Soft Cookies...how Can I Make Them Firmer?
Baking By iwantcookies Updated 26 Feb 2009 , 9:06am by iwantcookies
Hi all!
well i just made my first batch of NFSC AND penny's sugar cookies (wanted to compare them both!!) and they both came out soft. I let them cool, and they hardened up, but as i let them sit they seemed to get really soft ( i cooked both thick and thin cookies), it seems like they would break really easy, and didn't seem like they would hold up if they were on a stick. Are they supposed to be so soft? I don't mind soft cookies, but i would prefer them to be a little firmer. What should i do to get them a bit harder? Should i bake them longer? Turn my oven temp down? How long do u all bake ure cookies for? (i had mine in the oven for 10mins and this happened to both iced and un-iced cookies).
Any other suggestions? (i used all butter in both recipes). ANY TIPS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!
thanks heaps.
I havent tried the recipes your talking about but I know the recipe I have from BH&G is pretty good and holds up well. I also roll out the dough so that its 1/4 " thick which gives them more stability. If your not cooking them well enough that could be the problem also. Depending on your oven, you might want to set it at a higher degree. I use mine on convection at 325 and usually have to cook them a few minutes longer, especially when their thicker. But when your taking them out of the oven, they should have a light brown edge to them. I also use cooling racks so that they stop baking after I take them out. If you leave them on the sheet they still will continue to bake a little from the heat of your pans.
Hope this helps some!
I have used both recipes and I prefer my cookies to be soft especially if I am using RBC. If you bake your cookies longer they will become harder. The edges will become darker. My customers like the softer cookie over a hard cookie. When I am doing stick in my cookies I add a little royal icing around the stick at the base of the cookie and make sure they lay flat for 24 hours before putting in the bouquet.
Hi iwantcookies,
As you are in Australia, and you seem to be having a very hot summer, It maybe the humidity. Even here in Pommy land we get it sometimes!
Have just seen on the news that it was a National Day of Mourning for the victims of the bush fires. My thoughts are with you all. x
thank you all for ure suggestions!
I think i will play around with the cooking time and temperatures. If that doesn't help, looks like i will be investing in a dehumidifier!
Thanks taniabanana for ure thoughts! Very sad news about the bushfires... Hopefully the weather cools down soon so we can all get a bit of relief.
NFSC usually works great for me. During the higher humidity months I did notice that they were very soft, so that might be the problem. When you mix your dough, don't over mix. Let the dough just come together. Then divide them into "discs" and wrap them in plastic wrap and stick them in the refrigerator for at least 1 hours. I roll them out between two pieces of wax paper. It's a little hard at first but soon the dough will soften up. I also roll them about 1/4 in.
After they cool, I freeze them until I need to decorate. Hope this helps.
thanks msulli10 !
the humidity is a killer! I ended up chilling the cookie dough, rolling them out, chilling again and baked them at a lower temp for about 18 minutes. They came out firmer! yay! Now i can get on with making bigger batches!
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