Soft cookies
 

My cookies are always hard. I use the same recipe as my daughter and hers are always soft and
mine are hard, all the cookies I bake are. What am I doing wrong?

If you post the recipe, we might be able to help. Brown sugar helps to soften a cookie as does the amount of butter. The amount of time baked and temperature of oven could also have an effect. Are you baking in the same oven?

When I want to keep cookies soft for a long period of time I put them into an air tight container and add a slice of regular bread. No matter how hard they will getr soft. They stay soft for a long time. And seem to stay "fresh" longer. Have a great day.

Yes, the bread idea does keep them soft after they are cool and in storage.

I think using shortening instead of butter makes them softer, too.

But if you two are using the exact same recipe, it probably has to do with how long you leave them in. Also, are you using a dark pan? Aluminum pans will make your cookies brown more slowly, which would help.

Another factor might be your oven temperature. I had a problem with all my pie crust edges burning, and bread crust getting too brown, and it turns out that my oven runs 25 degrees hotter than the knob says. If you have an oven thermometer, you can see if your oven temperature is accurate.

I would add take them out of the oven a minute early and let them sit on the pan a bit to finish cooking. And use parchment paper.

For choc chip cookies, use shortening instead of butter.

Add a slice of apple to the cookie tin to soften harder cookies.

I also use a slice of bread to keep them soft longer in the cookie jar. I agree with butterflyblue--check your oven temp and do not overbake.

I have a cookbook titled "Chewy Cookies" by Eileen Talanian. It explains that the ratio of ingredients and the timing are the keys to the texture. (I've used several recipes from the book and all have been good.) Of course, chewy and soft aren't exactly the same thing, but maybe learning the science behind the baking will help you determine a solution. Keep on trying!

Your oven is too hot and you're baking them too long. I use the toll house cookie recipe on the side of the Nestlé bag, but decrease the oven temp to 350 from 375, and bake them 10 minutes instead of 12. They are always nice and soft.

You can also use a slice of apple to store with them to soften them up. Bread pieces or apple also works to soften brown sugar...

I don't like mine soft so you can send them to me!

Its true, check the oven temp with a thermometer. It may be very different than what you think it is supposed to be--let us know what you are baking!

This is the recipe that my DD gave me

TERRI'S TEA CAKES


2 cups sugar 1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs 2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla 2 Tbsp sweet milk
1 cup shortening 3 1/2 cups self-rising flour


Mix sugar, eggs, vanilla, shortening, soda, baking powder and milk together in large bowl. Work flour in a little at a time until mixed thouroughly. Roll dough into balls about the size of a quater and placed on greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with fingers. Bake at 350 until lightly brown.


She and my sister both make these and they are always soft.

Sound yummy! I would really go back to checking your oven temperature and shave a minute or so off your bake time. There's no butter and its all white sugar, I can't see where there is anything else that would affect the softness of the cookie. Don't trust the accuracy, get a thermometer and bake a few at a time for just one or two minutes less...see if that makes a difference.

Drool....What our Family always did/do is bake them and as your recipe calls for and once they are done let them cool,,Now here's the trick...........Ready.................Put them in Tupperware after they cool down,fresh chewy wonderful cookies for atleast 3 days..Man I love cookies..

Hah! Cookies never last three days at my house. Think I'll go make some chocolate chip cookies!