Q. Why didn't I get 2 dozen cookies?
A. Size is the key here. You probably just made the cookies too big. Each cookie should be made with a slightly rounded serving tablespoon of dough. Because spoon size varies from brand to brand, you may have to experiment a bit with how much to use. Or you can use a #40 ice-cream scoop. Just be sure to level the dough in the scoop. If you're making cutout sugar cookies, the cookie cutter probably was too big.
Q. How should I store my baked cookies?
A. First, cool them completely. Then put them in an airtight bag or container and keep at either room temp or in the freezer. Cookies will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. If the cookies are frosted, make sure the frosting is dry before you store them. If you stack the cookies, put a layer of waxed paper between them so they don't stick together.
Q. Why do my baked cookies stick to the cookie sheet and/or break when I try to remove them?
A. A couple things can cause cookies to stick or break. First, check the kind of fat you used to make them. It's best to use margarine, butter or a vegetable oil spread that contains at least 65% vegetable oil. The kind of sheet can have an effect, too. Cookies baked on insulated cookie sheets tend to break more easily when you're taking them off. Also, you may have tried to take the cookies off the sheet too soon or waited too long. Let cookies cool 1 to 2 minutes, then take them off the cookie sheet.
One more thing. The type of cookie sheet you use plays a huge role in how your cookies turn out. We recommend shiny, aluminum cookie sheets. Cookies spread the least on dark, nonstick cookie sheets and also end up darker on the bottom than the top. If you're using insulated cookie sheets, the cookies will take longer to bake, and they tend to spread the most.
Also, the dough should be at room temperature. If it's too cold, your cookies won't spread.
Next, your oven may not be hot enough. Be sure to heat your oven for 10 to 15 minutes before baking to bring it up to the temperature called for in the recipe. Check your oven temp. If it's not hot enough, you may have to experiment a bit with the baking time. You may want to get it checked.
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Q.Why didn't my cookies spread?
A. There are a number of reasons why cookies don't spread. Not enough liquid or fat--or the wrong kind of fat--will keep cookies from spreading. Be sure to measure ingredients carefully. To measure liquid, place a liquid measuring cup on your counter, pour in the liquid, bend down and check the amount at eye level. To measure margarine or other spreads, use a dry-ingredient measuring cup. Press the margarine into the cup, then level it off with the edge of a knife or spatula. We recommend using butter, margarine or a vegetable oil spread containing at least 65% vegetable oil.
And finally, if you're making sugar cookies, roll the dough out to just the thickness recommended in the package directions.
Next, the type of cookie sheet you use plays a huge role in how your cookies turn out. We recommend shiny, aluminum cookie sheets. Dark, nonstick cookie sheets will give you cookies that are darker on the bottom than the top. If you're using insulated cookie sheets, the cookies will take longer to bake, and they tend to spread the most. No matter why type you use, be sure to cool the cookie sheets between batches. Cookies spread more on sheets that are too warm.
Q. Why are my baked cookies too thin?
A. There are 3 main reasons why cookies turn out too thin: the ingredients, the cookie sheets and how the cookies were rolled out. Let's start with the ingredients. Too much liquid or fat will give you thin cookies. Be sure to measure ingredients carefully. To measure liquid, place a liquid measuring cup on your counter, pour in the liquid, bend down and check the amount at eye level. To measure margarine or other spreads, use a dry-ingredient measuring cup. Press the margarine into the cup, then level it off with the edge of a knife or spatula. Your cookies will turn out best if you use butter, margarine or vegetable oil spread that contains at least 65% vegetable oil.
Q. Why are my baked cookies crumbly?
A. Here are some reasons why the cookies crumble:
- You may have used too much fat. To measure margarine, use a dry-ingredient measuring cup. Press the margarine into the cup, then level it off with the edge of a knife or spatula.
- Using shortening instead of oil will give you crumbly cookies.
- Did you break up all the lumps of mix? Be sure to break them all up as you stir the dough.
