Is there a fix for?

[crftysahm]

Hello,
I am new to the forum and am hoping that some one might be able to tell me if there is a fix for my latest disaster. I already baked the cookies but this is a mistake I make often and hope to be able to fix it when I do it again.

I mixed the dough according to the directions (so I thought) and upon cleaning up I discovered a mistake. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups flour. I used my 1/2 cup measure, the back of a knife to even off the cup, 5 times. Upon cleaning up, I discovered that my 1/2 cup measure was in fact a 2/3 cup measure. I had only put one pan of cookies in the oven. The batter seemed a bit dry, but considering that there were crushed pretzels in the recipe I didn't think anything of it...until I discovered the wrong measure was used. I wisked up two eggs and bit of vanilla in a bowl, then poured that in to the remaining dough mixture, mixing in well. I used a small scoop to make the cookie balls. They too longer to cook that the recipe stated, but I went with it. They have a pretty good taste factor going, but the texture is dry to me.

Is there a way to save the dough if this happens again?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

We've all been there…and some of us still go there from time to time.

Cookie dough is a little bit more forgiving than cake batter. So you can add ingredients after the cookie dough is mixed without totally destroying it.

If it happens in the future add additional softened butter, sugar, and a splash of milk

Reason for the butter is it will more easily and evenly incorporate into the dough than egg. Butter adds moisture and will help the cookie spread. Egg is not advisable as it provides structure, egg is a binder.--you don't want to bind that additional flour. You want the cookie to spread as the recipe intended.

Sugar is what they call hygroscopic. It means that it draws water from its environment. You see the hygroscopic properties when you leave a piece of hard candy on the counter unwrapped overnight. Next morning the candy is sticky and gooey. That's because the sugar drew water from the air. So adding extra sugar will increase the hygroscopic effect.

Type of sugar: brown sugar is more hygroscopic than white sugar, so use brown sugar it the type of cookie can handle brown sugar.

Milk: a couple of tablespoons will help loosen the dough and add moisture. This should help the dough spread better.

I mentioned spreading a couple of times…you want the cookie to spread to bring the bake time back to original recipe. Extended bake time causes the cookie to dry out more.

 

[ChesterV]

I would also suggest getting measuring cups that are marked better.

If your measuring cups are all the same color, you might look at getting some in different colors for the different sizes. This way you can tell by the color of the cup what size it is.


In instances that I've used too much flour in something, I usually just add more milk and oil/butter. The milk loosens it up, the oil/butter makes it pliable and keeps it from drying out too much. I also add more flavoring to deter the more "floury" taste it might have.

 

[crftysahm]

So...I still offered up the cookies at our monthly get together. They were a huge hit and no one knew that they were actually the result of a huge mistake. Norcalbaker59, thank you so much for explaining the...chemistry...of baking. I have always wondered about the "why" of the ingredients and hope to start learning much more about it. I am diabetic, so it is not good to leave baked goods, really anything sweet, around me for very long as I have like 0 (zero) will power. Thank fully I have a potluck each month to take it to, am kind of known for my desserts. Also have found a few other places to gift my baking to as well.

I had thought of adding milk, but the only liquid in the recipe is the vanilla and eggs so wasn't sure about adding milk in. You have given me some wonderful information to store away.

Also ChesterV, thank you for you reply as well. I learned a couple of things from this experience...ALWAYS were my glasses. READ through the recipe a few times before starting. I am picking up some different colored measure cups and am putting that 2/3 cup some where I want find it. The measurement of flour was not the only mistake. I guess I should post the recipe and note where all I went wrong...it might help some else. Hopefully I won't make that mistake again, but at least now I have some idea of what would have made a better fix than what I did.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

So...I still offered up the cookies at our monthly get together. They were a huge hit and no one knew that they were actually the result of a huge mistake. Norcalbaker59, thank you so much for explaining the...chemistry...of baking. I have always wondered about the "why" of the ingredients and hope to start learning much more about it. I am diabetic, so it is not good to leave baked goods, really anything sweet, around me for very long as I have like 0 (zero) will power. Thank fully I have a potluck each month to take it to, am kind of known for my desserts. Also have found a few other places to gift my baking to as well.

I had thought of adding milk, but the only liquid in the recipe is the vanilla and eggs so wasn't sure about adding milk in. You have given me some wonderful information to store away.

Also ChesterV, thank you for you reply as well. I learned a couple of things from this experience...ALWAYS were my glasses. READ through the recipe a few times before starting. I am picking up some different colored measure cups and am putting that 2/3 cup some where I want find it. The measurement of flour was not the only mistake. I guess I should post the recipe and note where all I went wrong...it might help some else. Hopefully I won't make that mistake again, but at least now I have some idea of what would have made a better fix than what I did.

LOL… You sound like me. I have something called celiacs disease so I cannot eat anything with gluten. But I love to bake. I bake constantly. It's an obsession. But most of what I bake is gluten so I have to give it away. My friends, family, neighbors all love to see me come up the walk with a box in hand. I live in a small town, so even the postmaster is gifted my baked goods.

BTW, a good cookbook on the science of baking is BakeWise by Shirley O. Corriher. While her recipes are not spectacular her science is rock solid.

Understanding the science of baking is really helpful in creating a quality product, but it also opens the door to creativity. In baking, if you know the rules you can create to your heart's delight. And when you make a mistake, you can usually fix it.

Almost 20 years ago I bought a pastry book that was translated from French. Because the recipes are from the top pastry chefs in Europe, coupled with the fact that it is a translation, there's almost no instructions with the recipes. The assumption is the baker knows what an joconde is and knows how to make it. Some of the pastries include things like a layer of chocolate mousse, yet the mousse recipe is not included. They just assume a baker knows all of the pastry basics, including how to make a mousse.

When I bought the book I had no idea how to make 99% of what was in that book. But I was just going through it the other day and I realized there's pretty much nothing in that book that I can't do now. But to get to this point in my baking, I made at a lot of mistakes. And still do. But I came to the realization some years ago that there is no greater teacher than failure. And as your cookie experienced showed, your friends and family will still eat those mistakes--because a mistake is still a cookie