Hi:

I'm an enthusiastic cookie baker, but I only am able to make crunchy,
crisp cookies and suspect this is due to the baking time. I prefer soft
cookies. When I follow a recipe, and the timer signals, I find the cookies
seem undercooked, so I add 3-5 minutes to the time. I let them sit for a
minute or so on the cookie sheet before removing them.

And when they cool, they are crisp. What should I be doing to bake soft
cookies?

Ed Thomas

"Ed Thomas" > wrote in message
...
> Hi:
>
> I'm an enthusiastic cookie baker, but I only am able to make crunchy,
> crisp cookies and suspect this is due to the baking time. I prefer soft
> cookies. When I follow a recipe, and the timer signals, I find the cookies
> seem undercooked, so I add 3-5 minutes to the time. I let them sit for a
> minute or so on the cookie sheet before removing them.
>
> And when they cool, they are crisp. What should I be doing to bake soft
> cookies?
>
> Ed Thomas
>
>

Cook them less. Experiment by taking a single cookie out at different times
and see which time gives you the desired result.


--
Peter Aitken

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In article >,
"Ed Thomas" > wrote:

> I'm an enthusiastic cookie baker, but I only am able to make crunchy,
> crisp cookies and suspect this is due to the baking time. I prefer soft
> cookies. When I follow a recipe, and the timer signals, I find the cookies
> seem undercooked, so I add 3-5 minutes to the time. I let them sit for a
> minute or so on the cookie sheet before removing them.
>
> And when they cool, they are crisp. What should I be doing to bake soft
> cookies?

If cookies look done when in the oven, they're overbaked. They should
still be a little soft when you take them out--the edges should be
browned and set, but the centers still soft. They'll set as they cool.

Also, double check your oven temperature with a good oven thermometer.
Many ovens don't really go to the temperature they're set to. Your oven
may be too hot.

Use brown sugar--or part brown sugar--instead of white (the molasses in
the brown sugar holds moisture).

Use some butter-flavored shortening. Since shortening has a higher
melting point than butter, the cookies spread less, creating a softer,
thicker cookie. When substituting, keep in mind that shortening has more
fat and less moisture than butter, so you may need to add a little more
liquid. Shortening is 100% fat, while butter is about 80%, and about 15%
water.

If you chill the dough before baking, it'll also spread less, making the
cookie puffier and softer.

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at Wed, 28 Apr 2004 17:35:40 GMT in <MXRjc.4828$nn3.284
@twister.socal.rr.com>, (Ed Thomas) wrote :

>Hi:
>
>I'm an enthusiastic cookie baker, but I only am able to make crunchy,
>crisp cookies and suspect this is due to the baking time. I prefer soft
>cookies. When I follow a recipe, and the timer signals, I find the cookies
>seem undercooked, so I add 3-5 minutes to the time. I let them sit for a
>minute or so on the cookie sheet before removing them.
>
>And when they cool, they are crisp. What should I be doing to bake soft
>cookies?
>

Someone will no doubt post to use shortening instead of butter. Since that
introduces IMHO unnecessary flavour compromises, I will recommend the
alternative - increase the relative proportion of eggs in the recipe, and
then you can use all butter. You don't need much of an increase in egg
ratio, just a tweak. A bit of experimentation should get what you need.
Baking a little less time shouldn't hurt, either.

Be aware that many older recipes are designed to produce crisp cookies.
From what I can tell, it appears that an older generation preferred
smaller, crisper cookies. So that's what older recipes produced. Younger
generations seem to lean towards larger, softer cookies, so newer recipes
lean that direction.

--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

As for the soft-cookies--thanks for the help. I'll start experimenting
today with some of the suggestions. Also, the recipes I use all came
out of the same (1950s style) cookbook, so I'll check out some of
the newer ones... and buy an oven thermometer to be sure things
are working right.

Ed T

Ed Thomas wrote:

> Hi:
>
> I'm an enthusiastic cookie baker, but I only am able to make crunchy,
> crisp cookies and suspect this is due to the baking time. I prefer soft
> cookies. When I follow a recipe, and the timer signals, I find the cookies
> seem undercooked, so I add 3-5 minutes to the time.

Don't add the 3-5 minutes. They're done.

Pastorio


> I let them sit for a
> minute or so on the cookie sheet before removing them.
>
> And when they cool, they are crisp. What should I be doing to bake soft
> cookies?
>
> Ed Thomas
>
>

On Thu, 29 Apr 2004, Ed Thomas wrote:

> As for the soft-cookies--thanks for the help. I'll start experimenting
> today with some of the suggestions. Also, the recipes I use all came
> out of the same (1950s style) cookbook, so I'll check out some of
> the newer ones... and buy an oven thermometer to be sure things
> are working right.

Check out foodtv.ca or other food related web sites. You can also go to
www.google.ca and hunt for recipes. If you are going to buy some books
look for ones that have variations on the same recipe. I have often seen a
recipe for cookies and it will give three recipes: 1) very crisp and thin,
2) soft and chewy and 3) something in between. Looking at how the
ingredients change will help you understand how you might want to
experiment on other similar recipes.

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