How to make cake like cookies crispy
I have a recipe for fresh fig cookies that is delicious (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/9929/fresh-fig-cookies/). I added a few extra spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and all spice) and changed the shortening to butter. My problem is the cookies come out like flat, round cakes instead of crispy cookies. The picture shown looks like crispy-ish cookies, but I've made them twice and both times they have come out the same way. Since I've already changed to butter to help them be crispy, can/should I increase the baking soda (or leave out the baking powder)? Or is there something else I can do to make them crispier? Or just resign myself to cakey cookies (and make a filling to turn them into whoopee pies)?
Best Answer
In general, to create crispier cookies:
baking soda (if you use this to replace the baking powder, keep in mind it's thought to be 3x as strong, so reduce accordingly. The decrease in acid leads to a longer set temp, which will help your cookie bake to be crispier. If you'd like to even out the decrease in acid, you can always use a little bit of each, or even add in a little lemon juice)
replace the egg (with whole milk to encourage spreading)
make sure the butter you're creaming is at the right temperature (read this post for more info: http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/04/27/creaming-butter-sugar/)
bake it for longer at a lower temp with smaller flatter cookies
All of these tips are meant to increase the surface area of the cookie exposed to the heat, in order to dry it out/crisp it up. However, your cookie recipe also has the addition of all the water and stickiness of the fruits, so it is unlikely that you can get it to be completely dry and crispy, like a sugar cookie, for instance.
Tips gathered from many sources and experience, but the best one for cookies found was this one: http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/04/27/creaming-butter-sugar/
Good luck on our quest for crispier fig cookies!
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How do you make crispy cakey cookies?
To make cookies thinner and crispier, you will usually want to aim for more granulated sugar and butter. For softer, chewier cookies, you will want to add much less granulated sugar, slightly more brown sugar, and a fair bit less butter. For cakey cookies, you will often be including even less butter and sugar.Why are my cookies cakey instead of crispy?
The most common cause is using a different flour than usual, such as cake flour, and measuring flour with too heavy a hand. Using larger eggs than called for can make cookies cakey, as will the addition of milk or more milk or other liquids than specified.What makes cookies chewy or crispy?
Eggs: Cookies without eggs are usually flatter and crispier since eggs act as leavening agents. However, it's the yolks that make cookies chewy, while the whites lead to crunchier cookies.Why are my cookies puffy and cakey?
Q: Why are my cookies so puffy and cakey? Whipping too much air into the dough. That fluffy texture you want in a cake results from beating a lot of air into the room temperature butter and sugar, and it does the same for cookies. So don't overdo it when you're creaming together the butter and sugar.Chocolate Chip Cookie 101 | Chewy, Crispy and Cakey
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Answer 2
Changing the shortening to butter will have increased the water content - and added water will get you gluten formation and softness, thus more cakeyness. Same with the suggestion above to add milk. Try going very, very dry instead. Also, try saving the broken or off-shape cookies from one batch, beat them into fine crumbles, and add them to your next batch (this is how it is sometimes done in commercial, factory produced cookies!).
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Images: Maahid Photos, RODC., Jill Wellington, JÉSHOOTS