LTHForum.com

I am totally at a loss.

I made cookies from this recipe, as I have plenty of times in the past. Actually, I pulled out a Ziploc of frozen dough I set aside from a previous batch and baked that. Despite all the variables I can identify being the same (oven temp, bake time, dough temp, etc) this batch turned out poorly. Instead of being thickish crispy-chewy discs, they spread enormously, covering the entire cookie sheet with one large, thin, flabby-textured cookie. And yes, they taste fine, but I sure can't give them away as a gift, as intended.

So what gives? Why would these cookies fail so spectacularly when cookies baked from the exact same batch earlier turned out just fine?

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As a mattra-fact, Pie Face, you are beginning to look almost human. - Barbara Bennett

Maybe the dough warmed up too much?

http://www.landolakes.com/TestKitchen/TipsAndTechniques/FAQ/cookies.aspx#2233ab22-100b-4545-bdba-2feda6887b09

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“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

The website for the recipe also suggested that a loss of leavening power could contribute to flat cookies. However, I agree that the dough may have warmed up too much. Do you have any dough left? Bake some straight from the freezer or just barely warmed. At least they taste good-- best kind of kitchen disaster.

Cheers, Jen

You can always get out the cookie cutters and improvise--that and some kind of decorating will usually fix just about anything...

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“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

ice cream sandwiches!

I think the dough was at the same temperature - it defrosted for about the same amount of time, and didn't feel extra goopy or anything - but that could certainly have caused the problem. Even so, delicious. I may even try to recreate the mistake, as the super-thin, crispy cookies were awfully good.

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As a mattra-fact, Pie Face, you are beginning to look almost human. - Barbara Bennett

Well, I tried it again, using dough that had defrosted for a shorter period - same result. Since I froze the dough in chunks, I need to defrost it at least a bit...but at any rate, the cooler starting temp made no difference.

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As a mattra-fact, Pie Face, you are beginning to look almost human. - Barbara Bennett

How old was the baking powder you used? If the baking powder failed, the soda might have been enough to give the first cookies a rise but it likely wouldn't hold up in freezing, especially if the dough sat around a while before it got into the freezer.

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LAZ
Dining Chicago
Index to LTHForum Recipes, 2004-2008

I think you're on to something . . . I would assume the baking powder was the issue.

Pretty new, I think - certainly less than a year old. It's cheap, though, so it might be worthwhile to toss the rest and get another can.

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As a mattra-fact, Pie Face, you are beginning to look almost human. - Barbara Bennett