When I bake cookies they turn out paper thin. The directions says drop by tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Mine stuck on the ungreased sheet. Then I greased the cookie sheet and they still turn out paper thin and hard as a rock.
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Make sure none of your ingredients are warmer than room temperature. Do not overbeat. Shortening makes a flatter cookie than margarine or butter(butter is expensive but it really does make the best cookies). Baking soda also makes a flatter cookie so substitute baking powder. Cover your dough and refrigerate overnight. Put the dough in the freezer for 15 minutes before using. Be sure your oven is preheated and at that temperature for 15 minutes before putting the cookies in. If the directions say greased or ungreased sheets, follow that. Never use a hot cookie sheet. Have several or be sure it is cooled thoroughly before using again.
put your cookies in a sealed container and add a slice of bread the bread adds moisture to the cookies you may need more than one slice of bread
I turn the oven temp down about 5 degrees and bake slightly less than the time given. Experiment with that to see if it helps. Using butter rather than shortening helps. Be sure to cream the butter until light in color.
Another hint is to use airbake cookie sheets. I've used two baking pans (one inside the other) to substitute for the airbake pans. Hope these ideas help. Don't be afraid to fail a few times. Experiment, try different ideas.
Another thing that could be causing this is using soft margarine. It has water in it, that is why it is soft, and so it is not exactly the same as regular margarine or butter.
I would also try another recipe; perhaps it is just this particular one.
Or perhaps you are not using the right kind of flour. Most cookies are to be made with all purpose flour or whole wheat flour. If you are using something different, that could cause this. I wouldn't substitute baking powder for soda, or visa versa, as soda is intended for use in recipes that have some sort of acidic ingredient, such as sour cream or butternilk, and powder already has the acidic component in it.
Another possibility is that there is some inaccuracy in your measurements and you are not putting enough flour in the recipe. Check all these things.
Or perhaps your oven is hotter than it says it is. All of these things, as well as the others mentioned are possibilities.
Good luck.
Louise, from Canada
Check your recipe and be sure you are putting the correct amt of butter or margarine. Usually if a recipe has alot of butter IN it you dont need to grease the pan. It sounds like your batter is too thin thus making the cookie spread out and bake thinly.
I don't ever grease my cookie sheets. Whether the recipe calls for greased or un-greased I use parchment paper. I can do several batches before I have to change the paper. No fuss, no muss; and my cookies always come out good.
Good Luck!
All these suggestions are good except the one for substituting baking powder for the baking soda. Please don't. Using stick margarine or butter is vital. Also, use parchment paper to line the cookie sheets. The suggestion to use cold cookie sheets is most important. Using warm/hot ones cause the cookie dough to spread even before they get into the oven, and just continue while cooking!
Just a week or so ago I had a similar experience with cookies and when I spoke with a friend about it she reminded me of something I'd heard long ago. Did you use an off brand of sugar or one of the big names like Domino or Jack Frost. I did use a generic brand. Long ago my mother told me that there is a difference in the texture of baked goods made with the "off brands". There is something about the processing of those sugars that changes the consistency of batters and doughs. Try it once and see what happens.
Check the brand of sugar you used. Long,long ago my mother told me that there is a difference in sugars. If you have used one of the generic brands, go back and get one of the major brands of sugar and try again. There is something in the processing of the off brands that changes the consistency of batters and doughs.
Use real butter. No matter what the recipe says, I always lightly spray the middle of my insulated cookie sheets with cooking spray and then spread it around with my fingers so that it is evenly distributed. Some recipes are inaccurate. I agree that you should try another recipe. Ask for tried and true ideas from friends and family.
Check the expiration date on your baking powder. I think that's the cause. Also, I use foil on the baking sheets. Cookies are good, and the foil preserves the baking sheet. One more thing--your recipe probably says to wait one minute then loosen your cookies with a spatula. If I let them cool off in the sheet, then they're brittle and break, the parts that don't stick, that is.
Bake cookies 7 mins. They will continue to cook a bit more on the sheet as they cool. Make sure you are using the correct flour. If you use regular you have to add the levening agents such as baking Soda ect. Try a recipe you are familiar with that others have used such as Toll House cookies. If you follow the recipe as directed you should have success. Be sure to cream the sugars into the butter. The butter should be room tempature. This softens it. Some people try to cream it fresh from Fridge. That could be part of the prob.
It sounds to me like you have a faulty recipe, especially if you are following it to a t. Try doing a cookie recipe from a well known cookbook like Betty Crocker. Sometimes when I print recipes off the Internet, they do not turn out good. I think when people post their recipes, they forget to include things. They shouldn't post if they aren't going to do it right, but that's just my opinion.
Try putting your dough into the frig for about a half hour before baking them. They won't spread out so much. Also, try using part shortening instead of all butter if your recipe calls for all butter. Try also taking the cookies out before the allotted time calls for. If they look done when still in the oven, they will probably be too baked when they come out of the oven. Also, check your oven temp to make sure it isn't too hot. It's better to underbake than overbake. Try it!
If you got the recipe from recipes.com a lot of there recipes are not complete and give you false recipes.
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