# Please fix this chocolate chip cookie recipe. Something is amiss. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908 "2011-04-10T22:54:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Randy\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee7513/32.png) [@Randy\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randy_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/21 "2011-04-11T01:16:53Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Interesting. I read awhile ago that unmelted butter was essential, as whipping it contributed to raising: the butter incorporates a lot of air, and those tiny air bubbles remain in the dough once the flour is mixed in and are expanded by the baking soda’s action. It helped me understand why my cookies were so awful when I softened the butter in the microwave; since then, I’ve always been sure to soften the butter the slow way (on the counter), and they come out deliciously every time. I’m no expert, but I believe every word that comes out of Alton Brown’s mouth. I think the episode is available online if you want him to explain the science behind it. He uses a puppet that looks like Oscar the Grouch. Actually, I just searched for it so I could post the link, but I can’t find it. I know I watched it online once, but I don’t see it on Hulu or the Food Network site. The episode was called “Chips for Sister Marsha.” ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/22 "2011-04-11T01:21:51Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > I live in Ohio and I have never heard of Pioneer sugar. Domino is the major brand available at my local store. Sorry, I always assumed it was an Ohio company driving past the Pioneer Sugar Silos in Findlay. However, turns out Pioneer Sugar (and Big Chief Sugar) are both made by a [Michigan-based company](http://www.michigansugar.com/about/history.php) that bought the Ohio Sugar Company in the 80s. They produce about a billion pounds of beet sugar annually. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/23 "2011-04-11T04:32:32Z")
Anyone actually use real butter for cookies anymore? My family always used margarine for baking. The rare times they bought butter it was only used on toast, or a baked spud where the real taste of butter could be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/24 "2011-04-11T04:37:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Anyone actually use real butter for cookies anymore? Yep - I always pick up a couple of pounds of unsalted butter when I’m going to be baking. I’m going to echo the others who say your new oven is hotter - cook them a bit less, or set the temperature a bit lower. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Cymbeline](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_cymbeline/32/9244_2.png) [@Green\_Cymbeline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Cymbeline)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/25 "2011-04-11T05:07:12Z")
Here is my trick – replace the white sugar with brown sugar, so you’re using all brown sugar; also use half butter and half margarine. Butter makes for a crispy cookie; whereas margarine helps with chewiness. I also echo a baking a few less minutes. ---
**Author:** ![beartato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@beartato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beartato)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/26 "2011-04-11T07:23:54Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > Does it seem like too much sugar? Wife thinks may e that’s it. Don’t cut back on the sugar - it’s part of what keeps cookies soft. Increasing the amount of brown and decreasing the white might help, say 1.5 cups brown, .5 cup white. And yes, twice as much sugar as fat is a standard cookie ratio. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/27 "2011-04-11T08:24:50Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > What do you mean, your cookies have a next day? 😉 There! That’s your answer. Eat all the cookies as they come out of the oven, with a tall, cold glass of milk. If only all problems had such an elegant, nommy solution. ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/28 "2011-04-11T13:40:36Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > If you’ve moved states, I can only assume you’re also using a different oven. Perhaps the temperature of the oven is just slightly different (ie higher) than stated on the dial or from the previous oven? That’s my first guess. Oven temperature settings aren’t very accurate, so your new oven’s “350” might not be the same as the old oven’s “350”. I’d try setting the oven to say 325 and see if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/29 "2011-04-11T13:56:32Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > If you’ve moved states, I can only assume you’re also using a different oven. Perhaps the temperature of the oven is just slightly different (ie higher) than stated on the dial or from the previous oven? \*\*THIS. \*\* Whenever I move to a new place that has a new stove, an OVEN THERMOMETER is an absolute must. _I’ve never found an oven where the temperature on the dial matched the temperature in the oven. Never._ Unless your stove is brand new, do not trust the number on the dial. And frankly, even if I ever got a new stove (I finally settled down and have been using the last stove for 20-ish years WITH my oven thermometer), I would STILL use an oven thermometer. While you’re at it, get a refrigerator thermometer. