chewy cookie that remains rich and chewy
> even after several days. Can anyone tell me the secret to making my
> cookies that soft? ^_^

"Cornofstarchy" > wrote in message
news:5yQnf.104653$ki.24399@pd7tw2no...
> Yay so many replies ^_^ Thanks for replying. Some answers to questions...
>
>
> Um, I'm looking at chocolate chip, caramel, raisin oatmeal, peanut
> butter, and maple. I'm also going to bake some biscotti but those can be
> as hard as rock lol. They're going to be "gifts" this year which saves
> me the trouble of having to think of what to get for each person. I
> mean, everyone loves baked goods!
>
> I tend to use vegetable oil (cause we usually don't have butter or
> margarine sticks around). Is that bad? =/

Since you are making cookies to give as gifts, I would suggest that you make
tasty cookies and not limit your search to soft cookies. As for the fat you
use, I would use the fat that is specified in the recipe. Some cookies rely
heavily on butter for flavor. If the are for giving and butter is
specified, I would buy some and use it.

Here are a couple idea that are easy and well liked. The coconut kisses are
moist and soft. The bar cookies are chewy. The jumbles are like an
outrageous tollhouse cookie.

Coconut Kisses
3.5 cups (9.75 oz) shredded coconut
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350F
Line cookie sheets with foil of parchment

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Using a scoop or a spoon, form mounds that are 1 inch high by 1.5 inches in
diameter.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies are light golden. (there will
be some white spots.)
Transfer to a rack to cool
(you can mix in some chopped red and green candied cherries to make them
more seasonal)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-

Chocolate Caramel Chews
Topping:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Base
1 cup All-purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F
9x13 metal pan, grease sides

Combine first 5 ingredients and using a mixer, combine well. With the mixer
on low, add the melted but and mix until combined.
Scrape into prepared pan. patting mixture into the pan, and bake for 10
minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on chocolate and nuts.
Drizzle caramel mixture on top (see below) and return to oven for 20
minutes.
Allow to cool, in the pan, on a rack. Loosen from pan and invert on plastic
wrap. Turn upright on a cutting board and cut into pieces.
Place cookies on paper towels for 15 minutes to absorb excess butter.

TO MAKE CARMEL TOPPING

Have a greased, 2 cup, heatproof measuring cup near the rang.

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Stop stirring and allow to come to a deep amber. The candy
thermometer will read 370F. Remove from stove and carefully stir in butter
and cream. Return to the stove and continue to boil until thermometer reads
240F - about 1 /2 minutes.

Pour caramel into prepared cup and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes or
up to 1 our. Stir in vanilla after 10 minutes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Dream Bars

6 ounces Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
6 ounces milk chocolate
6 ounces white chocolate
12 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups (16 double) cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 cups (4 ounces) shredded coconut
3 cups (12 oz) pecan halves
1 2/3 cups (15 oz) sweetened condensed milk

preheat oven to 350F
10 x 15 x 1 jellyroll pan, bottom and sides lined with foil

Place butter in pan and put in preheated oven for about 5 minutes to melt.
Remove from oven and tilt pan to coat with melted butter.
Spread crumbs in pan, mixing with spatula to moisten. Press oven bottom of
pan and about 3/4 of an inch up the sides of the pan
Sprinkle coconut over crumbs

Reserve 1 cup of pecan halves and coarsely chop the rest
Scatter the chopped nuts over the coconut.
Scatter the chocolate over the nuts.
Slowly pour the condensed milk evenly on top.
Arrange the reserved nuts in 5 long rows, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press with a spatula to make sure
the nuts adhere to the base.
Return to the oven for 20 - 30 minutes for until the milk bubbling between
the nuts in the center of the pan is pale golden
(Over baking will make the cookies bitter)

Cool completely in the pan on a rack
Invert onto a cookie sheet and peel of the foil
Re-invert and cut into pieces.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jumbles

3/4 cups Pecan halves (2.5 oz)
1 1/4 cups unbleached whole almonds (8.5 oz)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1 large egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 375F
ungreased cookies sheets

Place pecans and almond on separate sheets and bake for about 7 minutes or
until they have a toasted aroma. Cool completely and chop separately into
very coarse pieces.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, soda and salt.
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add
the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.
Add the flour, and on low speed, mix until just well combined.

