How do I get my homemade cookies to stay soft?

Question

I've been using a shortbread cookie recipe from online and the cookies have turned out really good, especially when they're still warm. However, when they cool, they become very hard. They're still okay and edible, in fact my brother claims they taste just as good, but I would like to find a way to keep them from hardening. Any tips for soft, chewy cookies that stay soft and chewy even when they're not warm?

Answer 1

let them be stored with bread near them like two pieces does the trick a old family secret

Answer 2

Step 1 First, add a little extra butter to the recipe. I like to rework the ingredients just slightly and cut back on the dry and bump up the moist. Tweek the ingredients SLIGHTLY. Step 2 Next, monitor the cookies as they bake (following your recipies directions, of course). Be sure not to let them brown too much because a burnt cookie is never going to be a soft cookie. Step 3 When you remove the cookies from the oven, allow cookies to cool for a minute or two on the cookie sheet so that they can finish setting up. Then use a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack. Leave them there for 10-15 minutes and then transfer the cookies to your plastic container or air-tight jar. I like to lay them as flat as possible to prevent bending or smashing. Step 4 This is the MOST IMPORTANT STEP! My secret to soft cookies is to tear a piece of bread (about a quarter of a slice) and put it in the cookie container. The cookies will absorb the moisture from the bread. If you have your doubts, try it. In a few days the bread will just be a crunchy crouton. When the bread is crunchy, toss it out and throw in a new one. tips and warnings The appearance of "done-ness" differs from cookie to cookie. Peanut butter cookies, for example, will be slightly darker than chocolate chip or oatmeal rasin. When placing your cookies into the plastic container you may want to seperate the layers of cookies with wax paper or parchment paper so they do not stick together. Step 4 is a great way to keep cookies fresh when you mail them, especially on those long trips overseas! Be sure not to alter the recipe too much. This could lead to cookies that never set or that burn rapidly. Less is more!

Answer 3

Hi!
What you are describing is the very nature of shortbread ... it does become crisp as it cools from the oven ..... I looked on the net for something else for you

SOFT SUGAR COOKIES
makes about 6 dozen
*******************************
3 1/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon soda bicarb
1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup room-temperature butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
1/2 cup of sour cream or yoghurt

**************************************

Directions: in a large bowl mix together the flour, salt and soda so there are no lumps ....in another large bowl cream together the butter and sugar, add the nutmeg and vailla, then the egg ... add alternately 1/3 of the flour then 1/3 of the sour cream until all are used up .....

then
divide the dough in half
roll out one half on a floured surface to 1/4" or 1 mm
cut with cookie cutters or just cut squares or diamonds with a knife and put onto oiled baking sheets .... bake a 400'F / 200'C
for 8 to 10 minutes / remove to a wire rack or large plate and cool / store airtight

Peace & Love

Answer 4

Shortbread is always meant to be a crisp cookie. Sort of buttery-melt-in-your-mouth.

You'll need to increase your moisture in order to have a softer cookie. You'll have to decrease your flour (less flour is more moisture) and increase your water/milk and butter.

If the recipe is for 1-1/2 cups of flour, try decreasing it to 1 cup of flour. If your liquid is 1 cup, increase it to 1-1/4. This should soften your dough significantly, but not make it any less pliable to work with.

You can also substitute your regular granulated sugar with light brown sugar as brown sugar keeps moisture longer than white. Not by much, but a little. I also suggest not going with dark brown sugar as I think it will alter the taste too much and it won't taste like shortbread anymore.

Answer 5

Always cookies,biscotti,cakes,tarts and pies,scones,muffins everything needs correct measuring. All these are baked products but they all vary in temperature that is used to bake them. There are bunches of reasons which made your softy to hardy shortcake
Reason one: You could have used less butter or margarine.

Reason two: The temperature could be wrong. Or product could be baked for long time than needed time.

Reason three: Incorrect measuring

I recently made shortbread cookies.It came out ver well. I followed this method.Really .... it was incredible!...But me and my husband didnt kept no longer than a day!All 22 finished in a day!...try out this!Happy cooking!

Ingredients:

2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt

1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar

1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract

Method:

In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated. latten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4 inch (.5 cm) thick. Cut into rounds or whatever shapes you wish using lightly floured cookie cutter. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are lightly brown. Cool on rack.

Shortbread with keep in an airtight container for about a week or frozen for several months.

Makes about 20 shortbread cookies.

Answer 6

The bread tip usually works with cookies like oatmeal or chocolate chip. But shortbread is meant to be a crisper cookie. You could try baking them for a shorter time, then re-heating them in a microwave oven as you eat them.

Answer 7

Take them out of the oven a little sooner than called for. I like mine really really soft so I take them out when the very middle is still uncooked (when touched with tip of finger, middle deflates). As they cool, they will finish cooking just enough to be done. Of course you can leave them in a little longer than that if you please. Also, store them in an air tight container.

Answer 8

I have heard that if you keep them with a piece of bread, the cookies will stay soft and the piece of bread will get hard. I haven't tried it yet but it's worth a shot.

Answer 9

The difference between the biscuit and cookies is the amount of fat added. So if u want a brittle and soft cookie try with some more amount of fat which u added before.....

Answer 10

Don't bake them so long. They'll be softer when they come out of the oven, but given sufficient time to cool, they'll firm up.