Cookies are soft in the middle, even though the edges are browned
So I followed the recipe posted here to get some pretty standard chocolate chip cookies:
But when I pulled it out of the oven, the edges were browned but the centers doughy and soft, almost undercooked even.
My first thought that my oven was too hot, but I'm not entirely sure, and I'm not sure what I should be looking at. My choice in baking pan might be suspect, or maybe its because this is a convection oven (it's got a fan that keeps blowing the air around). Any thoughts?
Best Answer
If the edges burn and the center is undone, it means the heat didn't have enough time to reach the relatively cool center before the edge was too hot. The temperature gradient depends on the amount of heat from your oven and the size of your cookie - and to some degree on the thermal properties of your cookie sheet.
You have mentioned the two "usual suspects" in your question:
Oven temperature and convection.
- Ovens thermostats are notorious for being quite a bit "off". A good oven thermometer placed on the middle rack can give you a precise measurement and even helps you to recognize whether it's a "fluctuating" issue or whether your oven is generally running high or low.
- Convection can change the way the oven heat is distributed to your cookies. Most recipes I'm familiar with suggest lowering the temperature by 25C / 50F if using the convection feature. This is not necessarily always the ideal solution, some types of cakes simply turn out better without the convection feature. (But that's a gigantic can of worms that I won't be opening here: Many bakers have their own view on this.)
If those two don't help, look into the type of cookie sheet and the temperature of your dough when it's put in the oven - chilled dough will behave differently from room temperature dough, for example.
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Quick Answer about "Cookies are soft in the middle, even though the edges are browned"
That, or the dough wasn't cool enough before baking. Warm cookie dough or excess butter will cause the cookies to spread too much, baking quickly on the outside but remaining raw in the middle. Next time, chill your cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before you bake them. If the problem persists, use less butter.Why are my cookies burnt on the edges and raw in the middle?
If the edges burn and the center is undone, it means the heat didn't have enough time to reach the relatively cool center before the edge was too hot. The temperature gradient depends on the amount of heat from your oven and the size of your cookie - and to some degree on the thermal properties of your cookie sheet.Are cookies supposed to be soft in the middle?
However, it may look a bit puffy or soft in the center, too. This is normal and simply means that the cookie may continue baking on the sheet and rack once removed from the oven. Taking cookies out of the oven at this stage will make them softer and chewier. Whereas, overcooking can create brittleness.Why are my cookies soft but burnt?
In short, your cookies may have burned on the bottom because your oven temperature readings are off, your cookie sheet is too dark, your cookies were baked on a lower rack, the heat was too high, or you baked the cookies right on the sheet without any parchment paper.How do you fix raw cookies in the middle?
Turn the oven off, let the trapped heat cook the cookies. My cookies were underdone after a bake of 7 minutes. To save these cookies, I let them completely cool first. Then continue baking them at 180 degrees C for 5 minutes.10 Most Common Cookie Baking Mistakes
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Answer 2
Besides these cookies potentially being undercooked, I've found that some cookies just come out this way, and need to cool completely before being eaten. Cooling allows for the center to solidify a bit more, giving them a gooey texture, with a crisp crust around the edges.
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