Homemade cookies are a favorite for many people. But what if your cookies always come out irregularly sized or shaped? You may be wondering what you are doing wrong. We’ve reached out to some bakers to share tips and tricks to help your cookies be more uniform.
Karen M. Ricks
Karen M. Ricks, Head Chef at OurKitchenClassroom.com.
Portion Your Dough
If your cookies are irregular in size, then it’s time to portion your dough! A levered ice cream scoop is the perfect tool for measuring out equal portions of dough before baking. Simply spoon out the dough with your scoop, leveling off the top with the back of a butter knife to ensure every cookie ends up the same size. The rounded shape also bakes up into nicely formed circular treats.
Alternatively, you can roll, chill, and slice your way to perfectly uniform cookies! Start by rolling your cookie dough into a smooth log shape. Wrap the cylindrical dough tightly in parchment paper or cling film and chill in the refrigerator until firm. Then, slice your dough into measured rounds before baking. You can easily adjust the desired thickness of your discs, depending on what you want for the size of the finished cookie.
Scoop, Scrape, and Stir
The most common issue leading to irregular-sized cookies is using a spoon rather than a dedicated scoop for dolloping out cookies. If you use a cookie scoop and are looking to have as near perfectly uniform-sized cookies as you can get, be sure to scoop, scrape excess, and then release the cookie onto the baking sheet. This will ensure that these are all equal measurements, and they should be much more uniform than relying on a standard kitchen spoon.
Another issue that can impact irregular cookies is fillings (such as chocolate chips or nuts) that might not be evenly distributed. The density of the dough will vary a bit, and this can cause some to turn out larger or spread more than others. To make this less of a problem, be sure to stir in any add-ins as evenly as possible and stir occasionally as you dollop out cookies, to ensure you’re mixing in the bottom of the bowl too!
Liz Mincin
Liz Mincin is an American expat in the UK who runs the baking blog Waiting for Blancmange.
Emily Krill
Emily Krill is a food blogger at ResolutionEats.com.
Attention to Detail
All you need for uniformly sized cookies is a cookie scoop or measuring spoon and some attention to detail. Cookie scoops come in three basic sizes, and you can easily find a set of all three online. Or use a tablespoon or teaspoon, depending on what the recipe calls for.
Recipes with instructions to roll the cookies in your palms are the easiest to size because you can see which cookies came out a little larger or a little smaller. Just add or subtract a small amount of dough as needed. If [you] keep your eyes on what you are doing, there is no reason why you should have irregular-sized cookies.
Use The Right Tools
Use a disher! Also known as a cookie scoop or a spring-loaded ice cream scoop, this little tool does wonders to ensure that all of your drop cookies (or scones, or biscuits) are the same size.
If you want perfectly round cookies, use a muffin tin! The cookies can’t spread further than the edges of the muffin cups, so you end up with perfect circles that are crisp on the edges and gooey in the center.
If you’re making piped cookies (like French macarons), use a template. You can either draw circles on parchment or buy a silicone pad that already has them drawn on.
For cookies with chunks (e.g., chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc.), reserve a few pieces to add to the tops of your cookies. This can help to distract from any irregularities.
Ashley Schuering
Ashley Schuering, Blogger and Freelance Food Writer at Confessions of a Grocery Addict.
Alyssa Perkins
Alyssa Perkins, Co-Creator at The Cook and Chew Food Review.
Use an Ice Cream Scoop
Usually, irregular-sized cookies mean you’re pouring out irregular-sized portions onto your cookie sheet. The easiest way to make sure you have identical cookies is to portion out the batter using a small ice cream scoop – and it’s even easier if you get a scoop with a lever or trigger to easily plop your batter out onto your sheet.
This is a crowdsourced article. Contributors are not necessarily affiliated with this website and their statements do not necessarily reflect the opinion of this website, other people, businesses, or other contributors.