I made chocolate chip cookies and decided to take a shortcut, and they ended up doing what I didn’t want them to do. So I decided to test out what the result would be if I followed the instructions exactly, and then I ended up doing two more trials.
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Prep the pans.
I used this Baker’s Signature parchment paper that comes in precut sheets to line the cookie sheets. You can get it on Amazon here: Baker’s Signature parchment sheets (Affiliate link) The company sent me a package to try out, and I really like having the precut sheets that you can just take out and put right onto the cookie sheets.
Line two large cookie sheets, this recipe will make about 28-30 cookies that are on the large side, so you’ll need more than one sheet.
First try, all butter.
For the first batch, I followed the recipe exactly but I skipped creaming the butter and sugar because I was being lazy. I made a half-batch because I’ll eat any and all cookies that are in front of me, so a smaller batch is better.
I used a #40 ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto the cookie sheets. If you want smaller cookies, you can use a smaller size scoop, but a #40 gives you a decent size in general, so I use that one a lot for most cookies.
Scoop the dough onto the cookie sheets, leaving a couple of inches in between them.
So this was the result, unfortunately. The cookies spread like crazy and I had to cut them all apart. They tasted AWESOME with all of the butter, but they didn’t hold their shape at all.
I cut them all apart and put them on a cooling rack because you can still eat them even if they’re not really round.
So this was the result of the first batch. I got 12 cookies out of this batch…I haven’t made chocolate chip cookies for a long time, so I wasn’t sure if I had done something wrong to make them spread so much, even if they still tasted good. I decided to try another batch and cream the fat and sugar like the recipe said to do.
Second try, chilled dough and creamed fats and sugar.
For this batch I creamed the butter and sugar really well, and I put the cookie pans in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking them.
The second try was a little better, and I got more cookies out of this batch because creaming the butter and sugar puffed up the dough, for lack of a better term. They still spread a lot, though, so I went ahead with batch number three.
Third try half fats.
For the third try, I did half butter and half shortening, which theoretically should have made them spread less because the shortening has a higher melting point than the butter does. My molasses cookies use all shortening and they keep a round shape just fine.
They did spread a little less, but they didn’t hold the round shape either. So this was another “fail” as far as the shape goes, even though they were very delicious to eat.
I got 15 cookies out of this batch too, and I have to say that at this point I was getting tired of chocolate chip cookies, so I waited and did a fourth try when I had some people coming over so that I could give them away.
Fourth try, extra flour, all butter.
For the final batch, I decided to add more flour, since messing with the butter didn’t seem to make much of a difference. My sugar cookie recipe uses all butter, but they don’t spread at all because it’s a dry-ish dough. I decided to try that to see if it would work.
These ended up being a lot more cakey than the originals, but they also spread less. The texture wasn’t as buttery, but they still had a good butter flavor.
These didn’t brown as much as the other ones, so the extra flour ended up in a paler color.
Why did they spread so much?
There are a few reasons why the cookies could have spread so much.
- All-butter equals more spread because butter has a lower melting point than shortening.
- I was using insulated cookie sheets, which MIGHT have had something to do with it. I didn’t change the sheets after the first try because I wanted to keep everything the same, but if I try this again (not any time soon) I’ll use a non-insulated pan to see if it works differently.
- I didn’t chill the dough before baking other than in test #2, because it didn’t call for it in the recipe. It’s been really hot here, though, and even if it’s air conditioned inside, baking is tricky when it’s really hot. Your baked goods just behave differently. It might even be a good idea to freeze the dough for a couple of hours before baking it to really slow down the butter.
Equipment list for the cookies.
These are some of the things you’ll need to make the cookies, and the ones that I like on Amazon (all links are affiliate links):
The recipe for the chocolate chip cookies.
Here’s the recipe, you can decide whether to add extra flour or not, but I do recommend that you cream the butter and sugar until it’s really light and fluffy, that does make a difference.
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and preheat the over to 375F.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 1/2 cup flour (add an extra 1/4 cup if you want to)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 to 1 cup chocolate chips (about half a regular bag)
Cream the butter and sugars with a mixer until they’re light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla in, mixing well until they’re fully incorporated.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and beat until everything is mixed. Don’t overbeat the dough.
Add the chocolate chips and beat until they’re mixed in.
Scoop the cookie dough using an ice cream scoop (or a tablespoon) onto the cookie sheets, leaving a couple of inches between them.
Bake the cookies at 375 for 10-11 minutes. Don’t overbake them, they’ll continue to get browner after you take them out of the oven. If they’re obviously still really not baked, leave them in for a minute or two more, but keep an eye on them. If they look brown and “done” in the oven, you probably overbaked them.
Take them off of the cookie sheet using a spatula and put them on a cooling rack, or just slide the parchment paper off of the cookie sheet onto the rack.
Let them cool off before eating, they’ll get more solid as they cool off. Store them in a container with a tight lid, if they last that long. You can also freeze them to eat later.
