You know, I love eating the three-for-a-dollar cookies sold at the subshop called Subways. However, it would be far cheaper for me to make them at home. When I attempt to do so, however, I wind up with hard cookies. True, they are not very hard, but still, they-oh, wait, I can find the recipes on www.topsecretrecipes.com. No, wait, I can’t install It requires flash, and I don’t have time to download it and install it right now. I need to run out the door.
So, instead I turn to ask people for advice. How do I make chewy cookies? Half-bake em? Use different ingredients? Use a stove that isn’t thirty year old? I don’t know. Confering with my friends seems to result wiith me being told that the way I bake em’ is how they normally taste, and that store bought cookies cheat somehow.
My understanding is that if you make your cookies with slightly more flour, they’ll come out a little cakier, and will be less crispy.
You could also get an air-cushion baking sheet, which prevents browning on the cookie and makes it almost impossible to burn them; they should therefore come out chewier. (These sheets should set you back about 10 bucks).
And, of course, take them out of the oven earlier: they’ll cook for a minute or two once they’re out, so if you want them chewy, take them out while there’s still a small spot of raw dough in the cookie’s center.
Well, I already tried the “Take the cookies out before baking” trick. I seems to work, but only for a short time afterwards. The bags of chips creates one hell of a lot of cookies, and while they are not stale three days later, I find they are the same consistency of normally baked cookies. That I not to say this may be due, to your suggestion, but perhaps to improper storage methods, or some other cause.
That being said, thank you everyone, and I will try out your suggestions soon.
[del]Reply that implies that anyone that likes crunchy cookies needs a check up from the neck up. [/del]
You see, tastes differ, and while you might only enjoy crunchy cookies, I prefer soft ones, though I have adapted to eating crunchy one, since they are what I come across most of the time. Really just a matter of preference.
FYI, if you find a batch makes too many at once, freeze the batter in cookie-sized lumps, storing in a well-sealed container. Make as many or as few as you want, whenever you want!
“too many at once”? My mind is refusing to parse this sentence. Individually I know what the words mean, but when put together like this, I have no idea of what you mean.
LOL – you mentioned them going stale & hard before you had a chance to eat them. This way, you make some every day and they are delightfully fresh whenever you want them.
If they’re chewy when they come out of the oven and harden later on, try storing them with slices of bread covering the cookies. This isn’t necessary for all recipes (for example, auntie em occasionally bakes cookies with an excellent recipe calling for pudding mix–and those sumbitches never soften), but give it a try. I’ve done it for years and it helps keep the cookies nice and soft.
Alton Brown explored how to alter the basic tollhouse recipe to make thin, crispy or chewy cookies. Transcript here so you understand the science; links to recipes here.
If they come out chewy at first but harden before you eat them all…
eat faster.
Or keep them in a tupperware/rubbermaid container. That’s what my aunt does… she makes the most awesome Soft Gingerbread cookies… oh IlovethemIlovethemIlovethem. I even have the recipe… somewhere. But my Mom always overcooks them and we need to buy a container to keep them in. The cookie jar isn’t tight enough.
Or nuke them for a few seconds before you eat them, if you’re not eating them all straight out of the oven on the first day - nice and gooey chocolate chips!
I’ve seen recommendations to store them in an airtight container with something moist, like a piece of raw apple or potato, but never tried it myself - seems like an invitation to mold growth. But it might be worth a shot.
My mind is refusing to parse this sentence. Individually I know what the words mean, but when put together like this, I have no idea of what you mean.
