cookie recipe puzzlement

"cathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip cookies that I got from my
sister-in-law. Her cookies always come out puffy and rounded and they
don't spread all over the pan. Mine spread until the edges of each
cookie is touching the one next to it. I've even made it as
mini-muffins and when the batter rises over the edge of the muffin cup
it spreads around the edges.

Here's the recipe:

Banana Chocolate-Chip Cookies

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, margarine or shortening
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 6 ounce package chocolate chips

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
Cream butter, add sugar and mix. Add eggs and mix until light.
Add flour and mix until blended. Add bananas and mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto
greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes in 375-degree oven.

======================================================

I've made this every way I can think of - with butter, with margarine,
with Crisco. I make sure my measurements are exact (especially the
bananas). My oven is properly calibrated. My baking powder is fresh.
I've tried chilling and/or freezing the dough, both before and after
putting carefully measured spoonfuls on the cookie sheet. I've also
made the cookies on a silpat instead of a greased cookie sheet.

But no matter what I do, those darn cookies spread and spread and go
flat once they're in the oven. They just won't come out the way my
sister-in-law's come out!! We've compared notes and can't figure out
what's wrong.

Does anyone have any theories?

Cathy

What type of flour are you using? I no longer use flour, but I seem to
remember that there can be a distinct difference between "all-purpose,"
"bread flour," etc. It might be worth trading notes with your sister-in-law
on that.

MaryL

cathy said:

I have a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip cookies that I got from my
sister-in-law. Her cookies always come out puffy and rounded and they
don't spread all over the pan. Mine spread until the edges of each
cookie is touching the one next to it. I've even made it as
mini-muffins and when the batter rises over the edge of the muffin cup
it spreads around the edges.

Here's the recipe:

Banana Chocolate-Chip Cookies

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, margarine or shortening
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 6 ounce package chocolate chips

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
Cream butter, add sugar and mix. Add eggs and mix until light.
Add flour and mix until blended. Add bananas and mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto
greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes in 375-degree oven.

======================================================

I've made this every way I can think of - with butter, with margarine,
with Crisco. I make sure my measurements are exact (especially the
bananas). My oven is properly calibrated. My baking powder is fresh.
I've tried chilling and/or freezing the dough, both before and after
putting carefully measured spoonfuls on the cookie sheet. I've also
made the cookies on a silpat instead of a greased cookie sheet.

But no matter what I do, those darn cookies spread and spread and go
flat once they're in the oven. They just won't come out the way my
sister-in-law's come out!! We've compared notes and can't figure out
what's wrong.

Does anyone have any theories?

i'm not a cookie baker. i thought it may have something to do with the type
of fat you're using. also i've heard that chilling the dough thoroughly
before baking helps make them puffier and not spread so much

MaryL said:

"cathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I have a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip cookies that I got from my
sister-in-law. Her cookies always come out puffy and rounded and they
don't spread all over the pan. Mine spread until the edges of each
cookie is touching the one next to it. I've even made it as
mini-muffins and when the batter rises over the edge of the muffin cup
it spreads around the edges.

Here's the recipe:

Banana Chocolate-Chip Cookies

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, margarine or shortening
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 6 ounce package chocolate chips

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
Cream butter, add sugar and mix. Add eggs and mix until light.
Add flour and mix until blended. Add bananas and mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto
greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes in 375-degree oven.

======================================================

I've made this every way I can think of - with butter, with margarine,
with Crisco. I make sure my measurements are exact (especially the
bananas). My oven is properly calibrated. My baking powder is fresh.
I've tried chilling and/or freezing the dough, both before and after
putting carefully measured spoonfuls on the cookie sheet. I've also
made the cookies on a silpat instead of a greased cookie sheet.

But no matter what I do, those darn cookies spread and spread and go
flat once they're in the oven. They just won't come out the way my
sister-in-law's come out!! We've compared notes and can't figure out
what's wrong.

Does anyone have any theories?

Cathy

What type of flour are you using? I no longer use flour, but I seem to
remember that there can be a distinct difference between "all-purpose,"
"bread flour," etc. It might be worth trading notes with your sister-in-law
on that.

