I am specifically having a problem with spelt flour, but perhaps this is
something common to all flours, that someone can diagnose for me:

Almost any recipe that I have tried (except for shortbreads) have turned
into "lace cookies". A simple oatmeal cookie (see below) is a great
example. They simply melt, spread, merge tgether, and bake up as paper
thin, lacy, sugar puddles. Good, but *not* the intended plump, chewy
cookie I was trying for.

Anything specific I may be doing wrong? I made two substitutions, as noted
below. I prefer not using margarine, and unbleached white spelt has no
acid content to speak of, so I generally use mostly or all baking powder.

Dave

Aggression Cookies

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup margarine (softened) (I used butter here)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (I used baking powder here)
2 cups quick rolled oats
Sugar (granulated)
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first five ingredients, mixing well with
hands.

Roll into one-inch balls. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each
ball with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or
until light brown.

Try another recipe

"Dave Bell" wrote in message
ea.net...
I am specifically having a problem with spelt flour, but perhaps this is
something common to all flours, that someone can diagnose for me:

Almost any recipe that I have tried (except for shortbreads) have turned
into "lace cookies". A simple oatmeal cookie (see below) is a great
example. They simply melt, spread, merge tgether, and bake up as paper
thin, lacy, sugar puddles. Good, but *not* the intended plump, chewy
cookie I was trying for.

Anything specific I may be doing wrong? I made two substitutions, as noted
below. I prefer not using margarine, and unbleached white spelt has no
acid content to speak of, so I generally use mostly or all baking powder.

Dave

Aggression Cookies

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup margarine (softened) (I used butter here)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (I used baking powder here)
2 cups quick rolled oats
Sugar (granulated)
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first five ingredients, mixing well with
hands.

Roll into one-inch balls. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each
ball with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or
until light brown.

Try another recipe

"Dave Bell" wrote in message
ea.net...
I am specifically having a problem with spelt flour, but perhaps this is
something common to all flours, that someone can diagnose for me:

Almost any recipe that I have tried (except for shortbreads) have turned
into "lace cookies". A simple oatmeal cookie (see below) is a great
example. They simply melt, spread, merge tgether, and bake up as paper
thin, lacy, sugar puddles. Good, but *not* the intended plump, chewy
cookie I was trying for.

Anything specific I may be doing wrong? I made two substitutions, as noted
below. I prefer not using margarine, and unbleached white spelt has no
acid content to speak of, so I generally use mostly or all baking powder.

Dave

Aggression Cookies

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup margarine (softened) (I used butter here)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (I used baking powder here)
2 cups quick rolled oats
Sugar (granulated)
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first five ingredients, mixing well with
hands.

Roll into one-inch balls. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each
ball with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or
until light brown.

On Tue, 16 Nov 2004 13:52:19 -0800
Dave Bell wrote:

I am specifically having a problem with spelt flour, but perhaps this is
something common to all flours, that someone can diagnose for me:

Almost any recipe that I have tried (except for shortbreads) have turned
into "lace cookies". A simple oatmeal cookie (see below) is a great
example. They simply melt, spread, merge tgether, and bake up as paper
thin, lacy, sugar puddles. Good, but *not* the intended plump, chewy
cookie I was trying for.

Anything specific I may be doing wrong? I made two substitutions, as
noted below. I prefer not using margarine, and unbleached white spelt has
no acid content to speak of, so I generally use mostly or all baking
powder.


I'm guessing that whoever came up with the recipe really meant
"low-calorie spread" when they said "margarine". Otherwise, there's a heck
of a lot of fat in these.

Butter is no less than 80% fat, by law. So is Margarine, but through
sneaky mind control tactics, the 60% fat 'spread' makers have fooled you
into believing that their project is margarine, when in fact the box says
no such thing.

Drop a couple tablespoons of butter, replace with, oh, lets say milk.

I also wouldn't be surprised if someone transcribed 'one stick' as 'one
cup'. But it's sorta telling that there's no liquid added to the recipe.

Not following you on the soda issue, so I won't address it. I've never
wanted to use spelt for anything so I've never investigated it's
properties.

At least, since you appear to be posting out of bayarea.net I'm guessing
you don't have an altitude issue to contend with.

