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Why do my snickerdoodles always come out flat?



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5















I've made a lot of variations of snickerdoodle recipes and I always seem to get the same results. I can make a thick chocolate chip cookie but snickerdoodles vex me. No matter what recipe I try, they always come out flat like this:



enter image description here



My oven is calibrated, my baking soda is fresh, and all of my ingredients are weighed. I preheat my oven and then wait 30 minutes until after my oven says it's up to temperature. I chill the dough 30 minutes before putting it on the sheets. This recipe I made today (results shown in the picture) is a merge of Cook's Illustrated's and Baked's (which were mostly similar anyway) but no recipe has ever given me the tall, fluffy cookie pictured in the cookbook:



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2 3/4 cups AP flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs

The method is the standard creaming method.
Roll the 1.5 inch balls in a sugar/cinnamon mix.
Bake in oven for 9-11 minutes, rotating halfway through.


Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?



FWIW, the flavor is great, and if I fold them in half, the texture's great too. :-) Per request, here's a picture from Baked's cookbook that has results I'd like:



enter image description here










share|improve this question
























  • How do you measure your ingredients? I use the ATK recipe all the time and weigh everything and they're never as flat as yours... also, you're overcrowding your pan. I don't think that's a solution here but they shouldn't be touching each other that much in the end. Snickerdoodles spread a lot, you need to give them plenty of space.

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:36












  • @Catija: I thought someone would comment on the overcrowding. I forgot to mention that I knew I was doing it here. I don't think it makes a difference though. As for how I measure, I'm not sure how to answer. I use a digital kitchen scale that I trust for all my other recipes that come out fine. Is there something specific I can tell you?

    – DaveBurns
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:45











  • All of the measurements in your question are volumetric... and I didn't see that you stated you "weigh", so I was confused. If you remember, can you post your weights you used rather than the volumetric measurements?

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:47






  • 1





    I've never had a snickerdoodle in my life come out looking like that... just a note. I make the CI recipe every time and they never look that way. I don't think this is user error... I think it's photographic misrepresentation.

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 20:09






  • 1





    Although unlikely, it could be your cream of tartar. You might want to test it to make sure it is still good.

    – Debbie M.
    Mar 23 '16 at 0:10

















5















I've made a lot of variations of snickerdoodle recipes and I always seem to get the same results. I can make a thick chocolate chip cookie but snickerdoodles vex me. No matter what recipe I try, they always come out flat like this:



enter image description here



My oven is calibrated, my baking soda is fresh, and all of my ingredients are weighed. I preheat my oven and then wait 30 minutes until after my oven says it's up to temperature. I chill the dough 30 minutes before putting it on the sheets. This recipe I made today (results shown in the picture) is a merge of Cook's Illustrated's and Baked's (which were mostly similar anyway) but no recipe has ever given me the tall, fluffy cookie pictured in the cookbook:



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2 3/4 cups AP flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs

The method is the standard creaming method.
Roll the 1.5 inch balls in a sugar/cinnamon mix.
Bake in oven for 9-11 minutes, rotating halfway through.


Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?



FWIW, the flavor is great, and if I fold them in half, the texture's great too. :-) Per request, here's a picture from Baked's cookbook that has results I'd like:



enter image description here










share|improve this question
























  • How do you measure your ingredients? I use the ATK recipe all the time and weigh everything and they're never as flat as yours... also, you're overcrowding your pan. I don't think that's a solution here but they shouldn't be touching each other that much in the end. Snickerdoodles spread a lot, you need to give them plenty of space.

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:36












  • @Catija: I thought someone would comment on the overcrowding. I forgot to mention that I knew I was doing it here. I don't think it makes a difference though. As for how I measure, I'm not sure how to answer. I use a digital kitchen scale that I trust for all my other recipes that come out fine. Is there something specific I can tell you?

    – DaveBurns
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:45











  • All of the measurements in your question are volumetric... and I didn't see that you stated you "weigh", so I was confused. If you remember, can you post your weights you used rather than the volumetric measurements?

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:47






  • 1





    I've never had a snickerdoodle in my life come out looking like that... just a note. I make the CI recipe every time and they never look that way. I don't think this is user error... I think it's photographic misrepresentation.

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 20:09






  • 1





    Although unlikely, it could be your cream of tartar. You might want to test it to make sure it is still good.

    – Debbie M.
    Mar 23 '16 at 0:10













5












5








5


1






I've made a lot of variations of snickerdoodle recipes and I always seem to get the same results. I can make a thick chocolate chip cookie but snickerdoodles vex me. No matter what recipe I try, they always come out flat like this:



enter image description here



My oven is calibrated, my baking soda is fresh, and all of my ingredients are weighed. I preheat my oven and then wait 30 minutes until after my oven says it's up to temperature. I chill the dough 30 minutes before putting it on the sheets. This recipe I made today (results shown in the picture) is a merge of Cook's Illustrated's and Baked's (which were mostly similar anyway) but no recipe has ever given me the tall, fluffy cookie pictured in the cookbook:



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2 3/4 cups AP flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs

The method is the standard creaming method.
Roll the 1.5 inch balls in a sugar/cinnamon mix.
Bake in oven for 9-11 minutes, rotating halfway through.


Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?



FWIW, the flavor is great, and if I fold them in half, the texture's great too. :-) Per request, here's a picture from Baked's cookbook that has results I'd like:



enter image description here










share|improve this question
















I've made a lot of variations of snickerdoodle recipes and I always seem to get the same results. I can make a thick chocolate chip cookie but snickerdoodles vex me. No matter what recipe I try, they always come out flat like this:



enter image description here



My oven is calibrated, my baking soda is fresh, and all of my ingredients are weighed. I preheat my oven and then wait 30 minutes until after my oven says it's up to temperature. I chill the dough 30 minutes before putting it on the sheets. This recipe I made today (results shown in the picture) is a merge of Cook's Illustrated's and Baked's (which were mostly similar anyway) but no recipe has ever given me the tall, fluffy cookie pictured in the cookbook:



Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2 3/4 cups AP flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs

The method is the standard creaming method.
Roll the 1.5 inch balls in a sugar/cinnamon mix.
Bake in oven for 9-11 minutes, rotating halfway through.


Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong?



FWIW, the flavor is great, and if I fold them in half, the texture's great too. :-) Per request, here's a picture from Baked's cookbook that has results I'd like:



enter image description here







baking cookies






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited Mar 9 '17 at 17:30









Community

1




1










asked Mar 22 '16 at 19:32









DaveBurnsDaveBurns

210510




210510












  • How do you measure your ingredients? I use the ATK recipe all the time and weigh everything and they're never as flat as yours... also, you're overcrowding your pan. I don't think that's a solution here but they shouldn't be touching each other that much in the end. Snickerdoodles spread a lot, you need to give them plenty of space.

