Why is it SO hard to make cookies?!
I try to bake chocolate chip cookies and they're usually crap.
I just made some this evening and they're like a hard coke in the middle, but the outsides are hard and crispy/crunchy - chocolate chip cookies are supposed to be delicious, and juicy, and chewy.
WHY?! I follow the ingredients and instructions, and I've tried different recipes from different websites and books!!!!!!!!
Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
There could be any number of reasons.
First and foremost, seek a few recipes in cookbooks. Cookbooks are edited and recipes are tested. Online recipes rarely, if ever, are (I say this despite the fact that I have my own cooking website).
The recipe may be wrong! Take the onus off yourself and blame the recipe. More often than not, the problem lies in the recipe!
Your oven may be off. If your oven isn't accurate then baking cookies (especially) can be a problem.
You may not be following recipes E-X-A-C-T-L-Y. Cookies are tempermental. If you catch yourself even thinking outside of the recipe, you are doomed for failure
Cookies that are done in the oven will be over-done by the time they cool. Baking time for most cookies shouldn't exceed 14 or 15 minutes, at most.
Cookies like to be rotated in the oven. One sheet or two, cookies should be turned front to back (and top to bottom if using 2 trays) to ensure even cooking.
Make sure you measure everything with the utmost accuracy. Most bakers don't measure by volume, they measure by weight and they never get on Y! Answers and ask "How many cups is 8 ounces!?" 8 ounces is 8 ounces. Period. Barring that, if you can't weigh your ingredients know how to measure all of the different ingredients. If the recipe says "1 cup sifted flour" that is A LOT different than "1 cup flour, sifted".
Ingredients for baking should be at room temperature.
If you're using dark colored baking pans, get parchment paper or silicone mats. If you can't, lower the temperature of your oven by 25 degrees.
Cool cookies on pans for only 5 minutes before moving to cooling racks. Allowing cookies to cool on the pans further cooks them before it cools them.
Use a measuring spoon to measure dough so that all of your cookies are the same size and bake at the same rate.
The weather may not be cooperating. Rainy days may seem like the perfect day to bake cookies, but the increased humidity can negatively affect cookies.
There are many reasons why it is hard even for a cake baker to bake cookies. Keep experimenting with cookbook recipes and don't give up.
Baker for over 25 years
Mr turtle is right- it's easy to overcook cookies because you have to take them out before they start to brown. If you wait til then they will end up dried out- in a medium oven you're talking a few minutes.
The method I use is to roll the dough into a sausage shape using cling wrap or baking paper, and freeze. You can then cut into disc shapes so they are not too thin, and they will be ready from a pre-heated oven in about 4 mins.
Whe your making cookies you have to really make sure what your putting in them like it the batter is to thick or to thin sometimes you would have to put the cookies in the right temp i would put on high for 375 or 350 depending on the mix!
I will tell you the secret to soft cookies.
You must add some vegetable/sunflower oil to your cookie mix, that will stop them becoming crunchy provided that you don't over-cook them.
You are over cooking them. Take them out of the oven a couple of minutes earlier.
You need to add more flour or shorten the cooking time
maybe you cook them too long. hope i help =)
meeeee
Use parchment paper and bake them less time