Chocolate cookie troubles

[fuzzbucket]

I made a batch of chocolate cookie dough, after not making any cookies for a year and losing my good recipe. The one I found seems pretty good, and I made a few cookies, and they rose and looked almost perfect, but this is what happened. They got flat and the inside was undone, even though I left them in fr 5 minutes beyond the specification. I'm no expert, so I was wondering if someone could help me?
I think it may be that i should add a little more baking soda, but could it be that I'm using a small toaster oven instead of a proper oven? Maybe I should use a different temperature or leave them in longer. Also, my oven can heat from the top, bottom or both, and I heat it from the bottom alone.

One more question- I use silver foil, not cookie paper, because when I tried greased sheets my oven started smoking. Is there a special kind of cookie sheet? When I checked the package, I saw that what I'd bought was actually sandwich wrappers....

[babetoo]

i often use foil on pan s for cookies. i grease or don't depending on what the recipe says. maybe you are over doing the grease and that is why it is smoking. other than that, i have no clue........i have never used a toaster oven, so can't help you there.

[Wyogal]

Try them in a regular oven. Do you have a cookie sheet (a pan, not a liner)? also, I've used parchment paper, made for cooking, in the oven with no problems.
I would try the recipe again in a regular oven with a cookie sheet.
cookie sheet - Google Images

[rlauzon]

Your problem indicates that you've probably crowded the pan - i.e. too many cookies on the pan.

I had a similar problem. First few batches turned out great. Then I did another and they turned out undercooked. I left one pan in longer to see if that would correct the problem and it didn't. It turned out that I put too many cookies on the pan. I decreased the number of cookies the next time I made them and they turned out perfect.

As far as foil is concerned, I don't use if for this. I used parchment paper. Non-stick. As long as the paper doesn't bo beyond the edge of the pan, there's no smoke. And the cookies don't stick to the paper. Best of all, cleaning the pan goes very quick.

[Wyogal]

rlauzon, did you also use a toaster oven to bake them?
From indications on the foil, they were spaced Just fine.
again, I would say, use a pan and a regular oven.

[rlauzon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyogal rlauzon, did you also use a toaster oven to bake them? From indications on the foil, they were spaced Just fine. again, I would say, use a pan and a regular oven.

No. But I have used a toaster oven to bake things before. The same rules apply as far as overcrowding the pan.

With a toaster oven, I usually have to decrease the temp or decrease the cooking time, though.

[foodie4life]

I would heat from the top and and the bottom, and make sure that the foil is as flat as possible to keep the temperature even throughout. What does your dough look like?

[fuzzbucket]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyogal Try them in a regular oven. Do you have a cookie sheet (a pan, not a liner)? also, I've used parchment paper, made for cooking, in the oven with no problems.

I have no regular oven, or I would try. And I wouldn't know how to get parchment paper, no idea what it's called in my country. Same with a cookie sheet. I could try printing a picture and asking around in stores..

Quote:

Originally Posted by rlauzon Your problem indicates that you've probably crowded the pan - i.e. too many cookies on the pan. As far as foil is concerned, I don't use if for this. I used parchment paper. Non-stick. As long as the paper doesn't bo beyond the edge of the pan, there's no smoke. And the cookies don't stick to the paper. Best of all, cleaning the pan goes very quick.

That could really be my problem- the paper I used was too large. I'll try cutting it. But I definitely didn't put too many cookies- they were slightly wider spaced than these

None of mine touched each other.

So I should bake for longer, using a toaster oven?
Here's my dough.

[fuzzbucket]

This is my new attempt, with the heat lit top & bottom, cut paper to fit the pan, baked for 20 minutes, and a slightly better texture in the result.


But they still looked all poofy and lovely in the oven, and sank into mush when I pulled them out. The inside was better than before but overall, the cookies are too chewy and hard around the edges and weird in the middle.
Ach if only I hadn't lost last year's recipe :/
Any more advice is greatly appreciated, and thanks so far.