My grandma called me out on overmixing my cookie dough and I'm still thinking about it

She watched me beat the flour in for a full minute and said 'you're making bread, not cookies.' Now I stop the second the streaks disappear and my chocolate chip cookies actually turn out soft instead of tough. Anyone else get corrected by a older relative and realize they were right?

3 comments

3 Comments

emma_clark12d ago

Honestly, I think your grandma was spot on but maybe not for the exact reason. Overmixing definitely makes cookies tough, but it's more about the gluten development than just the flour streaks. You actually want to mix until the flour is almost incorporated, then fold in the chips by hand to avoid overworking it. I've found that resting the dough in the fridge for an hour also helps keep them soft, makes the flavors blend better. What kind of cookie recipe do you use?

derek65612d ago

Had a buddy who used to just dump everything in one bowl and mix for like five minutes straight, wondered why his cookies came out like hockey pucks. Told him the fridge trick and he thought I was crazy until he tried it and actually got soft cookies for once.

holly_walker766d ago

Dude turning cookies into hockey pucks is honestly an achievement in its own way. Mixing for five minutes straight is like asking for a gluten workout. Told my own brother the same fridge trick and he looked at me like I had two heads. Now he swears by it after his first batch came out actually edible instead of weapon-grade. Cold dough for the win every time.