BDor

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?

Tartan

When you look at the cookies and you think they need just a little bit longer, they don't. I love soft cookies and try a Hermit cookie recipe. If your cookies do get hard, 10 seconds in the microwave per cookie will re-soften them.

Mdaniels

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?

jcwholland

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.

nygal

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

Butterflyblue

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.

Ashjoy

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.

Mkotch

For choc chip cookies, use shortening instead of butter.

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

mimim

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!

quiltmom04

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.