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:36












  • @Catija: I thought someone would comment on the overcrowding. I forgot to mention that I knew I was doing it here. I don't think it makes a difference though. As for how I measure, I'm not sure how to answer. I use a digital kitchen scale that I trust for all my other recipes that come out fine. Is there something specific I can tell you?

    – DaveBurns
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:45











  • All of the measurements in your question are volumetric... and I didn't see that you stated you "weigh", so I was confused. If you remember, can you post your weights you used rather than the volumetric measurements?

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:47






  • 1





    I've never had a snickerdoodle in my life come out looking like that... just a note. I make the CI recipe every time and they never look that way. I don't think this is user error... I think it's photographic misrepresentation.

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 20:09






  • 1





    Although unlikely, it could be your cream of tartar. You might want to test it to make sure it is still good.

    – Debbie M.
    Mar 23 '16 at 0:10

















  • How do you measure your ingredients? I use the ATK recipe all the time and weigh everything and they're never as flat as yours... also, you're overcrowding your pan. I don't think that's a solution here but they shouldn't be touching each other that much in the end. Snickerdoodles spread a lot, you need to give them plenty of space.

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:36












  • @Catija: I thought someone would comment on the overcrowding. I forgot to mention that I knew I was doing it here. I don't think it makes a difference though. As for how I measure, I'm not sure how to answer. I use a digital kitchen scale that I trust for all my other recipes that come out fine. Is there something specific I can tell you?

    – DaveBurns
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:45











  • All of the measurements in your question are volumetric... and I didn't see that you stated you "weigh", so I was confused. If you remember, can you post your weights you used rather than the volumetric measurements?

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 19:47






  • 1





    I've never had a snickerdoodle in my life come out looking like that... just a note. I make the CI recipe every time and they never look that way. I don't think this is user error... I think it's photographic misrepresentation.

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 20:09






  • 1





    Although unlikely, it could be your cream of tartar. You might want to test it to make sure it is still good.

    – Debbie M.
    Mar 23 '16 at 0:10
















How do you measure your ingredients? I use the ATK recipe all the time and weigh everything and they're never as flat as yours... also, you're overcrowding your pan. I don't think that's a solution here but they shouldn't be touching each other that much in the end. Snickerdoodles spread a lot, you need to give them plenty of space.

– Catija
Mar 22 '16 at 19:36






How do you measure your ingredients? I use the ATK recipe all the time and weigh everything and they're never as flat as yours... also, you're overcrowding your pan. I don't think that's a solution here but they shouldn't be touching each other that much in the end. Snickerdoodles spread a lot, you need to give them plenty of space.

– Catija
Mar 22 '16 at 19:36














@Catija: I thought someone would comment on the overcrowding. I forgot to mention that I knew I was doing it here. I don't think it makes a difference though. As for how I measure, I'm not sure how to answer. I use a digital kitchen scale that I trust for all my other recipes that come out fine. Is there something specific I can tell you?

– DaveBurns
Mar 22 '16 at 19:45





@Catija: I thought someone would comment on the overcrowding. I forgot to mention that I knew I was doing it here. I don't think it makes a difference though. As for how I measure, I'm not sure how to answer. I use a digital kitchen scale that I trust for all my other recipes that come out fine. Is there something specific I can tell you?

– DaveBurns
Mar 22 '16 at 19:45













All of the measurements in your question are volumetric... and I didn't see that you stated you "weigh", so I was confused. If you remember, can you post your weights you used rather than the volumetric measurements?

– Catija
Mar 22 '16 at 19:47





All of the measurements in your question are volumetric... and I didn't see that you stated you "weigh", so I was confused. If you remember, can you post your weights you used rather than the volumetric measurements?

– Catija
Mar 22 '16 at 19:47




1




1





I've never had a snickerdoodle in my life come out looking like that... just a note. I make the CI recipe every time and they never look that way. I don't think this is user error... I think it's photographic misrepresentation.

– Catija
Mar 22 '16 at 20:09





I've never had a snickerdoodle in my life come out looking like that... just a note. I make the CI recipe every time and they never look that way. I don't think this is user error... I think it's photographic misrepresentation.

– Catija
Mar 22 '16 at 20:09




1




1





Although unlikely, it could be your cream of tartar. You might want to test it to make sure it is still good.

– Debbie M.
Mar 23 '16 at 0:10





Although unlikely, it could be your cream of tartar. You might want to test it to make sure it is still good.

– Debbie M.
Mar 23 '16 at 0:10










9 Answers
9






active

oldest

votes


















5














While I haven't made this specific recipe before, I have made the Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen recipe many times. As you say, it is very similar - it uses slightly less flour and it uses white sugar exclusively.



One thing I will say - Snickerdoodles are, in general, pretty flat cookies. There are dozens of photos out there that show this to be the case. This site follows the CI recipe and you can see that they're pretty flat from the image at the top of the page:



Snickerdoodles



This recipe does not turn out cookies that look like the ones in the photo you've posted. Never has in the 5+ years I've been making them. The tiny changes in flour and sugar are unlikely to have that much of an effect on the outcome.



Now, I do think that you may have a bit of trouble because they do seem a bit flat, even for snickerdoodles.



I find the biggest error that gets made with this cookie is overbaking. To stay soft in the center, these need to be just barely baked, the edges just beginning to darken and crisp. The only brown on the underside of the cookie should be from the cinnamon.



If they look undercooked in the middle, that's good. Generally, when I bake them, they get really shallow at the edges and have a poof in the center, which flattens out after baking.



If they have any snap after fully cooling, they're overbaked.



It is also possible that the overcrowding is part of the issue. When the cookies glom into one giant cookie, they can't cook all around evenly, so the signal to look for I've mentioned (and that is mentioned in the recipe) to tell that the cookie is done can be either delayed or never come at all... which means it's easier to leave them in too long.



Bake times are averages. You really need to use them as a guideline and focus instead on the signals the cookies give, like fragrance, browning, and shape.






share|improve this answer




















  • 1





    I don't know when I'll have time but I'll try to make a batch sometime soon to check your version of the recipe and I'll post an image of what they look like when just coming out of the oven.

    – Catija
    Mar 22 '16 at 20:13


















3














The ATK recipe specifically calls for baking soda & cream of tartar, rather than baking powder, so that the cookies will be flat and chewy. What you're looking for is a more cake-like cookie. This calls for altered cookie chemistry.



Some suggestions:



  1. Replace the baking soda & cream of tartar with 2 tsp. baking powder.

  2. Reduce the fat. You could use more shortening, or try replacing half of the butter with plain, low-fat Greek yogurt (it's a half-to-one replacement - 1 1/4 cups butter = 5/8 cups butter + 5 tbsp. Greek yogurt). You could also use egg whites instead of whole eggs. Ener-G Egg Replacer (a starch blend) will do the job, as well.

  3. I know people who use cake flour in place of AP; the lower protein content should increase the volume of the cookies. (I've never tried this. I keep my cake flour for cakes.)

