Melody,

I'd start by checking your recipe. Try the NY Times chocolate chip cookie; it's got a great crunchy outside, with soft chewy middle.

Some cookie recipes, pumpkin cookies especially, in my experience, are meant to be little cakes.

I would also make sure you're using baking soda and baking powder appropriately, double check which one you've been using, and which one your recipe calls for; they're not interchangable.

The best guide for learning how to get cookie the way you want is Alton Brown's Good Eats Episode "Chips for Sister Marsha".

http://www.veoh.com/search/videos/q/Chips for Sister Marsha#watch%3Dv19693935cKCC6Fbx

I could be imagining this, but in my experience I have gotten the impression that the amount of time spent creaming the sugar and butter together, as well as the time spent mixing the eggs into the creamed sugar and butter mixture, can have a substantial impact on the "levity" of the finished cookie and therefore affect the cakiness and other qualities. I think it is possible to add quite a lot of air in these stages that can have an effect similar to using an excess of leavening. This is in addition to a number of other factors, such as the amount of leavening, how cold the ingredients/dough are, etc.

Sorry comment system butchered the link.

http://bit.ly/dl0Kap

You may be measuring the flour differently than the recipe author. Many cooks spoon flour loosely into a measuring cup than level the top. If you scoop the cup directly into the container, you would be adding more flour than the recipe calls for resulting in cakier cookies. Good luck!

I have 3 suggestions: make sure you are using the butter or shortening called for. Substituting ready-spread for cubed margarine or butter will change the texture of cookies.
Try using a different pan. I have a fussy oven, and when I bake cookies on the nonstick coating pans, they cook too fast. I have to remember to *not* use nonstick for the best results.
Last thing, I live in an area that is just on the borderline for being high altitude. Sometimes I have to follow the high altitude directions, sometimes I don't.
Hope these helped.
P.S. I've been baking cookies for years, and sometimes I am not in the mood to form all those darned little things to bake. I have started doing more bar cookies and "pan cookie recipes" just to save time. They taste great and require so much less input. So if you don't mind having square cookies, this is a great shortcut.

I wish. I have the opposite problem. I remember the wonderfully cakey cookies my grandma made when I was little and I can't reproduce them. My cookies are always flat. sometimes chewy and sometimes crispy but never cakey. Can you describe your baking methods? recipes used, pan type, mixing methods, altitude? For you I recommend reading Alton Brown's descriptions of cookie preferences and how to make them (link already mentioned above).

I have this problem too! My mother said it's probably because I used "lite" butter (which is all I had for a while) instead of "real" butter. Also, I don't have an electric mixer so I was mixing it all by hand/spatula which probably added more air than necessary.

No idea if that's your problem too, but I haven't tried again with the proper accoutrements.

i prefer cakelike cookies (less crunchy, more dense) and i make them by using about 1/3 less sugar than called for

I had this problem a lot when I was vegan, because of the fat and egg substitutes that I was using. It makes a HUGE difference. I am a sloppy baker, and despite that fact- I've only ended up with unintentionally cakey cookies when I didn't use the right type of fat.

Mixing method maybe? You might want to take a look at Alton Brown's "I'm Just Here for More Food" - he sets forth the theory that the difference between baked goods is largely in the way the ingredients are mixed together.

I know the creaming method is called for in both cake and many cookie recipes, so it makes some sense that there would be similarities in the end result if you're using that method. Try looking for recipes that use different techniques - melting the butter, or cutting it in, can give different textures.

some tips I've picked up over the years.

to make a cookie less cakey:
remove a spoonful or two of flour

to make it more brittle:
add spoonful of sugar

to make a bit more chewy:
when removing from cookie sheet, place on flat surface to cool for a minute, then place on cooling rack. (formica was what I grew up with as a secondary counter surface, worked great for this.) helps keep some of the moisture in the cookie rather than drying out completely. also keeps them flatter.

also, under cooking a bit. much easier without an insulated cookie sheet.

btw, second question, I used to have a number of flat steel cookie sheets, with one edge bent up 90 degrees. and I miss them a lot. I have not found a worthwhile cookie sheet since I lost those.

any one know where I can find one? (or several?)

When baking cookies with a new recipe for the first time, i do a few test cookies, usually in the toaster oven. But here's a few tips for chewy ones. First flatten the cookies before baking, also try subbing out some of the white sugar for brown. You may want to invest a couple dollars into an oven thermostat, the most basic kind. because the average oven runs a little cold or hot, mine is off around 12 degrees, this will help in overall baking adventures. Use a lighter colored pan, which encourages spread, and will also keep your cookies from burning. (Dont throw out a dark pan though, its perfect for roasting meats and veg.)

I've noticed cakier cookies when I get impatient with softening the butter. If I nuke the butter to "soften" it, they seem cakier.

