Help with flat chocolate chip cookies

Suddenly I have ultra-flat chocolate chip cookies and we like them cakey. I've done everything I can think of. This has happened with two ovens, each of which tests accurately. I've tried baking at different temperatures, chilling the dough (I did that before), mounding it on the sheets, getting new baking soda. The only change I can think of is moving to a rainy climate but that can't be it! This has happened in both a regular oven and my current convection oven. If I add a couple of tbsp. of flour, they are fine, but they taste pasty. Could it be the butter? Help!

ATL
  • Posted by: ATL
  • July 4, 2012
  • 6691 views
  • 6 Comments

6 Comments

ATL
ATL October 25, 2012
I am the original poster of this question and I believe I have found the answer--accidentally! Have tried to solve this over the last few months and nothing worked. Today I tried again but used two different types of cookie sheets. One had a bright shiny aluminum finish and was actually more expensive than the other sheet, which had a dull darker finish and frankly, was pretty beaten-up. I was floored to see the usual disaster on the shiny cookie sheet--even after I'd added a couple of tablespoons of flour to firm up the cookies, chilled the dough, etc.--and perfect cookies on the other. I baked the sheets separately. When I tried it again, I had the same results. So if anyone is having the same problem, check your cookie sheets first!
 
ATL
ATL July 4, 2012
Thanks, everyone--my problem may be solved. I've always creamed the butter and sugar quite a lot, but I don't think I overdid it. However, when I moved (which is when this started), I shifted the size of eggs. I had been using extra-large (organic) and they became hard to find, so I started using large. I also switched butter to a local organic brand and wondered if that could be it because the cookies felt greasy. Thank you so much!!
 
boulangere
boulangere July 4, 2012
An answer to another question reminded me that this is an excellent recipe. You might take a look at it and see how it differs from yours:
http://www.food52.com/recipes/9209_chubby_chewy_chocolate_chip_cookies
 
boulangere
boulangere July 4, 2012
If you add another egg, you can safely increase the flour by a couple of tablespoons without the starchy taste you describe (blech). Be sure to adequately cream the butter and sugar(s) together; in that step, you're incorporating lots of air. And when adding the eggs, add the one at a time, allowing each to be fully incorporated before adding the next so as to maintain the emulsion between the butter and eggs. Persevere!
 
hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour July 4, 2012
I second the suggestion of adding an extra egg. I'd also think about reducing the sugar - more sugar tends to cause flatter cookies.
 

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ChefOno
ChefOno July 4, 2012

Are you using smaller eggs than before? In any case you can try adding an additional egg (or just an egg white).

Does your method call for creaming the butter? The butter should start off around 65F. Under and over creaming can cause cookies to fail to rise properly.

Change in baking sheet? Protein content of the flour? Extra / different type of sugar? Water content of the butter?

 
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