April 25, 2011

the cookie dilemma

i'm having a problem.
about dessert.
usually dessert and problem don't go together in the same sentence for me because let's be real, dessert is probably my favorite thing and is usually never a problem...
but here i am, fretting about the state of my chocolate chip cookies.
i didn't make one batch of chocolate chip cookies until Chin and I had been married for seven months in the middle of february. 
and these cookies were divine. they were perfect. they were moist and dense and fluffy, sweet with that great hint of salt mixed in, and they were a hit with family and friends.
all of a sudden these cookies became my go-to fast dessert for when we had people over or when i brought things to a party.
but my victory was short-lived.
soon, my cookies became flat, and greasy, and they fell apart.
and i have not yet succeeded in making them back to normal.
hello shot to my baking ego!

i've tried everything. i tried not mixing them as much to keep them fluffy, i used chilled butter, put the dough in the fridge in between batches, and looked online for a good half hour trying to figure out how to fix it.
maybe i'm not using enough flour? looks like i'll have to experiment some more.

exhibit A: i made "cookie cups," by putting the dough into a greased mini muffin pan. they turned out great on the edges and bottom, and then sunk straight to the bottom in the middle. i was so discouraged! i had to take these to a party, and there was no way i was presenting sunken cookie cups. presentation is 80% of taste in my opinion. 

i put some cream cheese frosting in the middle to spruce them up (and look like they were supposed to be that way), and they were delicious. but in my head i was beyond frustrated.

help me! if you know anything about cookies, i could really use your expertise advice.
happy monday. :)

4 comments:

Elizabeth said...

In my experience, you may have to adjust recipes just based upon the difference in altitude from ny to utah, and dependent on the weather that day. You can see on several websites ways you can tweak your recipe for higher altitudes so they won't turn out flat. My bread never came out right in utah without some changes, and turned out awful when it was rainy or too wet.

Could be your problem, but I could be wrong. Hope you can figure it out!

Lauren said...

The secret to fluffy cookies is flour. Seriously. That's what my momma taught me and it's never let me down!

Kristie said...

Successful cookies for me happen when I'm patient and don't melt the butter, but let it come to room temperature naturally.

Karen said...

Everyone is right. Baking is really dependent on weather and yes, even altitude. Try adding more flour, just a little at a time, until the dough is the consistency you want it to be. And don't forget -- stir it in by hand, not with the mixer. And of course, as Marie Barone, that famous mom says "You have to add the love." She was talking about meatballs when she said it, but it still applies.