I haven't read these articles yet but here are my thoughts. I always think of the process of making cookies as making a caramel or candy base. You are combining sugar and butter first. That's a yummy combo in my books. This balance is the basic building block of a chewy cookie. My recipes usually start with a ratio of 1 part butter, 1 part white sugar, 1 part brown sugar. The mix must be creamed with an implement until light and it changes colour. Next is the egg(s) which is then whipped into the butter/sugar until light and combined. The other levening matters as well. My recipes usually call for baking soda and not baking powder. Adding flour slowly is also important. If too much flour is added, they will be more cake-like. I usually leave out 1/2 cup of flour if it is a new recipe that I am trying. Then I test one cookie in the oven to see how it works. If the extra flour is needed, it can be added later. Hope this helps a bit.

I used to have this problem, and the solution for me was to cut the baking soda amount, and be sure to accurately measure the flour (don't put too much). The Nestle Toll House recipe off the chocolate chip bag is what I still use as my go-to choc-chip cookie recipe, but I cut the baking soda by over half each time, and get thin cookies with crispy edges and chewy centers. Too much baking soda doesn't let the cookies spread.

Another great post, I'm really enjoying this month's theme and the posts--very practical and educational. I too have been wondering about my cookies--they all seem to be over crispy. Perhaps I need to pull them out of the oven early and let them continue cooking on the baking sheet, and maybe substitute some shortening for butter in order to get mine more chewy?

If I bake cookies on the standard baking sheet - regular aluminum colored professional size - they tend to flatten out a lot more, but on my ancient dark, almost black colored baking sheet, the cookies stay together closer to the round-y shape i put them on as. This has a big effect on texture and I have to say I prefer the old baking sheets.

I agree with those who suggest to referenced the Good Eats cookie episode. I had the same problem with all my cookies, to cakey, I LOVE mine chewy. Alton Brown breaks it down perfectly!

I swear by this recipe: http://bakingbites.com/2005/08/addictive-chocolate-chip-cookies/

It's so freaking delicious!

I think it's all in the fat content. You have to use lots of good quality fat - butter - to get that chewy consistency. Don't ever use margarine or oil. Coconut oil in it's room temp consistency would possibly be a decent substitute but nothing really can replace good old fashioned butter.

it's the butter!!! make sure it's at room temp, i am an amateur baker myself who recently learned how important that was. definitely worth the extra hour or two to get it properly soft. also if they're chocolate chip, shaving a bar or two of chocolate INTO the batter (yes, in addition to the chips) helps make a soft center

I recommend reading Sunset's article on perfect chocolate chip cookies as it offers recipes for each type (thick or thin, chewy or crisp). Compare your recipes & methods and after you've done that you'll be able to produce perfect chocolate chip cookies every time:

http://tinyurl.com/8jcptj

Understanding why the various ingredients and preparations work the way they do will transform your cookie baking in general. It's the best primer on cookie baking I've seen and it's always available on their site.

You are likely over-mixing the dough too long after the flour is incorporated, leading to gluten production and a tough, puffy cookie.

My cake-like cookie problems are always caused by using margarine instead of butter.

This may help!
http://mealsathome.blogspot.com/2010/01/rainy-day-cookies.html

I'm studying baking at school. What we've learned is that:

Baking soda/powder and egg are what give your cookie lift. So if you want your cookie to rise you will need more of these.

Sugar effects the flow and crispness of the cookie. Meaning the type of sugar and how much will determine how much your cookies "melt down" when baked. Invert(Or liquid) sugars like honey will make for a more chewy cookie, along the lines of a soft chewy fig newton. White sugar will give you a crisper cookie. Brown sugar is the middle man here.

Both liquid sugars and brown sugar will flow quite a bit, where as a fine grain berry sugar will give you very little flow.

Too much sugar will cause too much flow and vica-versa.

So if it were me, I would be using brown or liquid sugar, and try increasing the egg, but not by too much or again, too much flow.

I hope this isn't too wordy, and helps!

@circusboy

I think you're wanting jelly roll pans. They're essentially cookie sheets with a significant lip.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=13787506

@circusboy

Never mind. I missed the part where you said only one edge was bent up.

Sorry!

I like a high-butter dough for my cookies. Little to no raising agent, good bit of flour, but a good lot of liquid.

Then freeze the dough. Or at least chill for an hour. Roll out little balls and bake. They'll melt initially in the oven, spreading out and will bake straight away. They barely have the time to raise, and have a chewy centre with crispy outside.

I accidentally just made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and forgot the baking soda (such a rookie mistake and so embarrassing, I blame the fact that the baby finally went to sleep and I was desperate for a cooke). I realized that something was wrong as soon as I pulled them out of the oven it as they were a lot puffier than usual.

