Choc. Chip Cookie help, please

[wannabake]

Hi, I'm new to the board and a bad cookie maker, especially Choc. chip. I Just tried it again last night and did so much better, but still room for improvement. lol

I'm hoping someone can help me determine what's wrong. It's always the same thing with my Choc.Chip cookies. They are always puffy, more like cake with chip's in it. LOL
Is there something I'm putting to much of in maybe or need more of something else?

My last batch were a lot less puffy but still not right. I did one thing different than I use too. I used a glass measuring cup instead of using those little plastic cups. I always thought for liquid use a measure cup & Dry use the little premeasured cups. What should you use to measure with or does it matter?

thanks!!

 

[jkath]

best "no fail" chocolate chip cookie reicpe

It's kind of hard to figure out, as you didn't tell us how what/how much you used of each ingredient...

Here's my best "no-fail" chocolate chip cookie recipe.
See if it looks good to you:

Big Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temp (no microwaving it!)
1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cake flour (I use "Swan's Down" brand in the red box)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees f. (make sure it's really preheated well!)

In a mixing bowl, cream first 3 ingreds. Add next 3 and blend.

In another bowl, mix together next 4 ingreds, and then add it to the creamed mixture.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a 1/4 c. measuring cup, scoop level measures of dough onto greased cookie sheets, spacing each scoop 2" apart. Bake till cookies are browned and firm to the touch, about 15 minutes.

Transfer cookies with a metal spatula to a wire rack (I place mine over paper towels to catch any crumbs)

 

[Haggis]

What you describe Wannabake sounds like the result of using a low-protein flour (such as cake flour).

Generally there are two main components when you want a cookie to puff up, these are a) use a low protein flour (cake flour) and b) use shortening instead of butter (melts at a higher temperature so it does not spread as much as butter).

Just ensure if the recipe calls for all-purpose flour that is indeed what you are using (also during my previous readings I remember reading that some southern flours although they might be labeled as all-purpose they actually have a lower protein content than regular all-purpose flour).

Also you can try substituting butter for shortening (if the recipe calls for shortening that is) in equal amounts, this will also encourage the cookie to spread and be less puffy.

It may have nothing to do with your skills, it could be that the recipe is designed to create a puffed cookie.

Anyway I hope that helps.

 

[wannabake]

nestle choc chip recipe

Thanks, I'll try that recipe. Although I've never used cake flour, never even heard of it as a matter of fact, but hopefully that will make a difference.
I used the recipe on the back of the choc chip package again, but I have tried others and they never turn out. That last batch was as close to good as I've gotten. I'm hoping to make them as good as the cookie place at the mall. That would be nice!

 

[texasgirl]

Wannbake, I hate cake like cookies and I always had this problem, no matter what recipe I would use. I found this one and they are absolutely delicious!! I always cook them a minute or two under because I like them gooey.

3/4 crisco shortening
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 3/4 all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375
Combine Crisco, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl until well blended.
Beat egg into mixture.
Combine in seperate bowl, flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into the creamed mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes {I bake mine for about 7 minutes}

 

[wannabake]

maybe the margarine is the difference

Thanks for all that information!
So it is the flour that makes them puffy, thats what I was thinking. I use gold Metal all-purpose flour, but maybe I should use a tad bit less. Does it matter what you use to measure? Oh and the recipe called for 2 sticks of butter or margarine and i used 2 sticks of parkay margarine. I bet real butter would make them taste better huh?

 

[Michael in FtW]

moved to the Deserts, Sweets, and Baking - > Cookies forum

 

[wannabake]

interesting only brown sugar........

AHHHHH, I'm anxious to try this recipe too.
You know I always thought that brown sugar was better than sugar in a choc chip cookie, but I've never seen a recipe with only brown sugar and I'm so glad to know I'm not alone in puffy cake like cookies.......It's the ONLY cookie my husband will eat and it's the only one I can never get right! lol I'll let you know how it turns out for me too. Ty

 

[jkath]

Oh and the recipe called for 2 sticks of butter or margarine and i used 2 sticks of parkay margarine. I bet real butter would make them taste better huh?

When in doubt, always use butter!

 

[Alix]

Wannabake, using butter will make your cookies have less "puffiness". They will sure taste better too! I find that using an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe makes all the difference in retaining chewiness, and not being cakelike. Try searching for the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe on here. It is a keeper.

 

[wannabake]

salted or unslated

I love oatmeal but hubby doesn't. He doesn't like much of anything though. lol But You know I did come across that cookie recipe and I copied it, with the oatmeal in a powder form he won't know it's in there. Next time I'll get some reg butter before making anything. Should I use salted or unsalted though?
thanks so much!

 

[Alix]

I don't worry about salted or unsalted in my baking. It only matters in a select few recipes really. And the oatmeal being pulverized does make a difference. Great way to up the fiber for those folks who don't like it usually! Trust me, that is a WONDERFUL recipe. A true crowd pleaser.

 

[wannabake]

I'll be sure to try it

I guess I'll go with unsalted then, I'm sure we can do without it and who can't use some good fiber.

I will try that recipe some time soon, need to get to the store first........ I know I'll like it, just hope hubby will too, otherwise I'll have to eat them all myself.

 

[Michael in FtW]

Alton Brown just covered this on Good Eats (Food Network channel) in the episode, "Three Chips for Sister Marsha". By altering the fats, flour, sugars, eggs and milk, etc. you can take a basic recipe and get thin and crisp, puffy and cake-like, or chewy.

Here is a link to his recipes.

 

[wannabake]

This is just what I needed. TYSM

 

[AllenOK]

In response to your question about measuring quantities:

There is no "best" answer, short of weighing the flour, sugar, etc. The reason for this, is that every person "measures" dry ingredients by volume slightly differently. An example my baking instructor in college used was, take five different people, ask them to measure 1 c of flour, then weigh each person's flour. You'll get five different weights. Ask the same five people to weigh out one pound of flour, and you get five different batches of flour, weighing one pound each.

The next best suggestion, is to use a set of measuring cups (the 1 c, 1/2 c, 1/3 c, 1/4 c type), fill it to heaping, then scrape off the excess with a flat edge, such as the back of a knife.

 

[Andy M.]

Wannabake:

Here's a link to Alton Brown's three ways to make choc. Chip Cookies. He tells you how to make them chewy, puffy or flat.


http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/episode/0,1976,FOOD_9956_17114,00.html

 

[Haggis]

AllenMI gives a good tip for measuring dry goods such as flours and the like.

Additionally you should not pack down ingredients such as flour. The only time you pack down ingredients when measuring them is when the recipe calls for it, such as a recipe using brown sugar (it might specify lightly packed, firmly packed, or may not say anything in which case do not pack it down).

 

[wannabake]

Hey thanks for the advice. You know I never was sure where to fill to on those cups. The ones I have now have a lip on them, like for pouring, so I wondered if I was to fill just below that or all the way. Thats why I didn't use them at all last time and the cookies were much better. Is it true about using the big measuring cup for liquids and the little premeasured cups for dry or does it not make a difference?
Thanks again, I can use all the help I can get. lol

 

[wannabake]

Thank you very much