Note: I wouldn't try all of these things at the same time. Start with one.






share|improve this answer

























  • Hi, @user62719. Can you comment at all about how these changes affect the chemistry? The ATK discussion said they chose the soda/tartar combo really just for flavor and they implied the rise would have been the same with powder. Re reducing the fat, is this about reducing the weight of the dough so it rises more easily? Etc. etc. Thank you!

    – DaveBurns
    Nov 9 '17 at 13:16


















2














In general, flattening in cookies means the dough is melting before it is setting from the heat. The fats and sugars will tend to melt, so to counterbalance that you would need more structure - either a bit more flour, or possibly tweaking the amount of egg (less yolk or more white). This will change the taste a bit, but if you like the texture you can tweak the sweetness, richness, or spice balance afterwards to your taste.



If your dough is drier, it won't spread nearly as much. I would start with adding a tablespoon or so more flour - you might not need much to make the dough a bit stiffer. You might also cut out a bit of the fat - again, not more than a tablespoon or so to start, and it will also change flavors - to make the dough less pliable when it warms in the oven.



As for tweaking eggs, I usually find it harder to balance out, flavor-wise, which is why I suggest starting with flour. However, more egg white would help with binding and lifting, and also dry out the result somewhat, less yolk would cut down or moisture and richness a bit. The flavor profile and moisture level would dictate which you would choose and how much.



The other possibility, generally, would be to bake at a higher temperature for less time. This would help the outside of the cookie dry off and set before the inside gets too melty - notice the snicker-doodles in the picture are deeply cracked, that has to do with the outside setting before the inside is done expanding. However, the recipe is already on the high-and-short end, at 400* and 9-11 minutes. You might, if you want, try 450* and keep a sharp eye out, but it's tricky since I don't have a lot of experience with many recipes cooking at 450* to compare the cooking difference to.



Chilling the dough also usually helps, but you mention that you already do - though if you want to try freezing the dough balls, that might give you a touch more time for the outside to cook before the inside comes up to temperature.



Of course, this is more tweaks on how to get the recipe to do what you want. rather than any reason it doesn't match the picture in the cookbook to begin with. And they will change both flavor and texture. But the result may be good anyway, or may at least be tweak-able to a good result.



PS: never tried this, but for an unusual possibility - maybe look into subbing some suet for shortening or possibly part of the butter? Suet was used in puddings for this precise reason, its higher melting point let the dough set before the fat melted, giving a sturdier structure without losing richness. Probably will change the texture a bit, and possibly flavor, but might be... interesting :)






share|improve this answer






























    1














    It might be your pan.



    Bought the Vollroth (sp?) pans recommended by Cooks Illus.



    Make great chocolate chip cookies; the snicks fell flat, not at all what I wanted.



    On a whim, switched to the old coated, dark pans I have, VOILA!



    Cookies rise, crackle, fall to a decent height.



    I experimented with more flour, less sugar, temperature, etc. but it was
    the stinkin' pan that did the trick.



    My theory is that the dark pan (I think they are Wilton, or some such) conducts the heat better to the bottom of the cookie so that the batter cooks more evenly.






    share|improve this answer


















    • 1





      And as an aside, I don't think parchment helps.

      – hers
      Apr 9 '17 at 21:04


















    0














    There are two things you can do to insure less spread on your cookies.



    The first thing you can do is chill your dough a bit longer before baking it. The reason cookies dough spread is because the dough reaches high enough temperature for the spreading to occur before the gluten sets its shape. Chilling the dough and help with this.



    The second thing you can do is use more brown sugar. So change the recipe to 3/4 granulated sugar and 3/4 brown sugar. Or 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Brown sugar will have a higher melting point than granulated sugar so it'll hold to a higher temperature allowing the gluten more time to set.






    share|improve this answer

























    • He's already chilling his dough. I also strongly discourage overdoing the brown sugar in snickerdoodles. They're a sugar cookie... they shouldn't have brown sugar at all.

      – Catija
      Mar 22 '16 at 19:39












    • @Jay - I've chilled dough overnight and there's still no benefit. As for the brown sugar, I could experiment with that but most recipes don't even have the little I used and they still have the results I'm trying to achieve. So I must be doing something else wrong.

      – DaveBurns
      Mar 22 '16 at 19:43


















    0














    The only thing I can contribute is..FREEZE the dough and roll "tall" balls. I also use room temp eggs and melt my butter most of the way.



    If I deviate from any of those key points, I lose my perfect shape.






    share|improve this answer






























      0














      I've never made snickerdoodle cookies before, but I did it tonight and They came out of the oven puffy. I thought they speed suppose to be a flat cookie. So I looked up why they didn't spread or flatren out! The recipie I used only called for one cup of butter. I see the posted recipe also calls for oil too! Wow, that would make for greasy pancakes for sure. I'd cut out the oil part and stick to the butter only. Nice cookies, but way too sweet for me. Tha ks






      share|improve this answer






























        0














        Try cutting back on the fats to reduce the spread during baking, and cut the baking soda in half :)






        share|improve this answer






























          0














          I made these cookies for the very first time and they turned out thick like the picture. I followed the America's Test Kitchen recipe but I only had four tablespoons of butter so I used 12 tablespoons of vegetable shortening. ATK says that they don't spread if if you use vegetable shortening because it lacks water that butter has.



          I think they are a bit too chewy for my liking and I'm going to do the 8/8 combo next time.






          share|improve this answer








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            9 Answers
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            9 Answers
            9






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            active

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            5














            While I haven't made this specific recipe before, I have made the Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen recipe many times. As you say, it is very similar - it uses slightly less flour and it uses white sugar exclusively.



            One thing I will say - Snickerdoodles are, in general, pretty flat cookies. There are dozens of photos out there that show this to be the case. This site follows the CI recipe and you can see that they're pretty flat from the image at the top of the page:



            Snickerdoodles



            This recipe does not turn out cookies that look like the ones in the photo you've posted. Never has in the 5+ years I've been making them. The tiny changes in flour and sugar are unlikely to have that much of an effect on the outcome.



            Now, I do think that you may have a bit of trouble because they do seem a bit flat, even for snickerdoodles.



            I find the biggest error that gets made with this cookie is overbaking. To stay soft in the center, these need to be just barely baked, the edges just beginning to darken and crisp. The only brown on the underside of the cookie should be from the cinnamon.



            If they look undercooked in the middle, that's good. Generally, when I bake them, they get really shallow at the edges and have a poof in the center, which flattens out after baking.



            If they have any snap after fully cooling, they're overbaked.



            It is also possible that the overcrowding is part of the issue. When the cookies glom into one giant cookie, they can't cook all around evenly, so the signal to look for I've mentioned (and that is mentioned in the recipe) to tell that the cookie is done can be either delayed or never come at all... which means it's easier to leave them in too long.



            Bake times are averages. You really need to use them as a guideline and focus instead on the signals the cookies give, like fragrance, browning, and shape.






            share|improve this answer




















            • 1





              I don't know when I'll have time but I'll try to make a batch sometime soon to check your version of the recipe and I'll post an image of what they look like when just coming out of the oven.

