I am having serious issues with my cookie dough. The recipe that I fell in love with a few months ago is now starting to spread and get holes in the top when I bake them. And I'm not using different ingredients, different mixing methods, I can't figure out what's wrong. Plus, the dough is really soft, too soft, when I roll them I have to add wayyyyy too much flour.

So what I'm wondering is, can I take out an egg and not have it flop? The recipe is:

3 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
5 cups flour
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon emulsion
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs for only 5 cups of flour sounds a little high to me, I am wondering if that's why the dough is to sticky? Or should I up it to 5.5 or 6 cups of flour and still add the 4 eggs? I love the taste of this recipe and how it's somewhat delicate, and at first it kept its shape but now it's just a mess.

And I tried the NFSC recipe for the second time, and I really don't know what I am doing wrong, but it flopped for me again. It was so crumbly that I couldn't even roll it out. I can't waste that many ingredients for a third time so I just have to be done with it.

Sorry this is so long, I just really want to know if I can omit one egg for that amount of ingredients. Thanks!

Heidi.

I'm thinking that is really a lot of eggs for that recipe.

I don't know if you have ever made the chocolate cake in a coffee mug recipe, but the egg is the only levening in it that causes it to rise.

That could be your problem.

I make an anise cookie that using an obscene abount of eggs in it and they puff up.

Hhmmm, I didn't realize that the egg makes things rise, plus it has 2 tsp of baking powder too, doesn't that do something to the rising factor? Or is that baking soda. I think what I need to do is read a baking book about the actual science of baking because I just don't know what ingredients do what. Maybe I'll Google it. I haven't heard of really ANY sugar cookie recipe that had that many eggs in it. Thanks for the info !

I have nearly the same recipe and it works really good... dont't over mix your egg-butter-sugar mixture, it will incorporate too much air. In my recipe, it is only 1 tsp of baking soda.

oops i double-check my recipe and it is the same..!
I had one or two time the same problem and it was when my kids distracted me and the mixer was still on...

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Rolled-Sugar-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Heidi- if you have used the recipe without problem before, what change has there been? My first thought was time of year. Is your kitchen warmer now than it was before? Butter is very, very temperature sensitive. If your dough is too soft to roll, chill it. (You don't want to know what it was like to try and make Danish in and un-airconditioned kitchen in mid- July. And I was chilling the dough!)

Verone - That's the same one! I just add more vanilla and my lemon emulsion. I can't think of a single thing that I am doing different which is why I'm so frustrated. Sometimes I get cookies that rise and keep their crisp edges and sometimes they spread and get cracked and holey on the top.

Narie - The temp hasn't changed lately, it's still pretty cool, like never above 60-65 degrees when I make them.

And since I read somewhere that I shouldn't whip the butter and eggs too long I have only been doing it until they're all incorporated and they're still not turning out the greatest. I'm beyond frustrated.

I just made this for the first time this weekend (the cookies are in my pictures). The only thing I did different is I replaced 1/2 the butter with butter flavored crisco. I have had really good luck with that in that they don't spread as much in numerous recipes I have tried. This recipe spread a bit more then some of the others I have tried, however, not too much.

I also like this recipe, my only problem with it is that it seems like such a waste of eggs to me. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Thick-Cut-Outs/Detail.aspx I also replace 1/2 of the butter and add extra flavoring but maybe you could try it just to "get a fresh start". I think they taste is similar!