0

I've been trying to make cookies the usual way : All Purpose Flour + Eggs + Butter + Powdered Sugar + Chocolate Powder > Mix till Semi-Solid Batter > Put chunks of them in a baking tray and bake at about 180C for 15 minutes. However, my cookies always end up rubbery. If you attempt to break it asunder, it comes apart as if it were made up of rubber. The cookies have not been removed prematurely, in fact, a minute more burns them (but they still stay rubbery). I have already tried:

  1. Using no eggs.
  2. Changing proportions of flour and butter.
  3. Increasing temperature too 200C for 12 minutes
  4. Decreasing temperature to 160 for 20 minutes.

Nothing seems to help. Any help?

  • Are you not adding sugar? – Adele- Nexus of Potlucks May 18 '12 at 20:24
  • I am, Powdered Sugar. Adding to the body of the question now. –  May 18 '12 at 20:36
  • 3
    Try granulated. Cream it with the butter and eggs first. – Adele- Nexus of Potlucks May 18 '12 at 20:37
  • 10
    You say "the usual way", but I'm unsure what your usual way is. (Is this a particular recipe you can point us to?) Also, you seem to be lacking any leavener (baking soda or powder). Finally, when you say rubbery, do you mean like a rubber band? You try to break it, it stretches, and springs back to its original shape? – derobert May 18 '12 at 21:01
  • 1
    I agree with @derobert. In order to help you, it would be best if you edit your question, write the amounts of the ingredients and the order in which you add them. Do you really start with the flour? – Mien May 18 '12 at 21:56
  • I also hoop you let them fully cool down before concluding they are rubbery? – Lotte Laat May 19 '12 at 08:56
  • I can't find the exact recipe link (I had scribbled it on paper while reading) but this one comes close :http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/chocolate-cookies.php but I had used powdered sugar And no coffee. –  May 19 '12 at 14:19
  • I do wait for it to cool and by rubbery I mean something that you dig into and you really need to PULL for the cookie to break into 2. It does regain original dimensions. –  May 19 '12 at 14:23

2 Answers2

7

Powdered sugar is not an acceptable substitute to standard white (granulated) sugar.

During the creaming step, the hard sandy texture of granulated sugar creates small starter bubbles in the cookie dough. These bubbles will expand during baking, and are integral to the finished cookie's texture.

Ideally, use the correct kind of sugar called for by the recipe. Or, search for a recipe which specifically calls for powdered / confectioner's sugar instead of granulated sugar.

KatieK
  • 7,930
  • 31
  • 78
  • 122
  • so what about a normal bread? when we make it ,it gets rubbery, and we can't use sugar for bread. what makes those bubbles in bread dough then ? – FabioSpaghetti May 16 '20 at 10:00
5

Sugar and fat act as tenderizers in baking. The reason you're getting rubbery cookies is that you have let too much gluten develop. Cream the sugar and butter so that it looks pale yellow. Creaming adds air, which will allow the cookies to rise, it works as a leavening agent. Add the eggs, one at a time, then add the flour and chocolate. Mix only until the flour is incorporated, then you won't develop as much gluten (which gives bread dough its rubberiness, not what you want in cookies). See if this helps, if not, get a new recipe.

Joannie
  • 154
  • 1
  • 5