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/30 "2011-04-11T14:16:01Z")
I’d recommend hiring an electrician to come by and check out your wiring. A lot of times, it’s not that the stove is miscalibrated but that someone screwed up the wiring in your house. I found this out the hard way when we moved our stove down to our vacation cabin. The oven, which worked perfectly in Ohio, was undercooking everything. We finally figured out that we couldn’t use the burners and the stove at the same time because it was drawing too much juice. We moved the oven to its own dedicated circuit and now it works fine. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/31 "2011-04-11T16:04:51Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > I’d recommend hiring an electrician to come by and check out your wiring. A lot of times, it’s not that the stove is miscalibrated but that someone screwed up the wiring in your house. > > I found this out the hard way when we moved our stove down to our vacation cabin. The oven, which worked perfectly in Ohio, was undercooking everything. We finally figured out that we couldn’t use the burners and the stove at the same time because it was drawing too much juice. > > We moved the oven to its own dedicated circuit and now it works fine. That’s pretty extreme for a case of tough cookies. From the OP, it really sounds like a one off problem. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/32 "2011-04-11T16:07:41Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > That’s pretty extreme for a case of tough cookies. From the OP, it really sounds like a one off problem. You’re right, of course. I should have recommended an electrician only if he has further evidence that his stove is off. In our case, we had plenty of evidence that something was not working right with the stove. It would burn one batch of biscuits and not brown another. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/33 "2011-04-11T18:21:00Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > If you’ve moved states, I can only assume you’re also using a different oven. Perhaps the temperature of the oven is just slightly different (ie higher) than stated on the dial or from the previous oven? “Never trust an oven!” Get a thermometer in there and calibrate that sucker. Also, you may not be using the same amount of flour, even though you are measuring it the same, as settling does occur. But that’s less likely than it being the oven. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/34 "2011-04-11T19:04:26Z")
An inaccurate oven thermostat is also my guess, either running too cool in Ohio or too hot in Virginia. Rock-hard cookies can sometimes be salvaged by heating them in the microwave for 10 or 20 seconds. They only stay soft a few minutes, so only heat as many as you’ll eat right away. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/35 "2011-04-11T19:52:35Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I’ve found butter can make cookies thin and crispy, and I like them thick and chewy. So I use butter-flavored Crisco and it is good. It does make the cookies very butter-flavored, though. Try using plain Crisco like I do. Butter is an abomination in Tollhouse cookies. It turns them into nasty flat little disks that are burnt around the edges. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/36 "2011-04-11T20:06:43Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > The recipe you’re using is nearly identical to this toll house recipe. > One big difference is you’re using a lot more flour. I wouldn’t use more than 2 1/2 cups. 3 cups will really make a dry mix. That may be your problem. Try reducing the flour and see if that helps. I was going to say the same thing, but cut it back to 2 cups. That recipe is virtually identical to the one I used hundreds of times when I baked a lot of cookies as a teenager, except for the amount of flour. 3 cups is definitely too much. Hmm. Actually, I think the recipe I used was slightly different on a couple other ingredients (changes in red): 1 cup Sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup butter/shortening 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda chocolate chips Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Also the OP didn’t list the mixing instructions, but I’d do it as follows: Mix the wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla, butter/shortening) and the sugars with an electric mixer until nice and smooth, and then use a spoon to blend in the flour, salt, and baking soda by hand. Add the chocolate chips last. ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908/37 "2011-04-12T15:50:34Z")
I would reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees or so and take the cookies out of the oven 2 minutes earlier. Also, I’ve found that the absolute best way to store cookies is in an unzipped Ziploc bag or in a lidded container with the lid resting slightly askew on the top. Air-tight seems to stale them, open-air definitely stales them, but this in-between state is just right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-fix-this-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-something-is-amiss/577908.md?page=1)