Besides eating lots of chocolate, I had some time to sit down and respond to a question I’m frequently asked, “Why do my cookies spread so much when I bake them?”
So to answer, and to celebrate the upcoming royal wedding, I made a few of these little cookies:
I knew I wanted them to stay small so that the crowns almost fit on the base, so it was important to me that they didn’t spread too much. (I had made the royal icing transfer crowns first. Cookies are 4.5 cm / approx. 2 inches across).
One thing to mention; the little jewels are inedible; they’re actually Swarovski Elements craft jewels. I just had to add some truly sparkly bling in honor of the royal wedding. To prevent the whole cookie from being inedible though, I made the crown a royal icing transfer and just barely iced it to the cookie base, so that it could easily be removed. Another point to mention; the cookie design came from here.
Several of these tips are already in my Sugar Cookie Recipe, and a few are new. By communicating with some of you, I’ve realized a few key things which helped me which I hadn’t thought to mention before.
A quick note first, a little bit of spreading is normal (see photo above with cookie cutter and cookie); but there are things you can do to help cookies keep their shape!
Too much sugar and butter can make sugar cookies spread and lose their shape when baked. This one requires a little patience because once you roll out your dough, you are ready to bake. Be patient and bake your cookies when the dough is really cold.
Incorporating Too Much Air
Be careful not to mix the butter and sugar too long (Usually the first step of making the dough; called creaming). Overmixing the butter and sugar will cause too much air to be incorporated. I usually mix mine just until the ingredients come together.
Baking is like a science… If your measurements are off it can change the whole recipe. For example, too much sugar will affect your dough. Sugar becomes liquid when melted and more liquid causes spreading. You can’t avoid having some sugar though, after all, we’re talking about cookies.
Speaking of liquid, the amount of water in the butter you buy will affect the spreading factor.
As for how to know which butters have more/less water content, so far I’ve just had to experiment with different brands to see what works best. I haven’t found any indication on packaging mentioning percent of water etc. If anyone has more information on this, I’d love to hear your input!
Generally, I’ve found that the cheaper the butter, the higher the water content seems to be.
I can’t talk about shortening or other types of fat (sorry!), as I don’t bake cookies with any other fat than butter.
It may be that I simply like my shiny, new baking sheets, but it seems to me that cookies baked on a thick baking sheet seem to spread less than on a thin one. Here’s a link to the ones I prefer (click here)
How thick are your cookies? The thicker they are, the longer it takes for the heat in your oven to help the cookies ‘set’, and the more time they have to spread. Mine vary depending on how thick I feel like making them, but in general, they’re about 3/4 cm – 1cm thick.
If you would like a thicker cookie, try raising the temperature of your oven a few degrees to bake them. Each oven and recipe are different, so you’ll have to play around with this a bit and see what works best.
Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat
Tips on Helping Your Cookies Keep their Shape
Whichever recipe you’re using, don’t use baking powder in the dough. I used to take it out only for more detailed cookies, now I omit it all the time.
Check to make sure your oven really is at the right temperature by using an oven safe thermometer. If your oven isn’t hot enough, the cookies don’t ‘set’ quick enough, and the cookies have more time to spread. Also remember that opening your oven up to peek on the progress of the cookies, will make the oven lose heat and affect ‘cookie spreadage’. If you still notice that your cookies are spreading, another thing you can do to help cookies keep their shape, is increase the heat 10-25 degrees higher than the suggested temperature on the recipe. Every oven is different, so you may need to try this for yours.
Tips for Making Sugar Cookies That Won’t Loose Their Shape | Kitchen Tips with Jon Ashton
FAQ
How do you get sugar cookies to keep their shape?
How do I keep my sugar cookies from spreading?
Why do my sugar cookies keep going flat?
Why is my cookie dough not holding shape?
Do sugar cookies hold their shape?
If you make these adjustments to baking your sugar cookies, you should find that they hold their shape. However, if they still spread a little, carefully take the cookies out of the oven and press the cookie cutter down on the hot cookie to trim away the excess. Then, brush off the crumbs with a pastry brush.
Why do I eat so much sugar and how can I stop myself from grabbing that sweet snack?
Maybe you’re taking out some frustration from another area of life in this exaggeration for sweets. Look for a nutritionist to balance the division of meals throughout the day and avoid snacking.
How do I keep my sugar cookie shape?
One of the easiest solutions to help your sugar cookie keep their shape is by choosing simple cookie cutters. If your cookie cutter has a lot of details in it then it’s hard to have it come out looking right. Let’s say you have a cookie cutter that is shaped like a reindeer, antlers and all. It might look cute, however the shape is too complex.
Do sugar cookies move a millimeter?
You should use a sugar cookie recipe for “rolled” cookies (meant to hold their shape.) These recipes will probably have more flour (usually about 2 1/2 cups) and less eggs (one, not two). My never-fail cut-out sugar cookie recipe is perfection! It’s more of a shortbread cookie, and it does not have any leaveners. They don’t move a millimeter.