              – Catija
              Mar 22 '16 at 20:13















            5














            While I haven't made this specific recipe before, I have made the Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen recipe many times. As you say, it is very similar - it uses slightly less flour and it uses white sugar exclusively.



            One thing I will say - Snickerdoodles are, in general, pretty flat cookies. There are dozens of photos out there that show this to be the case. This site follows the CI recipe and you can see that they're pretty flat from the image at the top of the page:



            Snickerdoodles



            This recipe does not turn out cookies that look like the ones in the photo you've posted. Never has in the 5+ years I've been making them. The tiny changes in flour and sugar are unlikely to have that much of an effect on the outcome.



            Now, I do think that you may have a bit of trouble because they do seem a bit flat, even for snickerdoodles.



            I find the biggest error that gets made with this cookie is overbaking. To stay soft in the center, these need to be just barely baked, the edges just beginning to darken and crisp. The only brown on the underside of the cookie should be from the cinnamon.



            If they look undercooked in the middle, that's good. Generally, when I bake them, they get really shallow at the edges and have a poof in the center, which flattens out after baking.



            If they have any snap after fully cooling, they're overbaked.



            It is also possible that the overcrowding is part of the issue. When the cookies glom into one giant cookie, they can't cook all around evenly, so the signal to look for I've mentioned (and that is mentioned in the recipe) to tell that the cookie is done can be either delayed or never come at all... which means it's easier to leave them in too long.



            Bake times are averages. You really need to use them as a guideline and focus instead on the signals the cookies give, like fragrance, browning, and shape.






            share|improve this answer




















            • 1





              I don't know when I'll have time but I'll try to make a batch sometime soon to check your version of the recipe and I'll post an image of what they look like when just coming out of the oven.

              – Catija
              Mar 22 '16 at 20:13













            5












            5








            5







            While I haven't made this specific recipe before, I have made the Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen recipe many times. As you say, it is very similar - it uses slightly less flour and it uses white sugar exclusively.



            One thing I will say - Snickerdoodles are, in general, pretty flat cookies. There are dozens of photos out there that show this to be the case. This site follows the CI recipe and you can see that they're pretty flat from the image at the top of the page:



            Snickerdoodles



            This recipe does not turn out cookies that look like the ones in the photo you've posted. Never has in the 5+ years I've been making them. The tiny changes in flour and sugar are unlikely to have that much of an effect on the outcome.



            Now, I do think that you may have a bit of trouble because they do seem a bit flat, even for snickerdoodles.



            I find the biggest error that gets made with this cookie is overbaking. To stay soft in the center, these need to be just barely baked, the edges just beginning to darken and crisp. The only brown on the underside of the cookie should be from the cinnamon.



            If they look undercooked in the middle, that's good. Generally, when I bake them, they get really shallow at the edges and have a poof in the center, which flattens out after baking.



            If they have any snap after fully cooling, they're overbaked.



            It is also possible that the overcrowding is part of the issue. When the cookies glom into one giant cookie, they can't cook all around evenly, so the signal to look for I've mentioned (and that is mentioned in the recipe) to tell that the cookie is done can be either delayed or never come at all... which means it's easier to leave them in too long.



            Bake times are averages. You really need to use them as a guideline and focus instead on the signals the cookies give, like fragrance, browning, and shape.






            share|improve this answer















            While I haven't made this specific recipe before, I have made the Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen recipe many times. As you say, it is very similar - it uses slightly less flour and it uses white sugar exclusively.



            One thing I will say - Snickerdoodles are, in general, pretty flat cookies. There are dozens of photos out there that show this to be the case. This site follows the CI recipe and you can see that they're pretty flat from the image at the top of the page:



            Snickerdoodles



            This recipe does not turn out cookies that look like the ones in the photo you've posted. Never has in the 5+ years I've been making them. The tiny changes in flour and sugar are unlikely to have that much of an effect on the outcome.



            Now, I do think that you may have a bit of trouble because they do seem a bit flat, even for snickerdoodles.



            I find the biggest error that gets made with this cookie is overbaking. To stay soft in the center, these need to be just barely baked, the edges just beginning to darken and crisp. The only brown on the underside of the cookie should be from the cinnamon.



            If they look undercooked in the middle, that's good. Generally, when I bake them, they get really shallow at the edges and have a poof in the center, which flattens out after baking.



            If they have any snap after fully cooling, they're overbaked.



            It is also possible that the overcrowding is part of the issue. When the cookies glom into one giant cookie, they can't cook all around evenly, so the signal to look for I've mentioned (and that is mentioned in the recipe) to tell that the cookie is done can be either delayed or never come at all... which means it's easier to leave them in too long.



            Bake times are averages. You really need to use them as a guideline and focus instead on the signals the cookies give, like fragrance, browning, and shape.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited Mar 9 '17 at 17:30









            Community

            1




            1










            answered Mar 22 '16 at 20:13









            CatijaCatija

            15.2k64572




            15.2k64572







            • 1





              I don't know when I'll have time but I'll try to make a batch sometime soon to check your version of the recipe and I'll post an image of what they look like when just coming out of the oven.

              – Catija
              Mar 22 '16 at 20:13












            • 1





              I don't know when I'll have time but I'll try to make a batch sometime soon to check your version of the recipe and I'll post an image of what they look like when just coming out of the oven.

              – Catija
              Mar 22 '16 at 20:13







            1




            1





            I don't know when I'll have time but I'll try to make a batch sometime soon to check your version of the recipe and I'll post an image of what they look like when just coming out of the oven.

            – Catija
            Mar 22 '16 at 20:13





            I don't know when I'll have time but I'll try to make a batch sometime soon to check your version of the recipe and I'll post an image of what they look like when just coming out of the oven.

            – Catija
            Mar 22 '16 at 20:13













            3














            The ATK recipe specifically calls for baking soda & cream of tartar, rather than baking powder, so that the cookies will be flat and chewy. What you're looking for is a more cake-like cookie. This calls for altered cookie chemistry.



            Some suggestions:



            1. Replace the baking soda & cream of tartar with 2 tsp. baking powder.

            2. Reduce the fat. You could use more shortening, or try replacing half of the butter with plain, low-fat Greek yogurt (it's a half-to-one replacement - 1 1/4 cups butter = 5/8 cups butter + 5 tbsp. Greek yogurt). You could also use egg whites instead of whole eggs. Ener-G Egg Replacer (a starch blend) will do the job, as well.

            3. I know people who use cake flour in place of AP; the lower protein content should increase the volume of the cookies. (I've never tried this. I keep my cake flour for cakes.)

            Note: I wouldn't try all of these things at the same time. Start with one.






            share|improve this answer

























            • Hi, @user62719. Can you comment at all about how these changes affect the chemistry? The ATK discussion said they chose the soda/tartar combo really just for flavor and they implied the rise would have been the same with powder. Re reducing the fat, is this about reducing the weight of the dough so it rises more easily? Etc. etc. Thank you!

