What to do About Flat Cookies
This week’s question is about cookies.
Sandra asks me: “What can I do/add to keep my cookies from flattening and spreading too much? I like them a little more domed.”
My Answer: When Sandra says “cookies”, I am assuming she means a drop cookie, like a chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie. In this case, she should try chilling her dough for 30 minutes before she bakes the cookies and keep the dough in the fridge between rounds of baking.
There is one other, more complicated possibility for flat cookies. If Sandra’s home is located at a high altitude, this may be affecting her baking. At high altitudes, because of the difference in atmospheric pressure, leaveners (baking powder, baking soda, yeast, beaten eggs) work much faster than at sea level. To counteract this phenomena, Sandra could try raising her oven temperature. At extremely high altitudes, cutting back on the amount of leavener will also help.
I give another reader, Carmel, a detailed answer about the effects and fixes for of high altitude at this link here.
Thanks for the question Sandra. Disagree with my advice? Want to write in and try to stump me? Leave a comment and I’ll get back to you next Monday.
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This is a really good answer and I also freeze the dough in balls and place the balls directly on the cookie sheet, without thawing the batter. Also do not flatten the dough. This should give you a nice, thick cookie.
if your using brown sugar try using white sugar
will give you a crunchier cookie rather then a soft one
also the liquid content may ahve alot to do with the spread, or even the fat content. A recipe would be easiest way to help you.
and…whoever..mentioned the elevation, might be a closer guess. after aall, water boils 19 % faster at the top of a mountain then at the bottom