I have baked NFSC several times but yesterday the batch I made was different. When baking the surface started cracking. They look like those "crackle" cookies. i am sure it will be fine when i ice them, but it's weird. Not sure what I did differently this time

I'm not sure, either! That recipe has been the most consistant sugar cookie recipe I've ever used.

I'm sure you've done this, but sit down with the recipe card and go over it ingredient by ingredient--step by step and try to remember exactly what you did. The only cookies I have that do the crackle on top are a fudge cookie and the consistency of the two doughs are totally different. I'll be thinking about this all morning!

I baked another batch this morning and it was much better. but some of them did seem to do it more than others. I used two racks and the ones on the bottom were baking slower than on the top. The ones on the top crackled a bit more. It's weird. I am sure they'll all be fine either way, but it still bugs me!

Humm.. I never bake more than one sheet pan of cookies at a time. I wonder if that could be the reason. Are you rotating and switching top-to-bottom 1/2 way through? I have never had luck in a conventional oven with more than one pan of cookies. Now, my big conVECTion oven is another story all together!

normally I do only do one sheet of cookies at a time, but today I just wanted to get it over with. I did rotate the pans though. Oddly enough today's batch was better than yesterdays. Yesterday I only did one sheet at a time. Maybe I should try my convection oven setting. I didn't like it for cakes, but maybe cookies I could try.

I love convection for cookies, but hate it for cakes. It's also great for breads.

Yup, I've had some cracked cookies, too, which I've been puzzling about. I've never had that problem when I make a cookie that uses powdered instead of granulated sugar. Wish I understood the science behind it.

I have that happen occasionally too. It hasn't happened in a long time, though, and I can't remember what I figured out was the culprit. I think there was a thread about it a while back..... I think it had to do something with the re-rolling or rolling of the dough.

Do you roll your dough out right away between waxed paper or roll it after it has been chilled? Do you know if the crackling is on cookies that were re-rolled?

I've had it happen, too. After some experimentation, I believe it happens when the dough has not been kneaded enough.

Once the dough comes out of the mixing bowl, I divide it into quarters and knead the portions by hand before rolling them out. Haven't had any crackling since!

And I never have crackling on cookies made from the re-kneaded scraps. UNLESS... it's leftover dough I've refrigerated before re-rolling. Gotta knead that stuff too.

well that is an interesting thought....I'll keep that in mind next time. thanks

Great! well I hope that solves the mystery for me!!