              – DaveBurns
              Nov 9 '17 at 13:16















            3














            The ATK recipe specifically calls for baking soda & cream of tartar, rather than baking powder, so that the cookies will be flat and chewy. What you're looking for is a more cake-like cookie. This calls for altered cookie chemistry.



            Some suggestions:



            1. Replace the baking soda & cream of tartar with 2 tsp. baking powder.

            2. Reduce the fat. You could use more shortening, or try replacing half of the butter with plain, low-fat Greek yogurt (it's a half-to-one replacement - 1 1/4 cups butter = 5/8 cups butter + 5 tbsp. Greek yogurt). You could also use egg whites instead of whole eggs. Ener-G Egg Replacer (a starch blend) will do the job, as well.

            3. I know people who use cake flour in place of AP; the lower protein content should increase the volume of the cookies. (I've never tried this. I keep my cake flour for cakes.)

            Note: I wouldn't try all of these things at the same time. Start with one.






            share|improve this answer

























            • Hi, @user62719. Can you comment at all about how these changes affect the chemistry? The ATK discussion said they chose the soda/tartar combo really just for flavor and they implied the rise would have been the same with powder. Re reducing the fat, is this about reducing the weight of the dough so it rises more easily? Etc. etc. Thank you!

              – DaveBurns
              Nov 9 '17 at 13:16













            3












            3








            3







            The ATK recipe specifically calls for baking soda & cream of tartar, rather than baking powder, so that the cookies will be flat and chewy. What you're looking for is a more cake-like cookie. This calls for altered cookie chemistry.



            Some suggestions:



            1. Replace the baking soda & cream of tartar with 2 tsp. baking powder.

            2. Reduce the fat. You could use more shortening, or try replacing half of the butter with plain, low-fat Greek yogurt (it's a half-to-one replacement - 1 1/4 cups butter = 5/8 cups butter + 5 tbsp. Greek yogurt). You could also use egg whites instead of whole eggs. Ener-G Egg Replacer (a starch blend) will do the job, as well.

            3. I know people who use cake flour in place of AP; the lower protein content should increase the volume of the cookies. (I've never tried this. I keep my cake flour for cakes.)

            Note: I wouldn't try all of these things at the same time. Start with one.






            share|improve this answer















            The ATK recipe specifically calls for baking soda & cream of tartar, rather than baking powder, so that the cookies will be flat and chewy. What you're looking for is a more cake-like cookie. This calls for altered cookie chemistry.



            Some suggestions:



            1. Replace the baking soda & cream of tartar with 2 tsp. baking powder.

            2. Reduce the fat. You could use more shortening, or try replacing half of the butter with plain, low-fat Greek yogurt (it's a half-to-one replacement - 1 1/4 cups butter = 5/8 cups butter + 5 tbsp. Greek yogurt). You could also use egg whites instead of whole eggs. Ener-G Egg Replacer (a starch blend) will do the job, as well.

            3. I know people who use cake flour in place of AP; the lower protein content should increase the volume of the cookies. (I've never tried this. I keep my cake flour for cakes.)

            Note: I wouldn't try all of these things at the same time. Start with one.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited Nov 9 '17 at 22:40









            bummi

            1034




            1034










            answered Nov 9 '17 at 7:02









            user62719user62719

            311




            311












            • Hi, @user62719. Can you comment at all about how these changes affect the chemistry? The ATK discussion said they chose the soda/tartar combo really just for flavor and they implied the rise would have been the same with powder. Re reducing the fat, is this about reducing the weight of the dough so it rises more easily? Etc. etc. Thank you!

              – DaveBurns
              Nov 9 '17 at 13:16

















            • Hi, @user62719. Can you comment at all about how these changes affect the chemistry? The ATK discussion said they chose the soda/tartar combo really just for flavor and they implied the rise would have been the same with powder. Re reducing the fat, is this about reducing the weight of the dough so it rises more easily? Etc. etc. Thank you!

              – DaveBurns
              Nov 9 '17 at 13:16
















            Hi, @user62719. Can you comment at all about how these changes affect the chemistry? The ATK discussion said they chose the soda/tartar combo really just for flavor and they implied the rise would have been the same with powder. Re reducing the fat, is this about reducing the weight of the dough so it rises more easily? Etc. etc. Thank you!

            – DaveBurns
            Nov 9 '17 at 13:16





            Hi, @user62719. Can you comment at all about how these changes affect the chemistry? The ATK discussion said they chose the soda/tartar combo really just for flavor and they implied the rise would have been the same with powder. Re reducing the fat, is this about reducing the weight of the dough so it rises more easily? Etc. etc. Thank you!

            – DaveBurns
            Nov 9 '17 at 13:16











            2














            In general, flattening in cookies means the dough is melting before it is setting from the heat. The fats and sugars will tend to melt, so to counterbalance that you would need more structure - either a bit more flour, or possibly tweaking the amount of egg (less yolk or more white). This will change the taste a bit, but if you like the texture you can tweak the sweetness, richness, or spice balance afterwards to your taste.



            If your dough is drier, it won't spread nearly as much. I would start with adding a tablespoon or so more flour - you might not need much to make the dough a bit stiffer. You might also cut out a bit of the fat - again, not more than a tablespoon or so to start, and it will also change flavors - to make the dough less pliable when it warms in the oven.



            As for tweaking eggs, I usually find it harder to balance out, flavor-wise, which is why I suggest starting with flour. However, more egg white would help with binding and lifting, and also dry out the result somewhat, less yolk would cut down or moisture and richness a bit. The flavor profile and moisture level would dictate which you would choose and how much.



            The other possibility, generally, would be to bake at a higher temperature for less time. This would help the outside of the cookie dry off and set before the inside gets too melty - notice the snicker-doodles in the picture are deeply cracked, that has to do with the outside setting before the inside is done expanding. However, the recipe is already on the high-and-short end, at 400* and 9-11 minutes. You might, if you want, try 450* and keep a sharp eye out, but it's tricky since I don't have a lot of experience with many recipes cooking at 450* to compare the cooking difference to.



            Chilling the dough also usually helps, but you mention that you already do - though if you want to try freezing the dough balls, that might give you a touch more time for the outside to cook before the inside comes up to temperature.



            Of course, this is more tweaks on how to get the recipe to do what you want. rather than any reason it doesn't match the picture in the cookbook to begin with. And they will change both flavor and texture. But the result may be good anyway, or may at least be tweak-able to a good result.



            PS: never tried this, but for an unusual possibility - maybe look into subbing some suet for shortening or possibly part of the butter? Suet was used in puddings for this precise reason, its higher melting point let the dough set before the fat melted, giving a sturdier structure without losing richness. Probably will change the texture a bit, and possibly flavor, but might be... interesting :)






            share|improve this answer



























              2














              In general, flattening in cookies means the dough is melting before it is setting from the heat. The fats and sugars will tend to melt, so to counterbalance that you would need more structure - either a bit more flour, or possibly tweaking the amount of egg (less yolk or more white). This will change the taste a bit, but if you like the texture you can tweak the sweetness, richness, or spice balance afterwards to your taste.