"me" wrote in message
. com...
Try another recipe


I made a similar recipe a few months ago. They also spread into wafers.
The recipe has too little flour.

Dave Bell wrote in message rea.net...
I am specifically having a problem with spelt flour, but perhaps this is
something common to all flours, that someone can diagnose for me:

Almost any recipe that I have tried (except for shortbreads) have turned
into "lace cookies". A simple oatmeal cookie (see below) is a great
example. They simply melt, spread, merge tgether, and bake up as paper
thin, lacy, sugar puddles. Good, but *not* the intended plump, chewy
cookie I was trying for.

Anything specific I may be doing wrong? I made two substitutions, as noted
below. I prefer not using margarine, and unbleached white spelt has no
acid content to speak of, so I generally use mostly or all baking powder.

Dave

Aggression Cookies

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup margarine (softened) (I used butter here)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (I used baking powder here)
2 cups quick rolled oats
Sugar (granulated)
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first five ingredients, mixing well with
hands.

Roll into one-inch balls. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each
ball with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or
until light brown.

Look this cookie needs more structural ingredient. It has no eggs no
milk and have high sugar content and fat.
Ingredient wise:
It has nothing but bulking agent in the form of oatmeal and flour;
tenderizing agent in the form of fat and sugar.It is further softened
by the baking powder. Where is the structural material ?
It does not even have liquid to make the flour protein into a gluten
which will help bind the mixture.
You are just softening the short dough recipe by replacing the flour
with rolled oats that has limited binding ability.
Even if you mould it into balls when its baked it will just flow in
the cookie sheet.And You aggravate the result as you had to flatten
it,therefore you are promoting pan flow.
It will definitely be a 'lazy' cookie.
But will surely make you deligent 'cookie'g as you will spend more
effort removing the mess from the cookie sheeta and tossing it to he
garbage bing.
But......
It does not live up to its name as aggression cookie. It is a pretty
timid cookie g.
But....wait..
I think the reason why its called aggression cookie is that you will
become angry with the resultsg You will become ****ed off that you
will just run to the nearest bakery /grocery shop and buy a cookie
insteadg.

But do not lose hope ,if you still prefer this formula you can reduce
both the fat and sugar( by a teablespoon or two up to a quarter of a
cup),add a little bit of milk powder( 2 tsp) add enough egg to bind
the mixture but still attaining similar cookie dough texture that you
still can form into balls.
You can enhance the flavor by adding some spices like cinnanmon ,
cardamom etc,some flavoring like vanilla and grated orange or lemon
peel.You can blend in some chopped raisins and cherries.
But don't flatten it much ....
When I make a similar cookie dough recipe( but without an oatmeal
)but with pure pastry flour.The egg is my only binder ( just enough to
make it moldable and be able to be rolled into a cylinder .
The ratio of the flour, fat and sugar ratio is approximately
100/50/50 respectively and I add some baking powder( up to 1%) and
form the dough into a rope but cut it into short segments( 3/4 inch)
and place it upright on the cookie sheet. I just flatten it slightly,
place egg wash ahd bake.
BTW,.... the best leavening agent for this type of cookie is ammonium
bicarbonate, used in the same amount as baking powder but mixed with
the eggs and fat before you knead in the dry ingredients in ( flour
and sugar mixture).
You do not need to flatten it much, but just dent it with your
finger slightly and then it will come out at the right
thickness....when baked at least 350 degree F until tops are slightly
browned.
Roy

Dave Bell wrote in message rea.net...
I am specifically having a problem with spelt flour, but perhaps this is
something common to all flours, that someone can diagnose for me:

Almost any recipe that I have tried (except for shortbreads) have turned
into "lace cookies". A simple oatmeal cookie (see below) is a great
example. They simply melt, spread, merge tgether, and bake up as paper
thin, lacy, sugar puddles. Good, but *not* the intended plump, chewy
cookie I was trying for.

Anything specific I may be doing wrong? I made two substitutions, as noted
below. I prefer not using margarine, and unbleached white spelt has no
acid content to speak of, so I generally use mostly or all baking powder.

