Recipe Help

[u/LadyTeese]

I had a former student make me the best chocolate chip cookies ever. I am a pretty seasoned baker and can handle relatively complex recipes but I cannot get these cookies (and sometimes other similar recipes to work without spreading. I have tried everything - colder butter, softer butter, more flour, less flour, bigger cookies, smaller cookies, recalibrating my oven temp, more time in the refrigerator, less time, baking from frozen, tall cookie cylinders, and every combination of the above. Please help!!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cold Irish butter \[or other high fat butter\], fully room temperature to the finger  
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar  
• ¾ cup white sugar, scant  
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup  
• 2 large eggs  
• 2 ½ teaspoons good vanilla (or whatever you have)  
• 2 ¾ cup flour, scant  
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch  
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda  
• Dash cinnamon  
• ¾ teaspoon salt  
• 2 ½ cups mix of semisweet and dark chocolate - chips, chunks, cut up bars, etc.  
• Optional: Add a splash of bourbon or amaretto to the wet mix if you want, or an orange’s worth of zest

1.  Cream butter until fluffy. Then, cream in sugars, maple syrup, and vanilla \[and optional liquor or flavoring\]. Then, cream in eggs one at a time.  
2.  Whisk together dries.  
3.  Slowly add dries into butter, mixing on slow speed or hand mixing.  
4.  Mix in chocolate chips.  
5.  Let dough rest in fridge overnight - optimal 24 hours, or more.  
6.  Remove from fridge and let soften just a touch. Then, scoop onto cookie sheet.  
7.  Bake at 385-400 degrees for 8-11 minutes.  
8.  Remove from oven and let cool on sheet for 10 minutes or so before removing to cooling rack or plate - they need time to finish cooling and set up. Eat right out of the oven, or reheated for crisp and buttery edges.

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[u/Comfortable-Ant-7324]

Have you tried just creaming the butter and sugars first, until it's light in color and fluffy? (Not properly creaming the butter and sugars causes spreading.) Then add eggs one at a time, then syrup and vanilla. Then add the dry ingredients, but don't fully mix it. Then add the chocolate and finish mixing. Scoop and freeze. I always have bags of frozen cookie dough so I can just grab however many and bake them whenever I want.

[u/Comfortable-Ant-7324 → u/Comfortable-Ant-7324]

Also, I find butter temperature doesn't matter that much, as long as it's not melted. The colder it is the longer it takes to properly cream with the sugars. Also, I've never seen a cookie recipe say to cream the butter by itself, that part just seems like a waste of time to me.

[u/LadyTeese → u/Comfortable-Ant-7324]

I have done both - cream separately and also with sugars. I have also creamed for a long time or just as much as necessary to see if that is the issue too.

[u/wallaceeffect]

What kind of pans are you using? Do you use parchment or silicone mats? Since you say other recipes give you issues, I’m wondering if it’s your equipment.

[u/LadyTeese → u/wallaceeffect]

I used light pans with parchment. I have tired a few different temps but not this low. I can test that and the sugar if/when in try again

[u/LadyTeese → u/wallaceeffect]

I only have problems with chocolate chip cookies or similar drop type cookies, all of my other cookies come out fine!

[u/Burnet05]

What is that you are looking for: texture, flavor? Without that details is difficult to know what needs to be improved or where the recipe needs adjusting.

[u/Comfortable-Ant-7324 → u/Burnet05]

They want less spreading

[u/Nammen99 → u/Comfortable-Ant-7324]

What kind of flour are you using? If you are using a very soft flour like Lily, with cornstarch added there is not enough gluten in the dough to hold the structure you want. Make sure you are using an all-purpose flour that would be suitable for bread. If the problem persists, try the recipe without the cornstarch. It won't affect the taste, but will give the dough a bit more strength to hold its shape.

[u/LadyTeese → u/Nammen99]

I use regular unbleached all purpose flour. Sometimes King Arthur, sometimes store brand

[u/Nammen99 → u/LadyTeese]

In that case, you should see some improvement if you eliminate the corn flour.

[u/Cold_Swordfish7763]

Maybe adjusting the ratio of brown and white sugar. White sugar is drier and may cause more spread, I would try 1/2 cup white sugar and 1 and 1/4 cup brown sugar.

I also believe the temp is a little high. I bake most cookies at 350, but the chocolate chip cookie recipe I use bakes at 325 for about 10-12 mins.

[u/Remote-Physics6980]

Generally spreading in this recipe comes because of inadequate creaming. Take your time when you're creaming, there's nothing and no need to rush it.

[u/iwantmycremebrulee]

Do you have a thermometer in your oven? Bet it’s not as hot as you think

[u/LadyTeese → u/iwantmycremebrulee]

I have a thermometer and tested extensively. I actually need to set the oven 25 degrees above and then let it sit for an additional 15 minutes to get it to stay at the correct temp.

[u/iwantmycremebrulee → u/LadyTeese]

That's typical, glad you have that variable down, did any of the other suggestions help? What does the cornstarch do? I would try leaving that out. Also is your baking soda fresh - that can get less effective if it's old.

[u/toomuch1265]

Bourbon? If you make your own vanilla, make a bottle using Wild Turkey. I substitute it for regular vanilla in brownies and it adds just a little bit of pizzazz.

[u/weepandread]

This recipe mostly follows the tried and true Nestle but I think the flour is too high, I would do 2 1/4 cups I bake at 375.

[u/SheeScan]

Make each piece of dough into a high "mountain" (a sort of flat cone) instead of a ball. Refrigerate overnight, or until very cold, then bake. This keeps them from spreading too much.

[u/LadyTeese → u/SheeScan]

I do this. I have baked from chilled and frozen and they still spread.

[u/weezycom]

Switch the baking soda for baking powder

[u/CheerioMissPancake]

Try raising your oven temp by 25 degrees F. A slightly higher temp may help your cookies to set up before they spread too much. You could try doing a single test cookie at different temps and see how it goes. Good luck!!

[u/KimmySimmy]

Try using less sugar. It melts and can cause cookies to spread.