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Secret to Soft cookies

post #1 of 55
8/26/07 at 3:05pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all...this is a really dumb newbie question, but one I can't seem to find a good answer to! What is the "secret" to nice, soft cookies...be it chocolate chip, sugar, or whatever? I've used butter, and shortening, and I seem to not end up with soft cookies. I know you can put bread in with cookies to help keep them soft, but how do you start out soft? I know this sounds goofy, and probably somewhere here there is discussion about this, but I just want a soft cookie that stays soft and chewy! I have a great recipe for some huge CC cookies, and follow the recipe to the t, but they don't come out like my co-worker's (who gave me the recipe)Thanks for all your help!
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post #2 of 55
8/26/07 at 3:19pm
Shortening will make a softer cookie, while butter will make a crisper cookie. When I make chocolate chip cookies, I mix the two and I still get a soft texture.

I think a huge key is not to overbake. The cookies should be set, but not brown. I set my timer for less time than is recommended in the recipe and then watch the cookies carefully.
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post #3 of 55
8/26/07 at 3:20pm
Maybe check your oven temperature...it could be running hotter than it says therefore overbaking your cookies and making them hard. Just a thought...HTH
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Insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting different results. Albert Einstein
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post #4 of 55
8/26/07 at 3:38pm
Here is a link that was posted awhile back. I had it saved to my favorites. I haven't had a chance to try any of the suggestions, but I thought you might want to read it.

http://www.mail-archive.com/cookie-recipe@yahoogroups.com/msg00304.html
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post #5 of 55
8/26/07 at 3:38pm
I don't bake them the amount of time shown on the recipe. I take them out when they look ever so slightly underdone. I use the finger-poke test: I poke the sides of the cookie with my finger .... if it feels firm, it's done. The edges should not be brown. If the bottom or edge of the cookie is brown ....even slightly tan ... then I've baked them too long.\\

Soft cookies are practically my "trademark".
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post #6 of 55
8/26/07 at 3:50pm
I also found that if you add a pudding mix to chocolate chip cookies they will turn out really chewy and stay chewy, really good! Also as indy said, don't bake until "golden brown" take them out of the oven a couple min before that. HTH.
Gaby
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Gaby
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For some reason I no longer get CC notifications. If you need to get a hold of me please e-mail me through my website. Thanks!
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post #7 of 55
8/26/07 at 4:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nefgaby

I also found that if you add a pudding mix to chocolate chip cookies they will turn out really chewy and stay chewy, really good! Also as indy said, don't bake until "golden brown" take them out of the oven a couple min before that. HTH.



How much do you use? I've seen recipes with pudding but was wondering about modifying a recipe that doesn't already include pudding?



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-Rezzy
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post #8 of 55
8/26/07 at 4:29pm
My CCC calls for a full box of pudding, the powder stuff, same thing you add to cake mix if you doctor your cakes up. What I would do is compare both recipes, yours and the one with pudding, and just make sure you add the right amount of liquids and eggs when adding the pudding. If you want I can post the recipe I use, let me know. HTH.
Gaby
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post #9 of 55
8/26/07 at 4:42pm
Alton Brown did a show some time ago and explained all about what makes a cookie soft, chewy, crispy etc..

It seems using cake flour, milk and melting the butter has something to do with it, but whatever it is, his recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies is wonderful.! They taste great the day you make them, but if you can manage to keep some around, they're even better the next day. They are exactly what they say they are...soft, chewy and yummy!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_13617,00.html?rsrc=search


What's wonderful about this recipe is you don't have to underbake to get them soft. These cookies are not going to get hard and crispy no matter what you do. It's kind of weird to have a blackened burnt cookie that's soft (yes, I did forget the last sheet of them), but that's what will happen.
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post #10 of 55
8/26/07 at 4:46pm
I remember it like this, cookie recipes with a high amount of butter to sugar are going to be crisp not chewy. The chewy cookie recipes have less butter and generally also include brown sugar as well as white sugar. I should qualify this as what eems to be the case for chocolate chip cookies. I remember this from Good Eats!
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post #11 of 55
8/26/07 at 4:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by justme50

Alton Brown did a show some time ago and explained all about what makes a cookie soft, chewy, crispy etc..

It seems using cake flour, milk and melting the butter has something to do with it, but whatever it is, his recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies is wonderful.! They taste great the day you make them, but if you can manage to keep some around, they're even better the next day. They are exactly what they say they are...soft, chewy and yummy!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_13617,00.html?rsrc=search


What's wonderful about this recipe is you don't have to underbake to get them soft. These cookies are not going to get hard and crispy no matter what you do. It's kind of weird to have a blackened burnt cookie that's soft (yes, I did forget the last sheet of them), but that's what will happen.



We were thinking the exact same thing! Great minds think alike. Ha icon_biggrin.gif
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post #12 of 55
8/26/07 at 4:53pm
I like soft chewy cookies also. I remove them early when they still look slightly under done. I also use parchment paper to line my tray. It helps the bottoms from overbaking too fast. Some people also double their cookie sheets. I usually just use the parchment paper and a TIMER!!! The timer is what saves my cookies because I have short term memory loss when I'm multi-tasking.
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post #13 of 55
8/26/07 at 4:55pm
I got this recipe I think from the forum (cookies).
They are soft & chewy. I bake them @ 325 degrees just until the edges barley start to brown. I use a standard ice cream scoop so mine are about
3-1/4" across.
Chewy Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

- 2 1/4 cups of flour
- 1 tsp. of baking soda
- 1 cup of soft butter
- 3/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of white sugar
- 1 instant vanilla pudding pack.
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. of vanilla
- 2 cups of chocolate chips
- 1 cup of nuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
Cream together the butter, brown and the white sugar. Then add the pudding powder into the mix. Add the eggs and vanilla. Gradually add the flour that was mixed with the baking soda. Finally, add the chocolate chips and the optional nuts. Stir well. Place dough at least 2 inches apart on the oven sheet.
Bake from 10 to12 minutes. The sides of the cookies must golden a bit before taking out of the oven. Let cool for a few minutes, prepare your glass of milk or coffee and enjoy!

You can also try changing the vanilla pudding powder for chocolate or caramel ones!
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post #14 of 55
8/26/07 at 4:56pm
In my experience, a convection oven is another secret to the soft inside, firm outside cookie.
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Answers to the most often asked questions re: SPS. SPS instructions are on Page 15 of the Sticky at the top of the Cake Decorating Forum. Supplies can be ordered from Oasis Supply, Global or BakeryCrafts.
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post #15 of 55
8/26/07 at 5:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rezzycakes

Quote:
Originally Posted by nefgaby

I also found that if you add a pudding mix to chocolate chip cookies they will turn out really chewy and stay chewy, really good! Also as indy said, don't bake until "golden brown" take them out of the oven a couple min before that. HTH.



How much do you use? I've seen recipes with pudding but was wondering about modifying a recipe that doesn't already include pudding?
_________
-Rezzy



Pudding works great! I found that using 1/2 to 3/4 of the pack of pudding mix gave me a tastier cookie. The full pack made mine "too" cakey and fluffy. 1/2 gave me a nice, soft, yummy, chocolate chip cookie thumbs_up.gif

Check the "Award Winning Chocolate Chip cookie" recipe here on CC! It's the best icon_biggrin.gif
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