Dave

Aggression Cookies

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup margarine (softened) (I used butter here)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (I used baking powder here)
2 cups quick rolled oats
Sugar (granulated)
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first five ingredients, mixing well with
hands.

Roll into one-inch balls. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each
ball with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or
until light brown.

Look this cookie needs more structural ingredient. It has no eggs no
milk and have high sugar content and fat.
Ingredient wise:
It has nothing but bulking agent in the form of oatmeal and flour;
tenderizing agent in the form of fat and sugar.It is further softened
by the baking powder. Where is the structural material ?
It does not even have liquid to make the flour protein into a gluten
which will help bind the mixture.
You are just softening the short dough recipe by replacing the flour
with rolled oats that has limited binding ability.
Even if you mould it into balls when its baked it will just flow in
the cookie sheet.And You aggravate the result as you had to flatten
it,therefore you are promoting pan flow.
It will definitely be a 'lazy' cookie.
But will surely make you deligent 'cookie'g as you will spend more
effort removing the mess from the cookie sheeta and tossing it to he
garbage bing.
But......
It does not live up to its name as aggression cookie. It is a pretty
timid cookie g.
But....wait..
I think the reason why its called aggression cookie is that you will
become angry with the resultsg You will become ****ed off that you
will just run to the nearest bakery /grocery shop and buy a cookie
insteadg.

But do not lose hope ,if you still prefer this formula you can reduce
both the fat and sugar( by a teablespoon or two up to a quarter of a
cup),add a little bit of milk powder( 2 tsp) add enough egg to bind
the mixture but still attaining similar cookie dough texture that you
still can form into balls.
You can enhance the flavor by adding some spices like cinnanmon ,
cardamom etc,some flavoring like vanilla and grated orange or lemon
peel.You can blend in some chopped raisins and cherries.
But don't flatten it much ....
When I make a similar cookie dough recipe( but without an oatmeal
)but with pure pastry flour.The egg is my only binder ( just enough to
make it moldable and be able to be rolled into a cylinder .
The ratio of the flour, fat and sugar ratio is approximately
100/50/50 respectively and I add some baking powder( up to 1%) and
form the dough into a rope but cut it into short segments( 3/4 inch)
and place it upright on the cookie sheet. I just flatten it slightly,
place egg wash ahd bake.
BTW,.... the best leavening agent for this type of cookie is ammonium
bicarbonate, used in the same amount as baking powder but mixed with
the eggs and fat before you knead in the dry ingredients in ( flour
and sugar mixture).
You do not need to flatten it much, but just dent it with your
finger slightly and then it will come out at the right
thickness....when baked at least 350 degree F until tops are slightly
browned.
Roy

"Dave Bell" wrote in message
ea.net...
I am specifically having a problem with spelt flour, but perhaps this is
something common to all flours, that someone can diagnose for me:

Almost any recipe that I have tried (except for shortbreads) have turned
into "lace cookies". A simple oatmeal cookie (see below) is a great
example. They simply melt, spread, merge tgether, and bake up as paper
thin, lacy, sugar puddles. Good, but *not* the intended plump, chewy
cookie I was trying for.

Anything specific I may be doing wrong? I made two substitutions, as noted
below. I prefer not using margarine, and unbleached white spelt has no
acid content to speak of, so I generally use mostly or all baking powder.

Dave

Aggression Cookies

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup margarine (softened) (I used butter here)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (I used baking powder here)
2 cups quick rolled oats
Sugar (granulated)
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first five ingredients, mixing well with
hands.

Roll into one-inch balls. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each
ball with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or
until light brown.


Substitue half crisco for butter. All butter always makes cookies spread
too much (unless you want to diddle with flour quantities). Quick fix. Also
add another tablesoon or so of flour.
Mark

"Dave Bell" wrote in message
ea.net...
I am specifically having a problem with spelt flour, but perhaps this is
something common to all flours, that someone can diagnose for me:

Almost any recipe that I have tried (except for shortbreads) have turned
into "lace cookies". A simple oatmeal cookie (see below) is a great
example. They simply melt, spread, merge tgether, and bake up as paper
thin, lacy, sugar puddles. Good, but *not* the intended plump, chewy
cookie I was trying for.