- They may have baked too long. Check to see if they're done at the minimum baking time given in the package recipe. If they're not, check every minute until they're done. You also might want to make sure that your oven temp is accurate.
- The cookies may have dried out, so keep them in an airtight container.
The type of cookie sheet you use can have an effect, too. We recommend shiny aluminum ones. And last but not least, the cookies may have baked too long. Check to see if they're done at the minimum baking time given in the package recipe. If they're not, check every minute until they're done. You also might want to make sure your oven temp is accurate.
Be gentle. If you handle the dough too much when making cutout sugar cookies, they'll get tough.
Q. Why are my baked cookies tough?
A. There are a number of reasons why your cookies turned out tough. You may not have used enough fat. To measure margarine, use a dry-ingredient measuring cup. Press the margarine into the cup, then level it off with the edge of a knife or spatula. Did you leave out the egg? For best results, use a large egg.
Dark, nonstick cookie sheets will give you hard cookies. Try compensating for this by reducing the oven temp 25ºF. And finally, store cookies in a tightly covered container.
Next, the oven temp may have been too high and/or the cookies may have baked too long. Double-check the setting. If it's accurate and you think your oven's too hot, you may have to experiment a bit with the baking time. Check the cookies at the minimum baking time to see if they're done.
Q. What causes baked cookies to be hard?
A. There are a whole bunch of reasons, from the oven temp to the cookie sheets to how they're stored. First, you may not have used enough liquid. Be sure to measure ingredients carefully. To measure water, place a liquid measuring cup on your counter, pour in the water, bend down and check the amount at eye level. If you're making cutout sugar cookies, don't use too much flour.
One more thing: You may have made the cookies too small. This package makes 3 dozen.
As for the cookie sheets, using dark, nonstick cookie sheets will make the bottoms of your cookies get too brown or burn. To compensate for this, reduce the oven temp by 25ºF. Also, the cookie sheet may be too large for the oven. There should be at least 1 1/2 inches between the cookie sheet and the walls of the oven.
Q. What causes the bottom of the cookies to burn?
A. Scraping the burned part off the bottoms of your cookies is no fun! Burning is most often caused by a problem with the oven or the cookie sheets. Let's start with the oven. Be sure to heat your oven for 10 to 15 minutes before baking to bring it up to the temperature called for in the recipe. Next, check your oven temp. If it's too hot, the cookies will burn or get too brown on the bottom. You may have to experiment a bit with the baking time, especially if you think your oven isn't quite accurate.
Q. What causes dough to look shiny and/or greasy?
A. This is the way the dough looks if you made it with vegetable oil, but the cookies won't look shiny or greasy.
Q. What causes chips to melt and/or why is my cookie dough brown?
A. When you stirred in the margarine, it may have been too warm and actually melted the chocolate chips and turned the dough brown. If you're softening margarine in the microwave, it's okay if it melts a little, but don't melt it completely.
And finally, if you were making cutout sugar cookies, did you add enough flour? Double-check the package directions for amounts.
Also, lower-fat tub or stick margarine or spread can make the dough sticky. Margarine and vegetable oil spreads that have at least 65% vegetable oil work best.
Q. What causes the dough to be sticky?
A. If the dough is too sticky, try refrigerating it for an hour. You may have used too much liquid or egg. Be sure to measure ingredients carefully. To measure liquid, place a liquid measuring cup on your counter, pour in the liquid, bend down and check the amount at eye level. For best results, use a large egg.
Q. What causes the dough to be stiff and/or dry and crumbly?
A. You may not have used enough water, margarine or egg. Be sure to measure ingredients carefully. To measure water, place a liquid measuring cup on your counter, pour in the water, bend down and check the amount at eye level. To measure margarine, use a dry-ingredient measuring cup. Press the margarine into the cup, then level it off with the edge of a knife or spatula. For best results, use a large egg. Also, the margarine may have been too hard.