Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION:
Why would cookies become too crisp after being baked?
I was wondering why cookies would be too crisp after being baked. Thanks for your help.
ANSWER:
There are several possibilities for cookies that turn out too crisp:
- The oven temperature was too hot.
- Solution: Invest a few dollars in a good oven thermometer so you can be sure you are baking at the right temperature.
- The cookies were over-baked.
- Solution: Watch cookies closely, using the recommended baking time only as a guide. Most cookies are still soft when done (they harden as they cool) and will continue to bake on the cookie sheet once removed from the oven. Remove cookies from the cookie sheet as soon as they are firm enough to transfer, using a spatula, to a cooling rack or paper towels to finish cooling.
- The cookie sheets were too dark, absorbing heat quicker than shiny ones.
- Solution: If you use dark cookie sheets, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F. to prevent over-browning.
- The cookie sheets were too thin, letting too much heat come through.
- Solution: Insulate thin cookie sheets by lining it with aluminum foil or place a second cookie sheet underneath. (You can also purchase insulated cookie sheets that have a layer of air between two pieces of metal.)
- The cookie sheets were too heavily greased.
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Solution: Only grease the pans if a recipe instructs it, and then do so very lightly. Or, instead of greasing, use parchment paper or a nonstick liner to line the cookie sheets. Also, nonstick cookies sheets rarely need greasing, even when a recipe calls for it.
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