In a large bowl, combine the chopped nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins.
Empty the batter into the bowl with the nuts, raisins, and chocolate and mix
well with a spatula.
(there will be just enough batter to cement the pieces together!)

Drop the mixture in 1 1/2 inch mounds onto the baking sheets, about 1 1/2
inches apart.
Bake for about 12 -15 minutes until the cookies are barely soft.
Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a
rack to cool.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

"Cornofstarchy" > wrote in message
news:5yQnf.104653$ki.24399@pd7tw2no...
....
> Dusty gave a link with a soft cookie recipe. Do you know of any
> others? Maybe one from you secret collection?
Yes. But then it wouldn't be "a secret" anymore...and I'd end up
having to kill you...(;-o)!

....
http://www.innerlodge.com/Recipes/Co...ealCookies.htm
>
> Thanks! I will definitely try this out. Have you tried variations
> of this? You know, adding chocolate chips instead of oatmeal, etc.
Instead of oatmeal? No. You can't really do that. The oatmeal is
one of the binders that make it "chewy". It's not a "nugget" of
some ingredient put in there for flavor. You can substitute for the
dried fruit, but that's about it. Some chocolate chips along with
the fruit, or in place of some of it would be just fine.

One of my girls made some once that left out all the fruit, and
substituted it with finely shredded orange peel and chocolate chips.
It was YUMMY!

> >>>With regards to the type of oil...<<<
> I tend to use vegetable oil (cause we usually don't have butter or
> margarine sticks around). Is that bad? =/
Well, not "bad"...but not good either. Look, I don't want to let
this thread degenerate into a discussion of fats & oils and their
dietary impact. It's a field that most folks know squat about and I
don't want to end up sounding like I'm preaching.

But the short, non-dietary version is; it's not clear what
substituting an equivalent amount of oil for the butter, in that
recipe, will do (never tried it). I suspect little or nothing for
the texture, and probably won't improve the taste. If you must
substitute, then do so with vegetable oils. While I love EVOO, I
don't think it would do nice things for your cookie's taste...(:-o)!

Since you're going to be baking, avoid any oil that will breakdown
(by the heat) into transfats. Sun or safflower oil, and the "real"
nut oils, like walnut would be okay. Avoid anything like "Crisco",
margarine, and so on. Those are completely transfat saturated and
should be avoided like the plague.


L8r all,
Dusty
....

