Oatmeal Lace Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my lace cookies not spreading? ›

All-purpose flour isn't ideal because the cookies will not spread or caramelize. Some readers have used coconut flour, but note that the taste and texture is off. I strongly recommend almond flour. Either 1 Tablespoon of milk or corn syrup works in this lace cookie recipe.

Overbaking is the most common cause of hard oatmeal cookies. Cookies continue to cook on the baking sheet even after they're removed from the oven, so try taking them out when they're just lightly golden and still a bit soft in the middle. They'll firm up as they cool, resulting in a chewier texture.

Also adding 1/2c more oats to recipe will be chewier if they aren't over Baked/dry. Cornstarch is a good trick to help make cookies more soft and chewy. It helps to bind and hold the moisture after baking. Increased sugar will also make them more tender.

Putting a slice of fresh white bread in the container with the cookies will help the cookies stay soft: fresh bread is moist, and that slice will give up its moisture for the greater good: keeping the cookies from drying out. We recommend white bread so that no flavor is transferred to the cookies.

Oven Is Not Hot Enough

Cookies spread while baking because the fats in the dough melt. If your oven isn't set to a high enough temperature, this won't happen. Make sure that your oven has preheated to the appropriate temperature before baking.

If you enjoy your cookies soft and chewy, chances are likely the recipe contains a common ingredient that serves a very specific purpose. No, it's not granulated sugar, nor the butter. It's not the egg, all-purpose flour, or even the vanilla extract. The simple, yet oh-so-necessary component is cornstarch.

An oven that hasn't reached the correct baking temperature causes the fat in the dough to melt before the cookie bakes through. As a result, cookies spread too much. Heat the oven for at least 10 minutes. A good rule of thumb is to turn the oven on just before you begin measuring ingredients.

Baking powder

Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate and acidic salts. The reaction of these two ingredients results in a cookie that is soft and thick, but slightly harder.

Include both baking powder and baking soda ~ Many oatmeal cookie recipes call for just baking soda in the batter. Adding baking powder, too, gives more rise to the cookies and creates a really nice soft-and-chewy middle. The amount of dough used for each cookie definitely matters in making these the best cookies, too.

Can I use baking powder instead of baking soda in oatmeal cookies? ›

First, we substituted baking powder for baking soda. The baking powder gave the dough more lift, which in turn made the cookies less dense and a bit chewier. Second, we eliminated the cinnamon recommended not only in the Quaker Oats recipe but in lots of other recipes.

What do manufacturers put in cookies to make them soft forever? Brown sugar is a humectant that keeps baked goods soft. Manufactured baked goods have piles of pectins and lignans and other water-holding chemicals added to keep them from drying out.

Some folks swear that placing a slice of white bread (or a flour tortilla) in the container with the cookies will keep cookies softer for longer.

Cookies. Cornstarch does kind of incredible things to cookies. I mean not only does it give them soft centers, prevents them from spreading, and makes them somewhat thick (in a good way), but it also contributes to the chewiness factor, which, in my opinion, is the most important cookie attribute.

Unfortunately, you can't fix the problem after the fact if you've baked a cookie recipe and the cookies didn't spread out enough as they baked. The edges have set and there's no going back. If they taste good nonetheless, you can still eat and enjoy them, or chop them up and add them to a batch of cookie ice cream.

The Problem: Your Oven Is Too Hot

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot.

Cookies spread because the fat in the cookie dough melts in the oven. If there isn't enough flour to hold that melted fat, the cookies will over-spread. Spoon and level that flour or, better yet, weigh your flour. If your cookies are still spreading, add an extra 2 Tablespoons of flour to the cookie dough.

A low proportion of sugar relative to flour reduces spread, keeping the cookies thick. A high proportion of mix-ins helps thicken the dough.