              If your dough is drier, it won't spread nearly as much. I would start with adding a tablespoon or so more flour - you might not need much to make the dough a bit stiffer. You might also cut out a bit of the fat - again, not more than a tablespoon or so to start, and it will also change flavors - to make the dough less pliable when it warms in the oven.



              As for tweaking eggs, I usually find it harder to balance out, flavor-wise, which is why I suggest starting with flour. However, more egg white would help with binding and lifting, and also dry out the result somewhat, less yolk would cut down or moisture and richness a bit. The flavor profile and moisture level would dictate which you would choose and how much.



              The other possibility, generally, would be to bake at a higher temperature for less time. This would help the outside of the cookie dry off and set before the inside gets too melty - notice the snicker-doodles in the picture are deeply cracked, that has to do with the outside setting before the inside is done expanding. However, the recipe is already on the high-and-short end, at 400* and 9-11 minutes. You might, if you want, try 450* and keep a sharp eye out, but it's tricky since I don't have a lot of experience with many recipes cooking at 450* to compare the cooking difference to.



              Chilling the dough also usually helps, but you mention that you already do - though if you want to try freezing the dough balls, that might give you a touch more time for the outside to cook before the inside comes up to temperature.



              Of course, this is more tweaks on how to get the recipe to do what you want. rather than any reason it doesn't match the picture in the cookbook to begin with. And they will change both flavor and texture. But the result may be good anyway, or may at least be tweak-able to a good result.



              PS: never tried this, but for an unusual possibility - maybe look into subbing some suet for shortening or possibly part of the butter? Suet was used in puddings for this precise reason, its higher melting point let the dough set before the fat melted, giving a sturdier structure without losing richness. Probably will change the texture a bit, and possibly flavor, but might be... interesting :)






              share|improve this answer

























                2












                2








                2







                In general, flattening in cookies means the dough is melting before it is setting from the heat. The fats and sugars will tend to melt, so to counterbalance that you would need more structure - either a bit more flour, or possibly tweaking the amount of egg (less yolk or more white). This will change the taste a bit, but if you like the texture you can tweak the sweetness, richness, or spice balance afterwards to your taste.



                If your dough is drier, it won't spread nearly as much. I would start with adding a tablespoon or so more flour - you might not need much to make the dough a bit stiffer. You might also cut out a bit of the fat - again, not more than a tablespoon or so to start, and it will also change flavors - to make the dough less pliable when it warms in the oven.



                As for tweaking eggs, I usually find it harder to balance out, flavor-wise, which is why I suggest starting with flour. However, more egg white would help with binding and lifting, and also dry out the result somewhat, less yolk would cut down or moisture and richness a bit. The flavor profile and moisture level would dictate which you would choose and how much.



                The other possibility, generally, would be to bake at a higher temperature for less time. This would help the outside of the cookie dry off and set before the inside gets too melty - notice the snicker-doodles in the picture are deeply cracked, that has to do with the outside setting before the inside is done expanding. However, the recipe is already on the high-and-short end, at 400* and 9-11 minutes. You might, if you want, try 450* and keep a sharp eye out, but it's tricky since I don't have a lot of experience with many recipes cooking at 450* to compare the cooking difference to.



                Chilling the dough also usually helps, but you mention that you already do - though if you want to try freezing the dough balls, that might give you a touch more time for the outside to cook before the inside comes up to temperature.



                Of course, this is more tweaks on how to get the recipe to do what you want. rather than any reason it doesn't match the picture in the cookbook to begin with. And they will change both flavor and texture. But the result may be good anyway, or may at least be tweak-able to a good result.



                PS: never tried this, but for an unusual possibility - maybe look into subbing some suet for shortening or possibly part of the butter? Suet was used in puddings for this precise reason, its higher melting point let the dough set before the fat melted, giving a sturdier structure without losing richness. Probably will change the texture a bit, and possibly flavor, but might be... interesting :)






                share|improve this answer













                In general, flattening in cookies means the dough is melting before it is setting from the heat. The fats and sugars will tend to melt, so to counterbalance that you would need more structure - either a bit more flour, or possibly tweaking the amount of egg (less yolk or more white). This will change the taste a bit, but if you like the texture you can tweak the sweetness, richness, or spice balance afterwards to your taste.



                If your dough is drier, it won't spread nearly as much. I would start with adding a tablespoon or so more flour - you might not need much to make the dough a bit stiffer. You might also cut out a bit of the fat - again, not more than a tablespoon or so to start, and it will also change flavors - to make the dough less pliable when it warms in the oven.



                As for tweaking eggs, I usually find it harder to balance out, flavor-wise, which is why I suggest starting with flour. However, more egg white would help with binding and lifting, and also dry out the result somewhat, less yolk would cut down or moisture and richness a bit. The flavor profile and moisture level would dictate which you would choose and how much.



                The other possibility, generally, would be to bake at a higher temperature for less time. This would help the outside of the cookie dry off and set before the inside gets too melty - notice the snicker-doodles in the picture are deeply cracked, that has to do with the outside setting before the inside is done expanding. However, the recipe is already on the high-and-short end, at 400* and 9-11 minutes. You might, if you want, try 450* and keep a sharp eye out, but it's tricky since I don't have a lot of experience with many recipes cooking at 450* to compare the cooking difference to.



                Chilling the dough also usually helps, but you mention that you already do - though if you want to try freezing the dough balls, that might give you a touch more time for the outside to cook before the inside comes up to temperature.



                Of course, this is more tweaks on how to get the recipe to do what you want. rather than any reason it doesn't match the picture in the cookbook to begin with. And they will change both flavor and texture. But the result may be good anyway, or may at least be tweak-able to a good result.



                PS: never tried this, but for an unusual possibility - maybe look into subbing some suet for shortening or possibly part of the butter? Suet was used in puddings for this precise reason, its higher melting point let the dough set before the fat melted, giving a sturdier structure without losing richness. Probably will change the texture a bit, and possibly flavor, but might be... interesting :)







                share|improve this answer












                share|improve this answer



                share|improve this answer










                answered Apr 10 '17 at 6:43









                MeghaMegha

                9,95522353




                9,95522353





















                    1














                    It might be your pan.



                    Bought the Vollroth (sp?) pans recommended by Cooks Illus.



                    Make great chocolate chip cookies; the snicks fell flat, not at all what I wanted.



                    On a whim, switched to the old coated, dark pans I have, VOILA!



                    Cookies rise, crackle, fall to a decent height.



                    I experimented with more flour, less sugar, temperature, etc. but it was
                    the stinkin' pan that did the trick.



                    My theory is that the dark pan (I think they are Wilton, or some such) conducts the heat better to the bottom of the cookie so that the batter cooks more evenly.






                    share|improve this answer


















                    • 1





                      And as an aside, I don't think parchment helps.

