Is this the worst week for cookies or did I just forget how to bake?

So Monday I tried making chocolate chip cookies and they spread into one giant pancake. Tuesday I adjusted the flour and got hockey pucks. Wednesday I thought I nailed it but they crumbled apart when I picked one up. Three batches, three fails, all from the same recipe I've used for years. Anyone else have a week where everything just goes sideways in the oven? What did you do to fix it?

3 comments

3 Comments

roberts.jordan1mo ago

Oh man, I feel this in my soul... @taylor82 is spot on about the oven thermometer thing. I had a whole month where my cookies turned out like frisbees and it turned out my oven was actually cooling down mid-bake instead of holding temp. You might also try chilling the dough for at least an hour before baking, that helped me when my butter was too soft and everything just spread into a greasy mess. And honestly, sometimes your flour just absorbs moisture differently depending on the humidity or the brand you grabbed on sale... I learned that the hard way after three failed batches of snickerdoodles.

taylor822mo ago

Man, that's rough. I've had weeks like that where the baking gods just hate me. But listen, did you check your oven temp with a separate thermometer? Because I had a similar pancake streak once and it turned out my oven was running 50 degrees hotter than what the dial said. Might be worth ruling that out before you blame yourself or the recipe.

lily3602mo ago

Ugh, the "baking gods" thing hits hard, I know that feeling all too well. That oven thermometer tip is solid though, saved my cookies once when I was ready to toss the whole mixer out the window.