2/23/2018 10 Comments
So I sat back and asked myself, "Just what do I do to get a flat sugar cookie?" and I came up with a few tips that may help you get that lovely flat decorating surface. If you're having trouble getting a good level cookie surface, or you just wanna do a little light cookie-theory reading, this one's for you! Leaveners.You might notice that my sugar cookie recipe doesn't use a lot of baking powder (aka, a leavener). Leavener = rise, and you don't want a whole lot of rise out of your cookies. Do you have a tried and true sugar cookie recipe that you love, but the cookies come out a little too domed? Try reducing the leavener (such as baking powder) by a half to a quarter and see what happens. It should definitely help! Dough, incorporated. Have you ever been rolling out your dough only to find little blobs of butter? They may look small, but they can mean big pains in your cookie baking future. Dough that is not thoroughly mixed will contain bits of unincorporated butter, and when baking, these bits of butter create lots of steam and seep and bubble out of your cookie, creating a misshapen mess along with it. Always mix your dough until these blobs of butter are no longer visible. But not a moment longer, unless you like tough cookies. Sticky dough.If your dough is too sticky, you may notice that your sugar cookies aren't turning out as flat as you'd like them too. To make sure that your flour measurement is the most accurate it can be for your recipe, weigh the flour using a digital scale. Every baker should own one! As a general rule of thumb, 1 cup of all-purpose flour is around 120 grams. You'd be surprised how much of a difference it can make. Volume measurements are great for liquid, but over and under measuring dry ingredients like flour is easy to fall into. And don't be afraid to use a little flour when rolling out your dough - but not too much! Too much flour = a dry sugar cookie. Chill out. I like to work with a chilled dough when rolling (not chilled enough that it'll break your arms or rolling pin, but chilled enough that you aren't trying to roll a gooey sticky mess) and I also chill my cookie dough in the freezer after rolling, cutting, and placing on parchment lined cookie sheets. 30 minutes usually does the trick. Some people swear by chilling, and others don't. Personally, I've tried putting my cookies in the oven straight after cutting and placing on cookie sheets, and I didn't end up with a very flat sugar cookie. Getting rid of a little puffiness.Okay, so you followed all these tips and your cookies still came out of the oven looking a little puffy. If it's not too bad, they can be saved! Grab a plastic fondant smoother and gently press it on your sugar cookies and glide the smoother over their surface while still applying pressure. This trick only works while the cookies are still hot and fresh from the oven, but don't press down too hard - sugar cookies can be fragile things. This should get rid of any puffiness or bubbles. 10 Comments Marina 10/23/2019 02:16:34 pm hwy, thanks for sharing the recipes. Reply Kimberly Ann Hartlink 10/27/2019 11:35:11 pm Granulated sugar would be plain sugar or also white sugar. :) Reply Mrs M 4/13/2020 12:49:27 pm Thanks thats helpful, i thought to have flat cookies the Rolled dough needs to be super thin! But then again, the cut cookie dough cant be lifted up to transfer to the baking mat. I just tried a good recipe but i think my butter was too soft in the beginning, and refrigeration time was less. Am grateful for the tips and will try again soon. Thank you. Reply 10/7/2022 06:38:40 am Increase future type south month person. Popular want identify most executive your. Box lawyer senior them ability play avoid. Reply 10/17/2022 10:34:44 am Occur world bill far find. Consumer operation professor night. Reply David Neufeld 12/15/2023 07:11:47 am What kind if cookies have Randy, Robert, and Mark been eating? Thanks for the advice. I am modifying my 3D printer to push icing into a company logo and text... flat cookies are the goal. Reply Nicole Avila 3/28/2024 08:53:06 pm I have a great recipe that I love but they always get puffy and it’s frustrating. I’m definitely going to try these methods. Question: when changing the levener (baking powder) does the taste change? I’m also at 4600 elevation if that makes a difference. Thanks! Reply | AuthorKimberly Hart, owner of Sweethart Baking Experiment, may have a cookie baking obsession. Uh-oh. ArchivesMarch 2018 CategoriesAll RSS Feed |
FAQs
What is the secret to a flat cookie? ›
- Melted butter.
- Switch out some of your brown sugar for white sugar. The higher the ratio the flatter the cookie.
- Less baking soda/powder.
- If the recipe calls for cornstarch, swap it out with flour instead.
- The Rules for Making Sure Your Sugar Cookies Don't Spread.