                      – hers
                      Apr 9 '17 at 21:04















                    1














                    It might be your pan.



                    Bought the Vollroth (sp?) pans recommended by Cooks Illus.



                    Make great chocolate chip cookies; the snicks fell flat, not at all what I wanted.



                    On a whim, switched to the old coated, dark pans I have, VOILA!



                    Cookies rise, crackle, fall to a decent height.



                    I experimented with more flour, less sugar, temperature, etc. but it was
                    the stinkin' pan that did the trick.



                    My theory is that the dark pan (I think they are Wilton, or some such) conducts the heat better to the bottom of the cookie so that the batter cooks more evenly.






                    share|improve this answer


















                    • 1





                      And as an aside, I don't think parchment helps.

                      – hers
                      Apr 9 '17 at 21:04













                    1












                    1








                    1







                    It might be your pan.



                    Bought the Vollroth (sp?) pans recommended by Cooks Illus.



                    Make great chocolate chip cookies; the snicks fell flat, not at all what I wanted.



                    On a whim, switched to the old coated, dark pans I have, VOILA!



                    Cookies rise, crackle, fall to a decent height.



                    I experimented with more flour, less sugar, temperature, etc. but it was
                    the stinkin' pan that did the trick.



                    My theory is that the dark pan (I think they are Wilton, or some such) conducts the heat better to the bottom of the cookie so that the batter cooks more evenly.






                    share|improve this answer













                    It might be your pan.



                    Bought the Vollroth (sp?) pans recommended by Cooks Illus.



                    Make great chocolate chip cookies; the snicks fell flat, not at all what I wanted.



                    On a whim, switched to the old coated, dark pans I have, VOILA!



                    Cookies rise, crackle, fall to a decent height.



                    I experimented with more flour, less sugar, temperature, etc. but it was
                    the stinkin' pan that did the trick.



                    My theory is that the dark pan (I think they are Wilton, or some such) conducts the heat better to the bottom of the cookie so that the batter cooks more evenly.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered Apr 9 '17 at 20:33









                    hershers

                    111




                    111







                    • 1





                      And as an aside, I don't think parchment helps.

                      – hers
                      Apr 9 '17 at 21:04












                    • 1





                      And as an aside, I don't think parchment helps.

                      – hers
                      Apr 9 '17 at 21:04







                    1




                    1





                    And as an aside, I don't think parchment helps.

                    – hers
                    Apr 9 '17 at 21:04





                    And as an aside, I don't think parchment helps.

                    – hers
                    Apr 9 '17 at 21:04











                    0














                    There are two things you can do to insure less spread on your cookies.



                    The first thing you can do is chill your dough a bit longer before baking it. The reason cookies dough spread is because the dough reaches high enough temperature for the spreading to occur before the gluten sets its shape. Chilling the dough and help with this.



                    The second thing you can do is use more brown sugar. So change the recipe to 3/4 granulated sugar and 3/4 brown sugar. Or 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Brown sugar will have a higher melting point than granulated sugar so it'll hold to a higher temperature allowing the gluten more time to set.






                    share|improve this answer

























                    • He's already chilling his dough. I also strongly discourage overdoing the brown sugar in snickerdoodles. They're a sugar cookie... they shouldn't have brown sugar at all.

                      – Catija
                      Mar 22 '16 at 19:39












                    • @Jay - I've chilled dough overnight and there's still no benefit. As for the brown sugar, I could experiment with that but most recipes don't even have the little I used and they still have the results I'm trying to achieve. So I must be doing something else wrong.

                      – DaveBurns
                      Mar 22 '16 at 19:43















                    0














                    There are two things you can do to insure less spread on your cookies.



                    The first thing you can do is chill your dough a bit longer before baking it. The reason cookies dough spread is because the dough reaches high enough temperature for the spreading to occur before the gluten sets its shape. Chilling the dough and help with this.



                    The second thing you can do is use more brown sugar. So change the recipe to 3/4 granulated sugar and 3/4 brown sugar. Or 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Brown sugar will have a higher melting point than granulated sugar so it'll hold to a higher temperature allowing the gluten more time to set.






                    share|improve this answer

























                    • He's already chilling his dough. I also strongly discourage overdoing the brown sugar in snickerdoodles. They're a sugar cookie... they shouldn't have brown sugar at all.

                      – Catija
                      Mar 22 '16 at 19:39












                    • @Jay - I've chilled dough overnight and there's still no benefit. As for the brown sugar, I could experiment with that but most recipes don't even have the little I used and they still have the results I'm trying to achieve. So I must be doing something else wrong.

                      – DaveBurns
                      Mar 22 '16 at 19:43













                    0












                    0








                    0







                    There are two things you can do to insure less spread on your cookies.



                    The first thing you can do is chill your dough a bit longer before baking it. The reason cookies dough spread is because the dough reaches high enough temperature for the spreading to occur before the gluten sets its shape. Chilling the dough and help with this.



                    The second thing you can do is use more brown sugar. So change the recipe to 3/4 granulated sugar and 3/4 brown sugar. Or 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Brown sugar will have a higher melting point than granulated sugar so it'll hold to a higher temperature allowing the gluten more time to set.






                    share|improve this answer















                    There are two things you can do to insure less spread on your cookies.



                    The first thing you can do is chill your dough a bit longer before baking it. The reason cookies dough spread is because the dough reaches high enough temperature for the spreading to occur before the gluten sets its shape. Chilling the dough and help with this.



                    The second thing you can do is use more brown sugar. So change the recipe to 3/4 granulated sugar and 3/4 brown sugar. Or 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Brown sugar will have a higher melting point than granulated sugar so it'll hold to a higher temperature allowing the gluten more time to set.







                    share|improve this answer














                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer








                    edited Mar 22 '16 at 19:40

























                    answered Mar 22 '16 at 19:39









                    JayJay

                    6,994164987




                    6,994164987












                    • He's already chilling his dough. I also strongly discourage overdoing the brown sugar in snickerdoodles. They're a sugar cookie... they shouldn't have brown sugar at all.

                      – Catija
                      Mar 22 '16 at 19:39












                    • @Jay - I've chilled dough overnight and there's still no benefit. As for the brown sugar, I could experiment with that but most recipes don't even have the little I used and they still have the results I'm trying to achieve. So I must be doing something else wrong.

                      – DaveBurns
                      Mar 22 '16 at 19:43

















                    • He's already chilling his dough. I also strongly discourage overdoing the brown sugar in snickerdoodles. They're a sugar cookie... they shouldn't have brown sugar at all.

                      – Catija
                      Mar 22 '16 at 19:39












                    • @Jay - I've chilled dough overnight and there's still no benefit. As for the brown sugar, I could experiment with that but most recipes don't even have the little I used and they still have the results I'm trying to achieve. So I must be doing something else wrong.