MaryL

We both shop at the same market. And we both buy all-purpose flour. I
won't swear it's the same brand, but it's the same type. All-purpose
flour is the standard kind of flour found here (southern California).

Cathy

A.C. said:

cathy said:

I have a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip cookies that I got from my
sister-in-law. Her cookies always come out puffy and rounded and they
don't spread all over the pan. Mine spread until the edges of each
cookie is touching the one next to it. I've even made it as
mini-muffins and when the batter rises over the edge of the muffin cup
it spreads around the edges.

Here's the recipe:

Banana Chocolate-Chip Cookies

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, margarine or shortening
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 6 ounce package chocolate chips

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
Cream butter, add sugar and mix. Add eggs and mix until light.
Add flour and mix until blended. Add bananas and mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto
greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes in 375-degree oven.

======================================================

I've made this every way I can think of - with butter, with margarine,
with Crisco. I make sure my measurements are exact (especially the
bananas). My oven is properly calibrated. My baking powder is fresh.
I've tried chilling and/or freezing the dough, both before and after
putting carefully measured spoonfuls on the cookie sheet. I've also
made the cookies on a silpat instead of a greased cookie sheet.

But no matter what I do, those darn cookies spread and spread and go
flat once they're in the oven. They just won't come out the way my
sister-in-law's come out!! We've compared notes and can't figure out
what's wrong.

Does anyone have any theories?

i'm not a cookie baker. i thought it may have something to do with the type
of fat you're using. also i've heard that chilling the dough thoroughly
before baking helps make them puffier and not spread so much

I've already tried that, as I stated in my post. I've used every kind
of fat commonly used in baking. I've tried chilling the dough, and
even freezing the dough, but it didn't work.

Cathy

at Sat, 12 Feb 2005 18:33:12 GMT in <tcis01pjvmhssqih439cur5lprk1eb1k1u@
4ax.com>, [email hidden] (cathy) wrote :

Quoted message said:

I have a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip cookies that I got from my
sister-in-law. Her cookies always come out puffy and rounded and they
don't spread all over the pan. Mine spread until the edges of each
cookie is touching the one next to it.

What egg size are you using and what egg size is your SIL using? To get
puffy, rounded cookies, you want to increase your egg proportion compared
to that which you would use for flat, spreading cookies. Try upping the egg
size you're using by a size or 2, or even add an extra egg. Getting the egg
proportion higher should cure the problem.

--
Alex Rast
[email hidden]
(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

at Sat, 12 Feb 2005 18:33:12 GMT in <tcis01pjvmhssqih439cur5lprk1eb1k1u@
4ax.com>, [email hidden] (cathy) wrote :

Quoted message said:

I have a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip cookies that I got from my
sister-in-law. Her cookies always come out puffy and rounded and they
don't spread all over the pan. Mine spread until the edges of each
cookie is touching the one next to it.

Does she use shortening an you use butter? That would explain the behavior
you mention. Or, if you both use butter, try using the same brand because
water content of butter varies among brands.

How do you apportion the dough; the smaller the amount of dough, the higher
the cookie will be; it doesn't get the chance to spread as much as larger
portion of dough.

Finally, age of the eggs can make a difference; I don't bake cookies enough
to know which way it goes; but, i have heard that they do make a difference.

"Scharone" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

"cathy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We both shop at the same market. And we both buy all-purpose
flour. I won't swear it's the same brand, but it's the same type.
All-purpose flour is the standard kind of flour found here
(southern California).

What about inviting her over to your place, and have her make them
in your kitchen?

Alternatively, you could go over to her place and watch her making
them in her own kitchen. Clearly you need to see exactly what she
is doing, every step of the way. And check her oven temp -- yours
may be correct, but hers might not be!

S.

Try chilling the cookies before baking, put the cookie sheet in the
fridge for 15 minutes. Also consider that perhaps your leavening agent
(baking powder) might be on the old side.

--
No Bread Crumbs were hurt in the making of this Meal.
Type 2 Diabetic 1AC 5.6mmol or 101mg/dl
Continuing to be Manitoban