I added the baking soda to the batter and the post baking soda batch was perfect--spread nicely and with that crispy bottom and chewy inside that I like.

try fiddling with the baking soda amounts.

circusboy:

try this pan, I lurv it. my cookies come out beautifully on it...:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/insulated-steel-cookie-sheet/?pkey=csheet-pans-cookie-sheets

i KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT .... n i have to agree with a lot of other comments made earlier - IT IS INDEED ...the order & process of mixing ingrediants together ....
if you dont want a cakey texture add the sugar to the flour ...baking soda and all other dry ingrediants ....in other words - COMPLETELY AVOID mixing the sugar in, along with the eggs ..butter sugar etc ! :)
iv had quite a few similar disappointing experiences to learn from ...:)

Chicago Metallic makes good cookie/jelly roll pans. i got mine on Amazon.

I have to add one more affirmation for the Alton Brown cookie episode. It's a really fine piece of work.

Of course, my usual request in these situations is that the baker might be pleased to send me several dozen samples for evaluation. I'll be glad to return a written report, perhaps even with cookie stains.

I would also guess that you are over-mixing after adding the flour. I use a mixer to cream together wet ingredients, but stir in the dry ingredients by hand just until moist.
I was having almost the opposite problem as you, in that I wanted chewy cookies but mine were always spreading and there have been 2 major changes that have perfected my chocolate chip cookies. 1. Melt the butter (I don't know why this makes a difference, but seems to improve chewyness) 2. Chill the dough for a bit (half hour to an hour) after mixing, it prevents them from over-spreading.
This is my favorite recipe (except that I melt the butter) http://www.marthastewart.com/344840/soft-and-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies

1. Use less baking powder- for less fluff.
2. Use one extra egg yolk- I always do but now I cant remember why!
3. Dont mix/whip the batter- it will aerate.
4. Use MELTED butter- yes I said melted! Try it just once, it gives you a chewy cookie!
5. Chill cookie balls in fridge for 10 mins before baking. The cold keeps the middle cohesive so they wont fluff as much.

Happy holidays!

To understand the hows and the whys behind baking, I recommend Shirley Corriher's book (and, it's called "BakeWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Baking") She also has a "Cookwise" book - both very good. And, for the AB suggestions above - she's the Shirley on his shows.

1. Melt the butter in the microwave or small saucepan, until it is liquid. Don't cream it at room temp with the sugar like you're making a cake.

2. Scoop the batter in advance and freeze it for 10 minutes. You want the scoop to be tall. This way the cookie won't spread out too much when you're baking it.

3. Bake the cookie 2-3 minutes less than the recipe specifies. Removing it from the oven earlier ensures that there's more liquid in the cookie, which in turns means more chewiness and less brittle. Good luck!

Lots of good tips here. I figured I'd chime in as well even if I'm repeating information. I make a lot of chocolate chip cookies throughout the year, but especially during the holidays. I use the Nestle Toll House recipe with a few tweaks from the Mark Bittman/NY Times recipe. I like my chocolate chip cookies, soft and dense but also chewy. I don't like them flat, but I also don't want them cakey.

1. I use BUTTER, always. No substitutions. No margarine. As mentioned in a few other comments, this is often the culprit of cakey cookies.
2. If possible, make the batter ahead of time and refridgerate for at least 12 hours. If this isn't possible, I try to give it at least 30 minutes in the freezer.
3. Because my oven is on the hot side, I usually set the dial to about 325 instead of 350.
4. I used to spoon drop, now I roll the cookies like meatballs. Then I use the bottom part of my palm to flatten them a tad.
5. I bake for nine minutes only. I then take the cookie sheets out of the oven, place them on top and leave the cookies on the baking sheets for another two minutes. I then transfer to wire racks to cool.
6. While batches are baking, I always put the batter back in the fridge. I also wash the cookie sheets everytime I take the baked cookies off and am ready to contine with the remaining batter.

Three words: America's Test Kitchen. They have the BEST chocolate chip cookie recipe- it uses melted (and browned, yummy!) butter, an extra egg yolk, and dark brown sugar, but this recipe is different in the way that you mix the first few ingredients. First you mix the browned butter and sugar, then add the egg/yolk and mix it in 3 cycles- whisk for 30 sec, let stand 3 min. This lets the sugar dissolve into the egg/butter and you get a deliciously chewy cookie. Not to mention that everything tastes better with browned butter!

A few tips:

1. Use a silpat, not parchment. I don't know why, but this helps.
2. After the dough is mixed, put it in the fridge for an hour or so. Makes it easier to scoop. Then put the scooped dough back in the fridge and leave it there overnight. Put the cookies in the oven cold.
3. Alton Brown's "the chewy" really works. The key is using bread flour.
4. Spring for good butter. I use Kerrygold.

Lots of good suggestions so far but many shouldn't relate to texture as long as you follow a reputable recipe, it's ingredients, and steps. I'm thinking it has to do with how you measure. Get a good scale and find a recipe that uses weights - that's the best way to bake.

Butter makes for a crunchier cookie than shortening or margarine. You might try substituting that. If the recipe calls for oil, add melted butter that has been cooled for a bit. If it calls for shortening, use room temp butter.