How Do You Make Cookies?

[DearMrDilkington]

I can never make cookies that taste nice. Occasionally I have a fluke batch that come out lovely, but this isn't very often.

I've tried loads of different recipes but they still don't come out right, they sort of look like the recipe has split iykwim? What am I doing wrong, how do you make cookies?

[HeyMacWey]

Do you want cookies that are squidgy in the middle?

[Maudlinmaud]

I cheat and buy a bag of galaxy or m&m cookie mix. Beautiful every time.
I'm no Nigella.

[DearMrDilkington]

I just want edible cookies to be honest. I can make lovely cakes but I go really wrong with biscuits..

[drspouse]

What's wrong with them? Too dry? undercooked? Don't taste of anything?

[poisonedbypen]

Do you mean american style chocolate chip cookie type things?

[yorkshireyummymummy]

I have a great recipe for almond cookies with a cherry on top. It's incredibly easy and they are delicious. PM me if you would like the recipe. ( my ten year old daughter made a batch last night on her own,that's howeasy they are)
Also,I think that the be ro book hs a very good, simple chocolate chip cookie recipe which has never failed me. Some cookie recipes have too many ingredients and are touch and go as to wether they turn out well. Here is the be ro recipe:
100g margarine
75g soft light brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
175g SR flour
100g chocolate chips
2 tbsp milk.

1. heat oven to 180c, GM4. Grease two baking trays.
   
2. Beat margarine until soft, add the sugar and cream until light and fluffy
   
3. Stir in syrup, flour, chocolate chips and milk and mix well.
   
4. place spoonfuls of the mix on the trays, flatten slightly and bake for 8-10 mins until golden. Remove from the tray Immediately and place on a cooling rack.

[HeyMacWey]

Nigella's is pretty fail safe

www.nigella.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-cookies

[DearMrDilkington]

They just taste bad, the mixture goes all weird, it's hard to explain.

Maud I might start doing the same!

Thank you York & hey

[Maudlinmaud]

I would totally ruin those recipes, I did make a cake recently with a box and it turned out fit for human consumption fine.

[MrsC2000]

//www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1580654/millies-cookies-recipe

This is the one I use and they're gorgeous, actually made a batch yesterday and there's only two left now

[drspouse]

This is my favourite oatmeal raisin cookie recipe

myuntangledlife.com/cape-cod-oatmeal-cookies/

I'm not sure what you mean by the mixture going weird. It may be that you are looking for something that is not what they are meant to be like?

[drspouse]

Oh and one thing I notice is that US recipes tend to add a bit of salt to baking, just a pinch, where UK recipes don't. I find that no salt makes them a bit bland.

I think SR flour may have too much baking powder in for cookies - it's OK for cakes/scones.

[JingsMahBucket]

Three things:

1. Is your baking soda or baking powder fresh? I realized after almost a year of somewhat edible baking fails that it was actually my baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) that was the problem. At first I thought it was my pans, then my oven, etc. but finally narrowed it down only a few months ago. I got a new box and so far things are okay. I still think my oven sucks though.
   

1. Are you following directions to the tee?
   

1. Are the recipes written from a different country which means they're assuming different kinds of flour but don't mention it? Or, maybe they're using different measurements. I just recently discovered that US and US liquid cups are not the same. UK = 10oz in a cup and US = 8oz in a cup.

[HeyMacWey]

Ooh yes - oat and raisin. My favourite.

I use the nigella recipe and substitute the chocolate with 100g each of oats and raisins and add a tap of cinnamon.

[formerbabe]

Butter should be melted.

Use a mixture of white/soft brown sugar. White sugar helps it crisp up and brown sugar helps it keep fudgy in the centre.

Use plain flour and bicarbonate bicarbonate of soda...don't use baking powder.

[drspouse]

Jings I didn't think there was such a thing as a UK liquid cup but the UK pint is definitely bigger!

Butter should be melted.
Not necessarily. I've got cookie recipes that use creamed butter, that use melted butter, and that use vegetable oil.

Use plain flour and bicarbonate bicarbonate of soda...don't use baking powder.
Bicarb is for recipes that have some form of acid in (some fruits, black treacle/molasses is slightly acid). Baking powder is for recipes that don't have this.
For example this sugar cookie recipe

www.inkatrinaskitchen.com/best-sugar-cookie-recipe-ever/

has no acid ingredients so it uses baking powder (and, incidentally, creamed butter).

[JingsMahBucket]

@drspouse, definitely bigger. I bought plastic liquid measuring cups at M & S sometime last year and when I was measuring out a recipe, I thought, "Why is this so much water?" That's when I noticed that a UK cup is 10oz. Thankfully I was observant and didn't screw up the (American) recipe.

[drspouse]

I've never seen UK half pint measuring cups. Mine are from a local kitchen shop and are 8oz. M&S need to get their act together!

[DearMrDilkington]

Thank you all!

[CoffeeMad18]

Millie's cookies are lovely - have you looked at The Pioneer Woman at all? Her cookies are bloody brilliant, adored by my kids. Have a look at her website.

[NannyR]

If you're using the same set of cups to measure your ingredients (be it UK or US), it shouldn't make any difference to the recipe, should it? (Disclaimer; I don't really use cups when baking, prefer weighing). You'll just have a larger quantity of finished product if you use the larger cups, but the proportions of ingredients should be the same.

[drspouse]

Nanny except if you use eggs, packets of things etc where you don't measure.

[JingsMahBucket]

@NannyR liquid and dry measure are different thus two different sets of cups. That's why I noticed it. I was using American dry measure cups and U.K. liquid measure cups.

[drspouse]

Jings the US measures are the same - same cup to measure flour or milk.
I've only ever used cups to make US recipes, always the scales for UK recipes.

[SandBlanketCup]

these always come out perfect for me. They look a bit underbaked when you take them out so don't be tempted to leave them in longer. They soon firm up.