Mmmm… the smell of cookies baking in your oven. You’re anxiously awaiting the timer going off so you can sink your teeth into those soft, gooey delights. But what if your cookies don’t turn out quite right? What if, after all of your hard work and patience, you sink your teeth into a dry, crumbly cookie.
Cue sadness and possible tears.
(Pezibear / pixabay)
What went wrong? You thought you had followed the recipe correctly. Well, have no fear. We are here to help. Follow along as we go through possible mistakes that could have caused your dry cookies. We’ll also give some tips to help fix those mistakes in the future.
Let’s get started back at the beginning. The part where you started making the dough. This is often where cookie baking mistakes are made. Here are some common mistakes that can result in dry dough. Dry dough equals dry cookies.
1. Not Enough Fat
Whether it’s butter, margarine, shortening, or oil, all cookie recipes include some type of fat. Fat is a huge component in the delicious flavor and texture of cookies. Fat also adds moisture to cookies.
Substituting one fat for another may seem like no big deal. A fat is a fat, right? Wrong. Substituting one fat for another in certain cookie recipes may result in dry dough.
Not putting enough fat into your dough can also cause it to be dry. Make sure you double-check your measurements. Use a liquid measuring cup for liquid fats such as oil or melted butter. Use a dry measuring cup for measuring solid fats. (Or, best of all, use a kitchen scale and weigh the fat.)
If you’re sensing some dryness, try adding one teaspoon of room-temperature fat. The same fat you used in the recipe.
Another solution is to brush a little bit of oil on the dough. Then, knead the oil into the dough with your hands.
2. Too Much Flour
Flour is the main ingredient in most cookies. It is what provides the structure in cookies.
Incorrectly measuring flour can have a definite impact on the outcome of your cookies. Even just a little too much flour can cause your dough to dry out.
When measuring flour, NEVER pack it into a measuring cup. And, never measure flour using a liquid measuring cup.
You can use the scoop and sweep method for accuracy:
- Stick your spoon in the flour bag.
- Spoon the flour into your measuring cup.
- Sweep across the top with a spatula or knife to level it out.
Here again, the food scale is an even better bet. Weighing flour is the most foolproof way to measure flour.
3. Not Enough Liquid
It may seem like an obvious thing, but we’re going to say it anyway. To avoid dry cookies, you need to make sure your dough has enough moisture. The majority of moisture in cookies comes from liquid ingredients.
When measuring liquid ingredients, always be sure to use liquid measuring cups. Using a dry measuring cup will result in an incorrect amount. Also, make sure to use the egg size the recipe calls for.
To fix the problem of insufficient liquid, try adding a small amount of the liquid already used in the recipe. Don’t overdo it. Start with just one teaspoon. Knead that in to determine if you need more. Only add one teaspoon at a time.
Option number two would be to put a small amount of water onto the dough. You could do this by spritzing the dough or sprinkling a few drops of water onto the dough. Then knead the dough with your hands or your electric mixer.
4. Over Mixing
It can be easy to get carried away when mixing up cookie dough. But, unlike cake batter, cookie dough only needs to be mixed until all the ingredients are combined.
Over-mixing dough adds too much air, which can cause your cookies to end up flat and dry.
Too much mixing also causes the gluten in the flour to develop. This will cause your dough to become harder and drier than it should be.
If the gluten does develop and you find yourself with hard, dry dough, don’t fret. There is a solution. Cover your dough and let it rest at room temperature for about an hour. This will help the gluten to calm down, resulting in a softer dough.
To avoid over-mixing in the first place, make sure your butter sits at room temperature (if butter is an ingredient). That way it will be softer and you won’t find yourself mixing and mixing and mixing to get it to a smooth state.
The best way to mix cookie dough is actually with your hands. Using your hands is a more gentle mixing method than using a spoon or a mixer. It also helps you not to overmix.
5. Refrigeration
Sometimes your cookie dough needs to spend some time in the fridge. This could be because you made your cookie dough ahead of time or are using premade dough. Another reason could be that the recipe says to chill your dough.
Whatever the reason, not refrigerating your dough properly can cause it to dry out. Fridges are made to be a cool, dry environment. If you leave your cookie dough out in the open in the fridge, it will dry out.
To make sure the fridge doesn’t dry out your dough, be sure to wrap or cover your dough before putting it in the fridge. Using an airtight baggie or container with a lid is a good idea.
If, however, you didn’t store your dough in the fridge properly, there is still hope.
To fix this mistake, simply take the dough out of the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for a little while. Then, use your hands to knead the dough.
Now that we’ve given you some tips and tricks, you are well on your way to enjoying a gooey, delicious, gourmet cookie right from your own oven. So, dry up your tears- they really aren’t the best choice for adding moisture to your cookies anyway. Then, collect your ingredients and get to work. And one last bit of advice–err on the side of underbaking to keep those cookies moist from start to finish.