                      – DaveBurns
                      Mar 22 '16 at 19:43
















                    He's already chilling his dough. I also strongly discourage overdoing the brown sugar in snickerdoodles. They're a sugar cookie... they shouldn't have brown sugar at all.

                    – Catija
                    Mar 22 '16 at 19:39






                    He's already chilling his dough. I also strongly discourage overdoing the brown sugar in snickerdoodles. They're a sugar cookie... they shouldn't have brown sugar at all.

                    – Catija
                    Mar 22 '16 at 19:39














                    @Jay - I've chilled dough overnight and there's still no benefit. As for the brown sugar, I could experiment with that but most recipes don't even have the little I used and they still have the results I'm trying to achieve. So I must be doing something else wrong.

                    – DaveBurns
                    Mar 22 '16 at 19:43





                    @Jay - I've chilled dough overnight and there's still no benefit. As for the brown sugar, I could experiment with that but most recipes don't even have the little I used and they still have the results I'm trying to achieve. So I must be doing something else wrong.

                    – DaveBurns
                    Mar 22 '16 at 19:43











                    0














                    The only thing I can contribute is..FREEZE the dough and roll "tall" balls. I also use room temp eggs and melt my butter most of the way.



                    If I deviate from any of those key points, I lose my perfect shape.






                    share|improve this answer



























                      0














                      The only thing I can contribute is..FREEZE the dough and roll "tall" balls. I also use room temp eggs and melt my butter most of the way.



                      If I deviate from any of those key points, I lose my perfect shape.






                      share|improve this answer

























                        0












                        0








                        0







                        The only thing I can contribute is..FREEZE the dough and roll "tall" balls. I also use room temp eggs and melt my butter most of the way.



                        If I deviate from any of those key points, I lose my perfect shape.






                        share|improve this answer













                        The only thing I can contribute is..FREEZE the dough and roll "tall" balls. I also use room temp eggs and melt my butter most of the way.



                        If I deviate from any of those key points, I lose my perfect shape.







                        share|improve this answer












                        share|improve this answer



                        share|improve this answer










                        answered Aug 31 '18 at 14:47









                        user69002user69002

                        1




                        1





















                            0














                            I've never made snickerdoodle cookies before, but I did it tonight and They came out of the oven puffy. I thought they speed suppose to be a flat cookie. So I looked up why they didn't spread or flatren out! The recipie I used only called for one cup of butter. I see the posted recipe also calls for oil too! Wow, that would make for greasy pancakes for sure. I'd cut out the oil part and stick to the butter only. Nice cookies, but way too sweet for me. Tha ks






                            share|improve this answer



























                              0














                              I've never made snickerdoodle cookies before, but I did it tonight and They came out of the oven puffy. I thought they speed suppose to be a flat cookie. So I looked up why they didn't spread or flatren out! The recipie I used only called for one cup of butter. I see the posted recipe also calls for oil too! Wow, that would make for greasy pancakes for sure. I'd cut out the oil part and stick to the butter only. Nice cookies, but way too sweet for me. Tha ks






                              share|improve this answer

























                                0












                                0








                                0







                                I've never made snickerdoodle cookies before, but I did it tonight and They came out of the oven puffy. I thought they speed suppose to be a flat cookie. So I looked up why they didn't spread or flatren out! The recipie I used only called for one cup of butter. I see the posted recipe also calls for oil too! Wow, that would make for greasy pancakes for sure. I'd cut out the oil part and stick to the butter only. Nice cookies, but way too sweet for me. Tha ks






                                share|improve this answer













                                I've never made snickerdoodle cookies before, but I did it tonight and They came out of the oven puffy. I thought they speed suppose to be a flat cookie. So I looked up why they didn't spread or flatren out! The recipie I used only called for one cup of butter. I see the posted recipe also calls for oil too! Wow, that would make for greasy pancakes for sure. I'd cut out the oil part and stick to the butter only. Nice cookies, but way too sweet for me. Tha ks







                                share|improve this answer












                                share|improve this answer



                                share|improve this answer










                                answered Oct 11 '18 at 7:04









                                DebsDebs

                                1




                                1





















                                    0














                                    Try cutting back on the fats to reduce the spread during baking, and cut the baking soda in half :)






                                    share|improve this answer



























                                      0














                                      Try cutting back on the fats to reduce the spread during baking, and cut the baking soda in half :)






                                      share|improve this answer

























                                        0












                                        0








                                        0







                                        Try cutting back on the fats to reduce the spread during baking, and cut the baking soda in half :)






                                        share|improve this answer













                                        Try cutting back on the fats to reduce the spread during baking, and cut the baking soda in half :)







                                        share|improve this answer












                                        share|improve this answer



                                        share|improve this answer










                                        answered Oct 11 '18 at 15:28









                                        StevenXavierStevenXavier

                                        1,331214




                                        1,331214





















                                            0














                                            I made these cookies for the very first time and they turned out thick like the picture. I followed the America's Test Kitchen recipe but I only had four tablespoons of butter so I used 12 tablespoons of vegetable shortening. ATK says that they don't spread if if you use vegetable shortening because it lacks water that butter has.



                                            I think they are a bit too chewy for my liking and I'm going to do the 8/8 combo next time.






                                            share|improve this answer








                                            New contributor




                                            Linkin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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                                              0














                                              I made these cookies for the very first time and they turned out thick like the picture. I followed the America's Test Kitchen recipe but I only had four tablespoons of butter so I used 12 tablespoons of vegetable shortening. ATK says that they don't spread if if you use vegetable shortening because it lacks water that butter has.



                                              I think they are a bit too chewy for my liking and I'm going to do the 8/8 combo next time.






                                              share|improve this answer








                                              New contributor




                                              Linkin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                              Check out our Code of Conduct.






















                                                0












                                                0








                                                0







                                                I made these cookies for the very first time and they turned out thick like the picture. I followed the America's Test Kitchen recipe but I only had four tablespoons of butter so I used 12 tablespoons of vegetable shortening. ATK says that they don't spread if if you use vegetable shortening because it lacks water that butter has.



                                                I think they are a bit too chewy for my liking and I'm going to do the 8/8 combo next time.






                                                share|improve this answer








                                                New contributor




                                                Linkin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.










                                                I made these cookies for the very first time and they turned out thick like the picture. I followed the America's Test Kitchen recipe but I only had four tablespoons of butter so I used 12 tablespoons of vegetable shortening. ATK says that they don't spread if if you use vegetable shortening because it lacks water that butter has.



                                                I think they are a bit too chewy for my liking and I'm going to do the 8/8 combo next time.







                                                share|improve this answer








                                                New contributor




                                                Linkin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                                share|improve this answer



                                                share|improve this answer






                                                New contributor




                                                Linkin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.









                                                answered 13 mins ago









                                                LinkinLinkin

                                                1




                                                1




                                                New contributor




                                                Linkin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.





                                                New contributor





                                                Linkin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.






                                                Linkin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
                                                Check out our Code of Conduct.



























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