why do my sugar cookies always come out like biscuits!!!?

Question

I have followed several recipes, and for some reason, My sugar cookies come out like biscuits!!! why is that? I tried making sugar cookies in the shape of snowmen and they came out like snowmen shaped biscuits!!
They were good with butter tho...
anyway, HELP!

The recipe has cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, 2 cups flour, half a teaspoon baking soda, and I hand mix it

The recipe comes from "THE COOKIE BIBLE", so it doesnt sound like an unreliable recipe

Answer 1

I had the same problem, which is why I hated sugar cookies. I finally found a recipe that works, it's more like a mini cake, very soft. Make sure you don't make them too small or they will dry easier. I bake them for about 18 minutes.

Try this one:
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Margarine
2 Eggs
3 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Soda dissolved in 1/2 cup Buttermilk
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Bake @ 350 until they raise and are a very light golden color




Vanilla Frosting

2 Tablespoon Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
Keep adding a balance of Powdered Sugar and 1/2 and 1/2 until you get a nice creamy consistency for spreading

Answer 2

Fluffy cookies?

ok... first, check to make sure you are using the right flour. ALL PURPOSE and SELF RISING are very different.

Are you using shortening? That is a great way to get a puffy cookie. Shortening melts at a higher temperature than butter so it remains solid longer giving the batter time to rise and set before it spreads. Use butter for flatter cookies.

Back to flour, exactly what kind are you using??? A lower protein cake flour will tie up less moisture making it available for steam production. Steam will lift the batter in the oven producing a fluffy, cake-like batter. Light flour = light "fluffy" cookies. Use a high protein heavy flour for less fluffy cookies.

Baking powder or soda? Switching from baking powder to soda enhances fluffiness by creating an acidic batter which will set quicker and spread less. Use powder for flat and soda for fluffy cookies.

What temperature is your dough? Cold dough holds it's shape and remains fatter for longer. Room temp dough will spread out and be thinner.

Last, are you rolling your dough out? On a floured surface? If so, do NOT fold it over upon itself! The flour in between the layers will make nice flaky layers. That is great in a pie - or a biscuit, bad in a cookie.

Good luck!

Answer 3

The moisture builds up in your container. For a crisp cookie, leave the lid off just a pinch so they retain their crispness. It doesn't make sense though - why does a crisp cookie get soft after a few days and a soft cookie gets dry? That's a conundrum and a half!

Answer 4

Because your puting too much flour in them. And because you are leaving them in the oven for WAY too long. You need to take them out of the oven when they are still a white color, not yet getting too light brown on the bottom. I have this really good recipe that i use that has sour cream in them. it's like a cup of sour cream, that's what makes them all soft and they don't ever go hard. try that.

Answer 5

Most likely because you have a bad recipe.
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Answer 6

You may have used too much of a leavening agent or you can try using baking powder if you had used baking soda or just make the dough using fat and eggs and no leavening agent as that can make your pastry spongy.

Answer 7

Perhaps they have too much leavening in them making them rise too much. Keep trying recipes but check the amount of baking powder (or other leavening) they call for. Pick one that calls for less than you have been using in the other recipes you have tried.

Answer 8

you should probably try making the dough thinner and if that dose not work then u should try not to put as much flour or if there is like sum kind of baking soda make sure you put the correct amount in.

good luck :D

Answer 9

maybe you should try getting a different cookie mixer thing...because its not suppose to do that....but some cookies come out bloated and then they cool down!!!

Answer 10

Put a half of apple in the cookie jar and they will fluff up and be soft and very good,,,,