Ooooooh thank you! And if I have time, I'll make some "hard" cookies
too. ^_^

Vox Humana wrote:
> "Cornofstarchy" > wrote in message
> news:5yQnf.104653$ki.24399@pd7tw2no...
>
>>Yay so many replies ^_^ Thanks for replying. Some answers to questions...
>>
>>
>>Um, I'm looking at chocolate chip, caramel, raisin oatmeal, peanut
>>butter, and maple. I'm also going to bake some biscotti but those can be
>>as hard as rock lol. They're going to be "gifts" this year which saves
>>me the trouble of having to think of what to get for each person. I
>>mean, everyone loves baked goods!
>>
>>I tend to use vegetable oil (cause we usually don't have butter or
>>margarine sticks around). Is that bad? =/
>
>
> Since you are making cookies to give as gifts, I would suggest that you make
> tasty cookies and not limit your search to soft cookies. As for the fat you
> use, I would use the fat that is specified in the recipe. Some cookies rely
> heavily on butter for flavor. If the are for giving and butter is
> specified, I would buy some and use it.
>
> Here are a couple idea that are easy and well liked. The coconut kisses are
> moist and soft. The bar cookies are chewy. The jumbles are like an
> outrageous tollhouse cookie.
>
> Coconut Kisses
> 3.5 cups (9.75 oz) shredded coconut
> 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
> 2 tablespoon cornstarch
> 1 tsp. lemon juice
> 1 tsp. vanilla extract
> pinch of salt
>
> Preheat oven to 350F
> Line cookie sheets with foil of parchment
>
> Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
> Using a scoop or a spoon, form mounds that are 1 inch high by 1.5 inches in
> diameter.
> Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies are light golden. (there will
> be some white spots.)
> Transfer to a rack to cool
> (you can mix in some chopped red and green candied cherries to make them
> more seasonal)
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -
>
> Chocolate Caramel Chews
> Topping:
> 1 cup sugar
> 1/2 cup light corn syrup
> 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
> 3/4 cup heavy cream
> 1 tsp. vanilla
>
> Base
> 1 cup All-purpose flour
> 1 cup quick oats
> 3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
> 1/2 tsp. baking soda
> 1/8 tsp salt
> 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
> 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
> 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
>
> Preheat oven to 350F
> 9x13 metal pan, grease sides
>
> Combine first 5 ingredients and using a mixer, combine well. With the mixer
> on low, add the melted but and mix until combined.
> Scrape into prepared pan. patting mixture into the pan, and bake for 10
> minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on chocolate and nuts.
> Drizzle caramel mixture on top (see below) and return to oven for 20
> minutes.
> Allow to cool, in the pan, on a rack. Loosen from pan and invert on plastic
> wrap. Turn upright on a cutting board and cut into pieces.
> Place cookies on paper towels for 15 minutes to absorb excess butter.
>
> TO MAKE CARMEL TOPPING
>
> Have a greased, 2 cup, heatproof measuring cup near the rang.
>
> Combine sugar and corn syrup in a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring
> constantly. Stop stirring and allow to come to a deep amber. The candy
> thermometer will read 370F. Remove from stove and carefully stir in butter
> and cream. Return to the stove and continue to boil until thermometer reads
> 240F - about 1 /2 minutes.
>
> Pour caramel into prepared cup and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes or
> up to 1 our. Stir in vanilla after 10 minutes.
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Dream Bars
>
> 6 ounces Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
> 6 ounces milk chocolate
> 6 ounces white chocolate
> 12 tablespoon unsalted butter
> 2 cups (16 double) cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
> 1 1/3 cups (4 ounces) shredded coconut
> 3 cups (12 oz) pecan halves
> 1 2/3 cups (15 oz) sweetened condensed milk
>
> preheat oven to 350F
> 10 x 15 x 1 jellyroll pan, bottom and sides lined with foil
>
> Place butter in pan and put in preheated oven for about 5 minutes to melt.
> Remove from oven and tilt pan to coat with melted butter.
> Spread crumbs in pan, mixing with spatula to moisten. Press oven bottom of
> pan and about 3/4 of an inch up the sides of the pan
> Sprinkle coconut over crumbs
>
> Reserve 1 cup of pecan halves and coarsely chop the rest
> Scatter the chopped nuts over the coconut.
> Scatter the chocolate over the nuts.
> Slowly pour the condensed milk evenly on top.
> Arrange the reserved nuts in 5 long rows, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart
>
> Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press with a spatula to make sure
> the nuts adhere to the base.
> Return to the oven for 20 - 30 minutes for until the milk bubbling between
> the nuts in the center of the pan is pale golden
> (Over baking will make the cookies bitter)
>
> Cool completely in the pan on a rack
> Invert onto a cookie sheet and peel of the foil
> Re-invert and cut into pieces.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Jumbles
>
> 3/4 cups Pecan halves (2.5 oz)
> 1 1/4 cups unbleached whole almonds (8.5 oz)
> 1 cup + 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
> 1 tsp. baking soda
> 1/4 tsp. salt
> 1/2 cup sugar
> 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
> 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
> 1 large egg
> 3/4 tsp. vanilla
> 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
> 1 1/2 cups raisins
>
> Preheat oven to 375F
> ungreased cookies sheets
>
> Place pecans and almond on separate sheets and bake for about 7 minutes or
> until they have a toasted aroma. Cool completely and chop separately into
> very coarse pieces.
>
> In a small bowl, combine the flour, soda and salt.
> In another bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add
> the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.
> Add the flour, and on low speed, mix until just well combined.
>
> In a large bowl, combine the chopped nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins.
> Empty the batter into the bowl with the nuts, raisins, and chocolate and mix
> well with a spatula.
> (there will be just enough batter to cement the pieces together!)
>
> Drop the mixture in 1 1/2 inch mounds onto the baking sheets, about 1 1/2
> inches apart.
> Bake for about 12 -15 minutes until the cookies are barely soft.
> Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a
> rack to cool.
>
> Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
>
>
>
>
>

Haha. Well, I'll just stick to the recipes then. Doesn't hurt to be on
the safe side Thanks for all the tips!

