Why does my first batch of cookies come out nice while later batches get thin?
The first few batches I bake look good and have a nice thickness to them. The last few batches are thinner. Why would that happen? For reference, I use the Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip recipe.
Best Answer
The fat in your dough started to soften/melt - especially if you have a hot oven running in the kitchen. Keep your dough cold in the fridge between batches.
See this question for more details on the issue in general, but for your situation, keep it cold between batches. You seem to have started correctly, which is good - you just have to keep it going right.
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Quick Answer about "Why does my first batch of cookies come out nice while later batches get thin?"
It may be that your oven is not up to temperature before your first batch goes in. If it's not hot enough your cookies will have more time to melt and flatten before they cook. Try giving the oven 10 more minute preheating time before putting your first batch in.Why are my cookies coming out flat and thin?
If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot. Here's what's happening. The butter melts super quickly in a too-hot oven before the other ingredients have firmed up into a cookie structure. Therefore, as the butter spreads so does the whole liquidy cookie.Why did my cookies turn out runny?
Too many wet ingredients and not enough dry ingredients to balance out your recipe will result in a runny cookie dough. Once baked, your cookie may spread too much, have a dense texture, become too crispy, or worst case, completely split and turn into a disaster.Why did my cookies come out paper thin?
The most likely reason why your cookies spread in the oven is that your butter was too soft. Cookies rely on the perfect ratio of butter (or fat) and flour.Why do cookies lose mass when baked?
Message: Foods of all kinds contain lots of water, and when they are cooked a lot of the water evaporates, and hence the finished product has less mass than when it started.Basic Batches: SCIENCE OF THE COOKIE
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Answer 2
The suggestion by rfusca to keep your dough in the fridge between batches is good. Also consider the pans, though. You should let them cool down before scooping dough onto them. I have three cookie sheets, so I can have one in the oven, one cooling down, and one that I'm loading up with the next batch of cookies.
Answer 3
Similar to Adam's pan rotation method is to use sheets of parchment paper:
- lay out your cookies on the parchment paper on the counter
- transfer the paper to the pans immediately before cooking
It's not quite as good as letting the pan cool down fully, but the cookies won't have as much time on the warm pan to start spreading before they rise & set. It's also useful for when you're doing large batches, as you can get all of the cookies out of the pan in seconds, so they won't continue to cook on the hot pan
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