Flat Cookie problem

[Tammie]

I usually make delicious chocolate chip cookies because I always substitue the butter with shortening. But, this time, since all the recipes call for butter, I wanted to use butter hoping to improve the taste. Of course, everytime I use butter the cookies are flat. How can I can I use butter to get the flavor without sacrificing the pretty cookie shape?

[phatch]

Butter is about 20% water. So you get more spread from the extra water in the butter. Shortening has no water. So it's not a one to one substitution. Decrease other liquids is one option, but many cookies don't really add liquid so that's not easy usually. You could use a higher fat content butter such as Plugra. It costs more.

But this is the problem of substituting ingredients without really understanding what you're changing.

[Tammie]

Thank you so much for your response. I am ready to bake another batch. I think I will try this time with 1/2 shortening and 1/2 butter. I use unsalted organic butter. Next time I go to the store, I will look for plegra. Never seen it before, not sure if my grocery store carries it, but then I wasn't looking for it so I could have overlooked.

Thanks again

[Enchantress]

Humm..if you geased or sprayed your cookie sheet it will result in flat cookies...nevvver grease the sheet..

[castironchef]

You can also try using butter flavored shortening. Sounds nasty, but tastes pretty good.

[Tammie]

Thanks. It is so confusing to me that the majority of chocolate chip cookie recipes call for butter only and everytime I use butter they are flat. I watched a cooking show just yesterday and she was making chocolate cookies. I found it interesting that she used only room temperature butter. Im thinking the whole time Im watching that they will be flat when baked. Of course, hers came out perfect. I have always used shortening before and they always come out great, I just thought that since most recipes call out for butter that they would taste better. I guess butter flavored shortening would be the perfect solution. Thanks again.

[Tammie]

Nope. I didn't grease the pan. Thanks for your response.

[jessiquina]

creaming promotes spread when making cookies. maybe you are creaming the butter and sugar a bit too long.

[pastrycake]

Hi,
This question has troubled many before. I have the same problems depending which recipes I have used. I even have used the same recipe and baked it on silphat and parchment paper. The silpat causes a flatter cookie using butter. Try half butter and crisco butter flavored shortening. I try to avoid shortening since it is not good for you. Trying to keep the trans fat down as possible.

How about margarine? Since it has a higher melting point, it may not flatten as much. Check your oven temp as well.

Be sure to chill your dough before baking them. I even used melted butter for a chewy version of chocolate chip cookie. I am still experimenting with recipe using butter since I believe it tastes better.

[Gummy-Bear]

Originally Posted by Enchantress

Humm..if you geased or sprayed your cookie sheet it will result in flat cookies...nevvver grease the sheet..

I actually never knew that, that's why my Christmas cookies seemed flat, thanks so much.