# Issues with large-volume chocolate chip cookies...Need advice, and thanks for reading :)



## Guest (Apr 30, 2010)

I am having a lot of issues with the mixing of my chocolate chip cookies at work, and hope someone with consistent success in the field of large-volume cookies can offer guidance. To begin, the recipe:

Cream well:

9 # butter, softened
12 # sugar
13 # brown sugar

Add, scraping bowl and mix until smooth:
14 c liquid eggs, room temp
4 oz vanilla
18 c canola oil

Sift and add, scraping bowl well:
30 # flour
7.5 oz baking soda

Add last and mix until incorporated:
12 # 1,000 ct semi-sweet chips


Simple, right?
Well you'd think so, as would I, but this recipe gives me trouble like I can't believe! The issues that pop up repeatedly are that the cookies bake off inconsistently - sometimes too wide and flat, other times not quite flat enough - and that the dough is far softer than it should be after mixing.
My first thought would be that the butter is getting too warm, or over-creamed, but my chef always says it should be softer at the beginning than I want it to be, and creamed more in the bowl!
...I also often forget to pull my eggs early and so end up mixing them in cooler than should be, and thereby have to mix them longer to prevent 'curdling' or smooth the dough after adding my dry ingredients.

I have made a LOT of cookies in production-size batches over the years, and never remember having problems like this before. Sadly, I also don't remember the recipes for the cookies from any of my previous jobs, so I can't use them for a comparison. Anyhow, if anyone has any advice it would be hugely appreciated. My confidence in my abilities as a baker, once very strong, is being sapped day by day...

Thanks!


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## marmalade (Sep 29, 2003)

I've never made CC cookies in that kind of quantity, so can't comment on that - but just looking at the recipe, my question would be why all the butter *and* oil?  That would sure account for some of the softness and spread.   Where did the recipe come from?


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## rat (Mar 2, 2006)

Having worked in placed with massive cookie production, I can only offer the following advice. If the cookies are baking inconsistently in the same batch, you need to scrape the bowl more or even dump the bowl out and then put the dough back in to remix. If the batch is different every time the problem lies in your scaling and mixing technique. Also it may be beneficial to distribute the baking soda throughout the flour wether manually or using a sifter.

For cookies I generally start with slightly cold butter-very soft butter will cause excessive spread. Cream the mix well -scraping is essential here. You could be adding the eggs too quickly, it is better to add them gradually being sure they are incorporated before adding more.
When you get to the flour part mix it until it is blended in, thats it. Then add your aggegrates. For big quantities I scrape the bowl out into another bowl and finish it on the mixer that way, this way you can be sure you do not have any butter/sugar rich areas.

Keep in mind it is a cookie- so it is easy to overdo it with technique.


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## Guest (May 1, 2010)

I agree with Rat.

Make sure you have your formula written in bakers percentage and make sure your measurments are in weight, not cups. 
That way you can scale up and down and fiddle with amounts to R&D the perfect cookie.


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## aprildb (May 21, 2008)

My first flag is oil instead of shortening or butter. The liquidity of the oil would compromise the consistency of the dough. I'm not sure how to explain it but I've never made a chocolate chip cookie with a veg oil instead of a shortening. 

Butter will make a batch softer. Shortening will make it crispy. Oil? I haven't a clue.

Does your recipe allow for substituting shortening/butter for the oil? You might try that.

April


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## dillonsmimi (Dec 2, 2009)

There was a poster with the same question not so long ago. She had moved to that area (from where, I don't know) and all of her products (except for the chocolate chip cookies) were working fine. Try searching for her post as I don't know how she resolved the problem. (OBTW...I agree with the OP's about the oil. Curious ingredient)


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## sch (Nov 16, 2009)

We produce a lot of CC cookies. Ditch the recipe!! NO oil, period! And has anyone noticed that there is no salt?? That being said, I agree that you should convert everything to weight. It makes life so much easier.


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## cabotvt (May 5, 2009)

I have made a lot of CCC and have never used oil at that level. "A pint is pound the whole round" so 18c is 9 pounds of oil or 1/3 of your flour weight. However, there are many great pastry chefs on here with many formula's that I have never tried. I would reduce or remove the oil as CCC are by nature a soft dough.

HAPPY 4TH


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## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

I agree. I think oil is your major problem here. I would find a different recipe and use that. Oil in a chocolate chip cookie? In all my years I've never heard of it.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

Matt, if you break the recipe down, you are talking  50 1/4 cups of liquid to 30 # of flour. This seems like a high ratio of liquid to solid to me. I would delete oil  and use butter or margarine. and try a bit more flour.


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## chefrobin (Mar 24, 2009)

I have never seen Oil in a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Shortening to give stability and butter for flavor but never oil. The liquid to flour ratio is all off in this recipe.  I use cold butter and cream the sugars with it, otherwise the heat from the friction of the machine will turn the butter to an almost liquid state. The cookies would spread due to the high amount of liquid and the warmth of the dough.  Have you chilled the dough before scooping and baking? Check your oven temp too, callibrate it to confirm the temp.  Large rotating deck ovens have hot and cold spots, and that can affect the baking as well. Watch the amount of baking soda as well since too much can give a higher lift early, then fall before it is cooked, making a very flat cookie.

In agreement with the learned professionals, convert your recipe to bakers percentages with weight not volume and it will be a more consistent dough.


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