Butter contributes milk solids and water to a cookie,
both of which soften it
. Brown sugar contributes molasses – again, a softener. Using lower-moisture sugar (granulated) and fat (vegetable shortening), plus a longer, slower bake than normal, produces light, crunchy cookies.
Butter also plays a critical role in cookie structure; the fat
and moisture can enhance or inhibit gluten development
, which directly impacts the shape, spread, and texture in your cookies. In short, the temperature of your butter for cookies directly impacts how cakey, crispy, or flaky your cookies will be.
Adding more moisture to your dough
in the form of extra butter, egg yolks, or brown sugar will make your cookies even softer.
Use Cornstarch
in Dry Ingredients: Cornstarch, a thickening ingredient, is the secret weapon in this cookie recipe. 2 teaspoons give the cookies extra lift and leave them extra soft. You can't taste it! You also need all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
Warm cookie dough or
excess butter will cause the cookies to spread too much
, baking quickly on the outside but remaining raw in the middle. … If the problem persists, use less butter.
The protein in the yolk heats up and turns into a “gel-like substance
,” which allows for a super soft texture once fully baked. The more eggs you add, the more chewy and almost cake-like your cookie will be.
According to The Kitchn, if you use melted butter in your dough, make the dough into small rounds, then chill the dough before popping them in the oven, your
cookies will have chewiness from the butter as well as crispy edges
. This sounds like chewy and crispy cookie goodness.
Why are my cookies tough? The most common reason that cookies are tough is
that the cookie dough was mixed too much
. When flour is mixed into the dough, gluten begins to form. Gluten helps hold baked goods together, but too much gluten can lead to tough cookies.
A secret baker's trick is
to rest your cookie dough in the fridge
. You can rest it for at least an hour, which will evaporate some of the water and increase the sugar content, helping to keep your cookies chewy. The longer you allow your dough to rest in the fridge, the chewier your cookies will be.
If they're already hard straight from the oven, you'll need
to soften them
! Wrap each cookie individually in a plastic wrapper while they're still warm. This keeps steam inside the cookie which then softens them. You can also place all the wrapped cookies in a covered container to really keep the heat in.
Shortening and butter
make cookies tender
. … This prevents gluten from developing, making the cookies more tender and less chewy. Butter contributes significant flavor, so substituting shortening or margarine for butter (or vice versa) changes the taste. It can also affect the texture of a cookie.
Why Do Cookies Get Hard? …
Over time, the moisture in the cookies evaporates, leaving them stiff and crumbly
. It's the same thing that happens to breads, muffins, and other baked goods. The longer they sit, the more stale they become.
Chocolate chip cookies are done when they have a firm golden edge or bottom and appear slightly set on top. If the edges become dark brown, they are overbaked.
If edges aren't golden and tops
are soft and shiny, bake a little longer.
When eggs aren't added,
the cookies become dense, crumbly, and don't spread out
. While eggs may not add much in terms of flavor to a cookie, they're still a vital ingredient. Without them, cookies will crumble apart and become too dry to enjoy. Texture is very important to a cookie.
Fat: When it comes to fat, high protein, and low melting temperatures allow cookies to spread more, resulting in crispier cookies. …
Eggs
: Cookies without eggs are usually flatter and crispier since eggs act as leavening agents. However, it's the yolks that make cookies chewy, while the whites lead to crunchier cookies.
Here's why. The texture of cakes made with oil is—in general—
superior to the texture of cakes made with butter
. Oil cakes tend to bake up loftier with a more even crumb and stay moist and tender far longer than cakes made with butter. … Cakes made with butter often taste better than oil cakes.
