I need help with this cookie recipe

[kevin56]

I am having trouble with this recipe for "Macadamia Nut White Chip Pumpkin Cookies".

I have seen this recipe a lot of places and one site quotes it as a "Nestle's" recipe.

The cookies taste great, but there are two problems...

1) The cookies flatten and spread too much during baking, making them thinner than I would like.

2) The cookies are way too crumbly... they fall apart even just carefully picking them up.

Otherwise they are great. They taste good, they seem basically moist enough (a little more moisture would be ok but not totally necessary), and the sweetness is perfect. It just seems that they are not binding together very well... which might explain both problems.

Most of the recipes I found for this (all are nearly identical) asks for 1 teaspoon ground cloves. The version of the recipe I am using asks for 1 teaspoon ground cardamom instead of the ground cloves. We used the optional Walnuts (pieces) instead of the Macadamia Nuts. Also when slightly flattening the cookies with greased/sugared glass, we flattened them to the thickness of the white-chips, or slightly taller.

Here is the recipe:

Macadamia Nut White Chip Pumpkin Cookies

2 cups all-pourpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2-sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup LIBBY's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (12 oz package) NESTLE(r) TOLLHOUSE(r) Premier White Morsels
1/2 cup coarsely chopped Macadamia nuts or Walnuts, toasted.

COMBINE: flour, cinnamon, cardamom and baking soda in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until well mixed. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and macadamia nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto greased baking sheets; flatten slightly with the back of a spoon or greased bottom of glass, dipped in granulated sugar.

BAKE: in preheated 350*F. oven for 11 to 14 minutes or until centers are set. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.



Any suggestions on 'tweaking' this recipe a little ?

 

[babetoo]

try backing off the amount butter. judge from how the dough forms . only guess but that is all i can think of. good luck!

 

[merstar]

Chill the dough well before forming the cookies, and chill again after dropping them on the sheets. This will lessen the spread.

 

[goboenomo]

Try another egg to help hold them together. Whenever I make cookies I use 2 eggs. If you're still having a problem with it not rising enough, maybe try a bit more baking soda.

 

[bakechef]

I "second" the second egg suggestion, this will definitely improve crumble problem.

Are you following the recipe exactly or are you making any substitutions, for example using whole wheat flour, sugar substitute, etc? Not that you are doing this, but having read so many recipe reviews, people think that they can make lots of substitutions to a recipe and rate it low when it doesn't come out good.

 

[kevin56]

try backing off the amount butter. judge from how the dough forms . only guess but that is all i can think of. good luck!

babetoo-

If I lessen the amount of butter, how can I tell what the right amount of butter will be ? How should the dough be when it is right ?

I "second" the second egg suggestion, ... Are you following the recipe exactly or are you making any substitutions, for example using whole wheat flour, sugar substitute, etc? ...

bakechef-

Thanks for seconding the additional egg suggestion.

No other substitutions beyond using Walnuts instead of Macadamia Nuts, and using cardamom instead of the clove that I have seen more often. Using real granulated sugar, real unsalted butter, a real egg, and all-pourpose flour.

 

[kevin56]

Great!

Thanks for all the responses. I'll try the suggestions one or two at a time starting with adding an additional egg, and chilling the batter. I'll post back here with results in a few days.

Kevin

 

[jabbur]

Are you using butter or margarine? I know the recipe says either but my experience has been that most margarines tend to make flatter cookies. I only use butter in my cookie recipes.

 

[kevin56]

Are you using butter or margarine? I know the recipe says either but my experience has been that most margarines tend to make flatter cookies. I only use butter in my cookie recipes.

jabbur-

Yes, I am using unsalted butter, not margarine.

I am going to try adding an additional egg and chilling the dough just before baking. If that doesn't work, I will try to play with the amount of butter and baking soda I use.

Thanks again to everyone for all the responses.

Kevin

 

[bakechef]

babetoo-

If I lessen the amount of butter, how can I tell what the right amount of butter will be ? How should the dough be when it is right ?





bakechef-

Thanks for seconding the additional egg suggestion.

No other substitutions beyond using Walnuts instead of Macadamia Nuts, and using cardamom instead of the clove that I have seen more often. Using real granulated sugar, real unsalted butter, a real egg, and all-pourpose flour.

Cool! I always ask because I have dealt with novice bakers that had no idea that baking is chemistry and that you couldn't substitute on a whim!

Good luck!

 

[Alix]

Butter has a lower melting point that something like margarine or lard. You could do 1/2 and 1/2 butter and margarine, but I think chilling the dough will give you the result you are looking for without affecting the taste. Good luck!

 

[DaveSoMD]

Google the Good Eats Episode "Three Chips for Sister Marsha". It goes into good detail on the difference between flat, puffy, and chewy cookies (butter vs shorting, sugars, flours, etc).