Flat cookie problem......

Cookies are my favorite !! There are a couple of things that I do when I bake chocolate chip, oatmeal or other drop cookies:

Jeanne has some great solutions. For one, she talked about the correct ratio of flour and fat. I always add in 2 extra TBSP of flour to the chocolate chip or oatmeal batter, which helps with the flat cookie problem. Many times there is too much moisture in the dough, and just a little bit of extra flour fixes this.

The hot baking sheet solution is correct. I also ALWAYS form my cookies on a room temperature cookie sheet, otherwise the cookies will immediately start to spread.

I then place the entire sheet with the formed cookie dough in the freezer (or refrigerator) for 2-10 minutes, or until the cookies are cold and are not soft. Cookies will spread and flatten quickly because the fat in the dough is too warm and melts too quickly. Freezing helps to prevent this everytime.

FYI--always use room temperature butter or margarine in your cookie recipes. I prefer to use unsalted butter. Make sure it is not too soft and don't over-cream the butter and sugar.

I hope this helps. Come and chat with me In the Kitchen with Sarah, here at TKL.