…healthy recipes to help athletes and exercisers make the most of their training.
You know that classic question, “Am I the only one?”
Well, am I the only one…that doesn’t like flat, crispy cookies?
Let me tell you a little story.
Yesterday I made cookies.
Sounds like an innocent enough statement, no?
And yet, these cookies just weren’t right. They were flat. They were crispy. And they were practically pure baked butter on the outermost edges. It was a classic case of the over-spreading cookie.
I was not a happy camper.
So this morning I decided to set out on a little science experiment of culinary sorts.
First off, these cookies needed an overhaul. My initial recipe change involved cutting down the butter drastically from two sticks to one stick. I was a little wary of making such a drastic change, but I grew more confident as I used the mixer to combine the ingredients. Nothing exploded, nothing spontaneously set afire, and a single stick of butter worked magically.
Below is my rather undetailed lab report, each batch including one fourth of the single-stick-o-butter cookie dough…
Batch #1: …used le parchment paper. Simple enough.
Batch #2: …used cooking spray to grease baking sheet.
Batch #3: …refrigerated for one hour and used le parchment paper. The refrigeration period tested my patience, so I read Running Times magazine while I waited.
Batch #4: …refrigerated, along with Batch #3, for one hour and used cooking spray to grease baking sheet.
Conclusion: The overarching factor in getting chunkier, taller, and less-spreading cookies (in this particular experiment) was reducing the butter. This modification helped drastically. As for the refrigeration, it didn’t seem to make much of a difference. All the hardened dough really did was cause my ice cream scoop to repeatedly break upon forcing the dough balls onto the baking sheet. Hmph.
Also, whatever the parchment paper did was hardly noticeable. HOWEVER. The parchment paper was an easy clean-up and I’m always game for not doing the dishes!
The winning batch?
Batch #1, with its hearty cookies and lack of clean-up, won my heart over. And I guarantee it’ll win your heart over too.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (with Half Whole Wheat)
(We’ve already discussed the importance of using mini chocolate chips in Whole Wheat Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. However, there’s a time and place for the mini chips, and this is most certainly not one of them. These cookies call for the normal sized chips.)
lz
July 29th, 2010 at 1:13 am
Love your meticulously planned-and-performed experiment. The final result looks fabulous! I definitely will have to try these soon. Thanks for sharing!
elizabeth
July 29th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
I hate flat, crispy cookies. I make it a point to make them soft and chewy. Those looked like they turned out well!
Caitlin
July 29th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
YES. So glad you did this. I feel like sometimes it depends on the oven – like my oven apparently is not a terrific baker. But as far as flat goes – those don’t look too flat to me! They look more like delicious oatmeally chunks of yum.
Kudos.
And love the new site!
kneadspeed
July 29th, 2010 at 8:22 pm
Thanks! And oh yes, the oven can have a big impact on the resulting cookie. Typically if the oven isn’t hot enough, this will also cause cookies to spread too much. The mechanics of the oven highly influence the shape, texture, etc. of the resulting cookies. So that was a long-winded way of agreeing with you!
Sorry to hear about your oven – that puts a bit of a damper on cooking. Hopefully one day you’ll have access to a better oven for your future baking escapades.
LizLivingVegan
July 29th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
I hate flat cookies
But some people like them that way!
kneadspeed
July 30th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
True, that’s a good point. But then again, maybe those people have never had a chunky, thick cookie and don’t know what they’re missin’!
elizabeth
August 1st, 2010 at 5:42 am
I made these tonight. They didn’t spread much at all – came out chunky and soft! Nom nom nom. Good call on the 1 stick of butter.
kneadspeed
August 1st, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Whoooo! I’m so glad they turned out well!