- Rule No. 1: Bake at the Right Temperature.
- Rule No. 2: Don't Over or Under Cream Your Butter.
- Rule No. 3: Don't Over-Soften Your Butter.
- Rule No. 4: Don't Overcrowd the Baking Sheet.
- Rule No. 5: Make Sure Your Ingredients Have Not Expired.
- Rule No.
Your cookies won't properly spread if your oven temperature is too high; the edges of your cookies will cook faster than the middle before they have a chance to spread properly. To avoid this issue altogether, always double-check the temperature setting on your oven before beginning any cookie-making sessions.
What makes cookies fluffy instead of flat? ›Adjust leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda are responsible for the rise and structure of cookies. If your cookies are too flat, try slightly increasing these leavening agents. Conversely, if your cookies are overly puffy and then collapse into flatness, it could be due to using too much leavening agent.
How to get cookies to flatten? ›- Warm Dough. To encourage a good spread during baking, you may want to try using warm cookie dough instead of refrigerating it. ...
- Chilled Dough. ...
- Get Your Oven Nice and Toasty. ...
- Use Fresh Baking Powder. ...
- Use the right baking sheet. ...
- Use a Scoop & Don't Overcrowd. ...
- Don't Overmix. ...
- Add More Liquid.
Too little flour and too much sugar are often the source of flat cookies, so measure carefully and accurately by using dry measuring spoons and cups for dry ingredients (so that you can spoon the ingredients into them and sweep away the excess) and use cups with pouring spouts for liquids.
How to get sugar cookies to keep shape? ›- Change Up Your Cookie Dough Recipe. ...
- Don't Overwhip Butter and Sugar. ...
- Knead Your Cookie Dough by Hand. ...
- Chill the Cookie Dough. ...
- Freeze Your Cut Sugar Cookies Before Baking. ...
- Using Warm Cookie Baking Trays. ...
- Don't Grease the Cookie Sheets. ...
- Incorrect Baking Temperature.
“When chilled cookies bake, the butter stays in a solid form longer, slowing the spread,” says Dawn. “30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator does wonders, and you can bake the cookies right from the fridge.” Not only will chilling help the fats firm up and the flour hydrate, but it also helps the flavors develop.
How do you make cookies so they don't go flat? ›If your cookies come out of the oven looking flat, you may not have adequately chilled the dough before baking. Chilling times may vary depending on the cookie you're making, but you should typically chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours before you pop it in the oven.
What causes cookies to be too flat? ›If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.
What happens if too much butter is in cookies? ›
Adding too much butter can cause the cookies to be flat and greasy. Adding too little butter can cause the cookies to be tough and crumbly. You should use unsalted butter to control the salt content, but if you only have salted on hand, reduce the amount of added salt accordingly.
What temperature do you bake cookies at? ›- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cookies in the pan, evenly spaced. ...
- If using a ChefAlarm, insert the probe into one of the cookie balls and set its high-temp alarm for 180°F (82°C).
- Bake the cookies for until the alarm sounds, about 22 minutes.
Try using baking powder instead of baking soda. Baking soda encourages spreading while baking powder puffs the cookies up. If your recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda, you would use 3 to 4 teaspoons of baking powder. Caution: This could result in an unwanted flavor shift.
Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.
What does cornstarch do in cookies? ›Cookies. Cornstarch does kind of incredible things to cookies. I mean not only does it give them soft centers, prevents them from spreading, and makes them somewhat thick (in a good way), but it also contributes to the chewiness factor, which, in my opinion, is the most important cookie attribute.
How do you fix cookies that are too flat? ›Finally, cookies will also flatten if placed and baked on hot cookie sheets. Keep it cool to start with. How to Fix it: If too-soft butter was the culprit, try refrigerating cookie dough for 1 to 2 hours before baking. If too-little flour was the issue, try adding an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour to the dough.
How to make flat round cookies? ›All you have to do is take the baked cookies from the oven, place a mug (or a glass) over the still warm dough, do a little swirl and voilà, perfectly round cookies.
Does melted butter make cookies flat? ›Cookies made with melted butter often deflate and become denser when they cool, resulting in a perfectly cooked fudgy center — a similar textural result to brownies that get rapped (aka banged against an oven rack mid-bake to deflate them) or Sarah Kieffer's iconic pan-banging cookies that turn out pleasantly compact.