Frequent question: What causes cookies to spread when baking?

Cookies spread because the fat in the cookie dough melts in the oven. If there isn’t enough flour to hold that melted fat, the cookies will over-spread. Spoon and level that flour or, better yet, weigh your flour. If your cookies are still spreading, add an extra 2 Tablespoons of flour to the cookie dough.

What is the most common temperature to bake a cookie?

350° is the standard temp for a cookie, and it’s a great one. Your cookies will bake evenly and the outside will be done at the same time as the inside. Baking at 325° also results in an evenly baked cookie, but the slower cooking will help yield a chewier cookie.

How do you make cookies keep their shape?

To help cookies keep their shape, freeze them! I freeze each batch of cut-out cookies for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. They rise just slightly higher and keep their shape better. This really helps when using an intricate cookie cutter, but I do this even when baking circles.

How can I fix my flat cookies?

Solutions:

1. Decrease the amount of butter and sugar.
2. Use shortening instead of butter, or a combination of the two if you don’t want to sacrifice that buttery flavor.
3. Add an egg to the dough.
4. Use cake flour or pastry flour.

What do you do with cookies that don’t turn out?

20 Creative Ideas to Use Up Leftover Christmas Cookies

1. Make a cookie crumb pie crust. …
2. Cookie croutons. …
3. Line a baking pan. …
4. Make a shake. …
5. Create tricked-out magic cookie bars. …
6. Add texture to ice cream cakes. …
7. Garnish glass rims with cookie crumbs. …
8. Make creative Nanaimo bars.

How long should you bake cookies at 350?

Place one baking sheet at a time onto center rack of preheated 350 degree F oven. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, still have pale tops, and are soft in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. (Do not overbake! They will firm up more during cooling.)

How long do you bake cookies at 325?

Bake at 325 degrees F (yes, you want to bake them at 325 degrees, not 350 degrees.) for about 10-12 minutes or until they’ve lost their sheen on top and just barely look like they’re starting to set. They won’t be golden brown around the edges.

Does baking powder make cookies spread?

1. Unless you want cakey cookies, avoid using baking powder: The cookies made with both the single- and double-acting baking powders were just too darn cakey. 2. Baking soda helps cookies spread more than baking powder.

What should be done before storing baked cookies?

Make sure cookies cool completely before storing. Store them at room temperature in an air-tight container, like Tupperware. Store different flavors separately. Over time, strongly flavored cookies like molasses or mint will seep into other cookies, so if possible store each flavor in its own container.

Do you cut cookies before or after baking?

Do you cut cookies before or after baking? Cut your cookie dough before baking it. Once the cookies are baked, it’ll be more difficult to get a clean cut.