I have been expermenting with cookie recipes here lately and need my CC families help. I finally found a brownie cookie recipe and made them last night and wasn't happy at all. They baked up really good(rise) until I took them out of the oven to cool and then they went flat. Does anyone know what makes a cookie spread out and go flat when cooling on the pan. I'm sure these were suppose to do this, but I like a cookie that doesn't spread out when baked or goes flat, but they tasted really good. Any help is greatly appreciated, here is the recipe I used


Chewy Brownie Cookies
Ingredients:
h 2/3 cup shortening
h 1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
h 1 tablespoon water
h 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
h 2 eggs
h 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
h 1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S Dutch Processed Cocoa
h 1/2 teaspoon salt
h 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
h 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
h 1/4 cup chopped walnuts(optional)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375¢XF.

2. Beat shortening, brown sugar, water and vanilla in large bowl on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add eggs; beat well.

3. Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle chopped walnuts on each cookie, pressing down lightly.

4. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are set. Cookies will appear soft and moist. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 3 dozen cookies.

I could be wrong, but could it be from the low amount of flour? Though I would think that would make the cookies spread as they bake, instead of afterwards. Maybe they sat on the hot cookie sheet too long? I usually just wait about 30 seconds, basically the soonest I can move the cookie without it faling apart. The fact that they are supposed to be soft and chewy may be what makes them spread.

One of the main things that makes cookies spread is from greasing the pan, which the recipe didn't call for. I find a have a lot less problem with spreading when I use my silicone mat.

Hmmm....

I don't think I explained very well, they spread while baking then went flat while cooling. I didn't use any grease or spray and baked them on my Wilton non-stick cookie sheet never have used a silicone mat to bake on, I hear they are great. Thanks for your reply

I just found this...turns out there are a lot of reasons why a cookie will spread out! http://allrecipes.com/advice/coll/all/articles/177P1.asp

A couple I'll quote,

"Do not underestimate the importance of temperature in cookie baking. Cookie dough that is chilled before baking will hold its shape and produce a slightly puffier cookie. Cookie dough that is at room temperature before baking will spread and flatten out while baking. So if you happen to have a very warm kitchen, it's a good idea to refrigerate the dough before you bake it."

"
Flour - Flour also affects how cookies bake and behave. Flours with a high protein content like bread and all-purpose flour will help to produce cookies that tend to be flatter, darker, and more crisp than their counterparts made with cake or pastry flour."

I make an almost identical recipe all the time--it's one of our favorite cookies. If you want to avoid having them flatten when they cool, you could add a little more flour (or part flour, part extra cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavor), and chill the dough before baking. You could also chill the shortening before using it.
I generally don't like to use all shortening in cookies, but in this particular recipe, the shortening is crucial for the chewy texture (butter or margarine would result in a crispier cookie). I sometimes use butter-flavor Crisco in them, and it works well.

I like to make them with Guittard milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chips. Yum!

Thank you all for your help, this is starting to make sense

The recipe sounds great! I know your not asking for another recipe but I wanted to share this one with you. A friend makes them all the time and they are really yummy! They make me think of brownies!

Alabama Fudge-Pecan Chewies
1 (14-Ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups (12 Ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
60 pecan halves

* Combine first 3 ingredients in a heavy saucepan; cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate and butter melt. Remove from heat.

* Stir in flour, chopped pecans, and vanilla.
* Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press pecan half into the center of each cookie.
* Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. (Do not overbake) Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool
* Yield: 5 dozen

texastwinkie, thanks for the recipe, it sounds really yummy I'll have to give it a try. Me and cookies never did get along they are either to hard or spread out all over the pan or go FLAT. I have cheated and have been using Pillsbury Double Chocolate Chunk cookies for a long time and now I can never ever hardly find them, I could always find them at Wal-Mart but I guess they don't carry them anymore. So I have been trying out different brownie cookie recipes I have found on the net and they are all baiscally the same. The Pillsbury mix would not spread out and stayed puffed up and stayed soft. So I guess I'll keep looking, again thank you

irisinbloom, the Alabama recipe is a soft puffy cookie. When my coworker baked them and brought them to work I was convinced they had been made out of a brownie mix and tried searching for cookie recipes on the net that used a brownie mix. I finally got her to share the recipe with me and was surprised that it wasn't made from a brownie mix. I love brownies and this cookie recipe reminds me of them. Let me know if you decide to try them and if they turn out good for you. I haven't had a chance to make them yet, but hers are wonderful!

texastwinkie, I have the ingredients so I think I will try them tonight and I'll get back at ya later with results, again thanks

Yummmm.... it makes me want to make a batch! I'm glad they turned out for you! They stay soft for several days...if they last that long! Now I'm craving a big glass of milk and some cookies!!!!

I don't think they will last long, my son keeps sneaking in and out of the kitchen