Dusty Bleher wrote:
> "Cornofstarchy" > wrote in message
> news:5yQnf.104653$ki.24399@pd7tw2no...
> ...
>
>>Dusty gave a link with a soft cookie recipe. Do you know of any
>>others? Maybe one from you secret collection?
>
> Yes. But then it wouldn't be "a secret" anymore...and I'd end up
> having to kill you...(;-o)!
>
> ...
> http://www.innerlodge.com/Recipes/Co...ealCookies.htm
>
>>Thanks! I will definitely try this out. Have you tried variations
>>of this? You know, adding chocolate chips instead of oatmeal, etc.
>
> Instead of oatmeal? No. You can't really do that. The oatmeal is
> one of the binders that make it "chewy". It's not a "nugget" of
> some ingredient put in there for flavor. You can substitute for the
> dried fruit, but that's about it. Some chocolate chips along with
> the fruit, or in place of some of it would be just fine.
>
> One of my girls made some once that left out all the fruit, and
> substituted it with finely shredded orange peel and chocolate chips.
> It was YUMMY!
>
>
>>>>>With regards to the type of oil...<<<
>>
>>I tend to use vegetable oil (cause we usually don't have butter or
>>margarine sticks around). Is that bad? =/
>
> Well, not "bad"...but not good either. Look, I don't want to let
> this thread degenerate into a discussion of fats & oils and their
> dietary impact. It's a field that most folks know squat about and I
> don't want to end up sounding like I'm preaching.
>
> But the short, non-dietary version is; it's not clear what
> substituting an equivalent amount of oil for the butter, in that
> recipe, will do (never tried it). I suspect little or nothing for
> the texture, and probably won't improve the taste. If you must
> substitute, then do so with vegetable oils. While I love EVOO, I
> don't think it would do nice things for your cookie's taste...(:-o)!
>
> Since you're going to be baking, avoid any oil that will breakdown
> (by the heat) into transfats. Sun or safflower oil, and the "real"
> nut oils, like walnut would be okay. Avoid anything like "Crisco",
> margarine, and so on. Those are completely transfat saturated and
> should be avoided like the plague.
>
>
> L8r all,
> Dusty
> ...
>
>

I am not trying to beat on the fats, but I am switching to coconut oil,
not the hydronated stuff. Can anyone suggest tested & yummy baking ideas
here. I have never used this before.

Cornofstarchy wrote:

> Haha. Well, I'll just stick to the recipes then. Doesn't hurt to be on
> the safe side Thanks for all the tips!
>
> Dusty Bleher wrote:
>
>> "Cornofstarchy" > wrote in message
>> news:5yQnf.104653$ki.24399@pd7tw2no...
>> ...
>>
>>> Dusty gave a link with a soft cookie recipe. Do you know of any
>>> others? Maybe one from you secret collection?
>>
>>
>> Yes. But then it wouldn't be "a secret" anymore...and I'd end up
>> having to kill you...(;-o)!
>>
>> ...
>> http://www.innerlodge.com/Recipes/Co...ealCookies.htm
>>
>>> Thanks! I will definitely try this out. Have you tried variations of
>>> this? You know, adding chocolate chips instead of oatmeal, etc.
>>
>>
>> Instead of oatmeal? No. You can't really do that. The oatmeal is
>> one of the binders that make it "chewy". It's not a "nugget" of some
>> ingredient put in there for flavor. You can substitute for the dried
>> fruit, but that's about it. Some chocolate chips along with the
>> fruit, or in place of some of it would be just fine.
>>
>> One of my girls made some once that left out all the fruit, and
>> substituted it with finely shredded orange peel and chocolate chips.
>> It was YUMMY!
>>
>>
>>>>>> With regards to the type of oil...<<<
>>>
>>>
>>> I tend to use vegetable oil (cause we usually don't have butter or
>>> margarine sticks around). Is that bad? =/
>>
>>
>> Well, not "bad"...but not good either. Look, I don't want to let this
>> thread degenerate into a discussion of fats & oils and their dietary
>> impact. It's a field that most folks know squat about and I don't
>> want to end up sounding like I'm preaching.
>>
>> But the short, non-dietary version is; it's not clear what
>> substituting an equivalent amount of oil for the butter, in that
>> recipe, will do (never tried it). I suspect little or nothing for the
>> texture, and probably won't improve the taste. If you must
>> substitute, then do so with vegetable oils. While I love EVOO, I
>> don't think it would do nice things for your cookie's taste...(:-o)!
>>
>> Since you're going to be baking, avoid any oil that will breakdown (by
>> the heat) into transfats. Sun or safflower oil, and the "real" nut
>> oils, like walnut would be okay. Avoid anything like "Crisco",
>> margarine, and so on. Those are completely transfat saturated and
>> should be avoided like the plague.
>>
>>
>> L8r all,
>> Dusty
>> ...
>>

