Why are my cookies always so hard?

Question

I like to bake but find that whenever I bake cookies they always turn out hard like rocks no matter what recipie I use. I know that I am not cooking them too long. So what am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

Too much flour is another cause. Are you loosely filling the measuring cup or packing it in? Should just be loosely filled and not "rounded". I assume you are using regular flour, not a heavier whole wheat or oat flour.

Also, check that your oven temperature is correct. If they look perfectly browned, but are actually cooking at a lower temperature for longer, they will be harder.

Margarine makes cookies softer than butter. Brown sugar is softer than white sugar.

Answer 2

maybe you really are cooking them too long.
If you are following the recipe, then just under cook them by a minute or two. also try using applesauce like in my chocolatechip cookies-Normally, chocolate chip cookies are loaded with fat and sugar. So what makes this a healthy chocolate chip cookie recipe?

For starters, this chocolate chip cookie recipe uses ingredients like applesauce and egg white to trim the fat content of these cookies. Next, I use white whole wheat flour to boost the fiber content. And finally, I use dark chocolate chips -- which not only provide a richer flavor, allowing me to use less sugar, but they are also high in antioxidants.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

* 2 cups white whole wheat flour
* 1/4 cup wheat germ
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup applesauce
* 2/3 cup white sugar
* 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
* 1 egg
* 1 egg white
* 8 oz dark chocolate chips, such as Nestle 53% or 62% cacao

Preheat oven to 375. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Stir together flour, wheat germ and baking soda in a medium bowl. Set aside. Cream together butter, apple sauce and sugars until well blended. Beat in vanilla, egg and egg white. Beat in flour mixture until it forms a soft dough. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 7-10 minutes, alternating cookie sheets halfway through (place top cookie sheet on bottom rack of oven and bottom cookie sheet on top rack), until lightly browned around the edges.

Makes 36 cookies.

Per cookie: 82 calories, 4 g fat, 13 mg cholesterol, 73 mg sodium, 11 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 2% Vitamin A, 0% Vitamin C, 1% calcium, 3% iron

Answer 3

When you take the cookies out of the oven, only leave them on the pan for 60 seconds. Then transfer them to a cooling rack, or onto wax paper (or foil) Cookies (most things) continue to cook after being removed from the oven. If you leave them on the pan, the heat from the pan continues to "cook" the cookies. (Thus hard cookies)

Answer 4

You have a lot of good answers here, but too if you are making a rolled dough cookie, roll out the dough thicker, cut then bake only until you see a little color change around the edge.

Answer 5

The time guidelines are estimations. Every oven is different. What I do is check them periodically by sticking a tooth pick in the center. If the toothpick comes out wet then they need a little longer.
Good luck.

Answer 6

Are you sure your oven is not too hot? I am not saying you can't read the number on the dial, but some ovens are not properly calibrated. You can buy a thermometer to hang from the oven rack to tell you how hot your oven actually is, not how hot is says it should be. Mine runs 25 degrees hotter than it says.

Answer 7

It could be old baking powder, and it could be maybe you mix it too long, or not enough butter? How long are you usually baking them for?

Answer 8

You could try adding applesauce into the batter. This is a common trick to make the cookies really soft. Don't worry, it won't taste like apples. :P

Answer 9

You leave them cooking for too long or your oven sux or the cookie dough is bad.

Answer 10

put a piece of bread in the container sealed with the cookies for a few hours...they'll get moister