"lakota" > wrote in message
...
> I am not trying to beat on the fats, but I am switching to coconut oil,
> not the hydronated stuff. Can anyone suggest tested & yummy baking ideas
> here. I have never used this before.

http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...oil%22+recipes

"Vox Humana" > wrote in message
...
>
> "lakota" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I am not trying to beat on the fats, but I am switching to
>> coconut oil,
>> not the hydronated stuff. Can anyone suggest tested & yummy
>> baking ideas
>> here. I have never used this before.
Using coconut oil for baking and frying is an EXCELLENT step (health
wise).

But I've not yet had an opportunity to test that in any of my cookie
recipes. So you're stepping into uncharted territory. I'd suspect
that it would be a non-issue, but plz do keep us apprised of your
results...


Regards all,
Dusty

Hello everyone once again! Well, here's my update!

I used the oatmeal raisin cookie mix recipe with some modifications
(cause I wanted to make gourmet chocolate chip cookies). Instead of
adding 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, I use 2 - 2 1/2 cups. I took out
the raisins (obviously) and substituted them with 1 cup of chocolate
chips. I left out the oats as well and since I don't like cinnamon in my
chocolate chip cookies, I took that out as well. I have yet to try
adding mint (to replace the poppy seed suggestion) but I will next time.
Vanilla extract is not a necessity but I suppose it does make the cookie
sweeter lol. Also, I used canola oil instead of butter. It makes little
to no difference to the outcome of the cookie.

Finally, a tip to all those who are new to making gourmet cookies (the
soft and chewy type) - be aware of a major difference in baking. After
10 - 12 mins of baking, you MUST take out the sheet of cookies. When you
poke the cookies, they will feel as if they are undercooked. They are
NOT undercooked! Do NOT put the sheet of cookies back into the oven (a
mistake I surely will never make again)! Let the cookies cool. After the
cookies cool, they will still feel kinda soft in the middle but the
outer edge would have hardened a bit by then. However, they are fine. I
ate one because the others were turning out to be really hard and
discoverd that the "soft" part is actually the part with lots and lots
of bubbles (that's why it's soft). However, it's well cooked. That's the
tip! Learn from my mistake lol and good luck with your gourmet cookie
baking! ^_^

Oh yea, I forgot to add that all you need is a tiny bit of cookie batter
on the parchment paper. There's no need to drop a huge blob of batter on
the baking sheet. A tiny bit is enough cause the batter will spread
out and flatten out into the cookie shape and size we are all familiar
with. This way, you'll be able to make about 32-40 medium-sized cookies.

Cornofstarchy wrote:
> Hello, I'm a noob to baking and one of the questions I have been unable
> to answer, or find an answer to, is how to make my cookies soft! I've
> read tips on keeping the cookies in plastic containers or taking them
> out before they're fully done and letting them "bake on the tray."
> However, none of these techniques seem to give my cookies the Tim
> Hortons' softness. That rich chewy cookie that remains rich and chewy
> even after several days. Can anyone tell me the secret to making my
> cookies that soft? ^_^