Anything specific I may be doing wrong? I made two substitutions, as noted
below. I prefer not using margarine, and unbleached white spelt has no
acid content to speak of, so I generally use mostly or all baking powder.

Dave

Aggression Cookies

1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup margarine (softened) (I used butter here)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (I used baking powder here)
2 cups quick rolled oats
Sugar (granulated)
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine first five ingredients, mixing well with
hands.

Roll into one-inch balls. Put on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each
ball with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10 minutes or
until light brown.


Substitue half crisco for butter. All butter always makes cookies spread
too much (unless you want to diddle with flour quantities). Quick fix. Also
add another tablesoon or so of flour.
Mark

pheasant wrote:

Substitue half crisco for butter. All butter always makes cookies spread
too much (unless you want to diddle with flour quantities). Quick fix. Also
add another tablesoon or so of flour.
Mark


Thanks to Mark and all the others who have responded over the last
couple of days. I suspected half Crisco might help, but I think the real
problem, as has been pointed out, is the total lack of liquid in the
form of water! D'oh!! I suspect the same issue has plagued me in other
recipes, as well. I must be drawn to the pure butter and sugar side of
baking; I'll have to learn to leave that for fillings! Roy's detaile
reply was very helpful, with more of a "formula" to let me work to...

Dave

pheasant wrote:

Substitue half crisco for butter. All butter always makes cookies spread
too much (unless you want to diddle with flour quantities). Quick fix. Also
add another tablesoon or so of flour.
Mark


Thanks to Mark and all the others who have responded over the last
couple of days. I suspected half Crisco might help, but I think the real
problem, as has been pointed out, is the total lack of liquid in the
form of water! D'oh!! I suspect the same issue has plagued me in other
recipes, as well. I must be drawn to the pure butter and sugar side of
baking; I'll have to learn to leave that for fillings! Roy's detaile
reply was very helpful, with more of a "formula" to let me work to...

Dave

pheasant wrote:

Substitue half crisco for butter. All butter always makes cookies spread
too much (unless you want to diddle with flour quantities). Quick fix. Also
add another tablesoon or so of flour.
Mark


Thanks to Mark and all the others who have responded over the last
couple of days. I suspected half Crisco might help, but I think the real
problem, as has been pointed out, is the total lack of liquid in the
form of water! D'oh!! I suspect the same issue has plagued me in other
recipes, as well. I must be drawn to the pure butter and sugar side of
baking; I'll have to learn to leave that for fillings! Roy's detaile
reply was very helpful, with more of a "formula" to let me work to...

Dave

"Dave Bell" wrote in message
. com...

Thanks to Mark and all the others who have responded over the last
couple of days. I suspected half Crisco might help, but I think the real
problem, as has been pointed out, is the total lack of liquid in the form
of water!

Milk is for AFTER they come out of the oven.

Water and cookies YUCK!!!

No liquids are needed. Basic cookie ingredients are butter/shortening,
flour, salt, and sugar.

Every recipe varies, even pie crusts use varying ingredients, (my wife's has
vinegar and eggs) but your recipe looks sound as is.

Betcha can't guess who can't be in the kitchen when the other is baking in
our house. Oh well; after 23 years we have to have somethings we can't
agree on.

Just my 0.02.
Mark

--
Four boxes protect our freedom: the soap box, the
ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004 06:25:21 -0600
"pheasant" wrote:




"Dave Bell" wrote in message
. com...

Thanks to Mark and all the others who have responded over the last
couple of days. I suspected half Crisco might help, but I think the
real problem, as has been pointed out, is the total lack of liquid in
the form of water!

Milk is for AFTER they come out of the oven.

Water and cookies YUCK!!!


I wasn't really suggesting the addition of milk or water, as such.

I suggested that an irresponsible or ignorant person had created the
recipe with unclear or misleading terms and that the OP's interpretation of
it had 30% more oil and 50% less liquid than the original product. The
liquid would probably just cook off in the oven.

When all you're really looking at is flour, sugar, and fat, I think it's
roughly the same thing to say there's too much fat as to say there's too
little flour.


No liquids are needed. Basic cookie ingredients are butter/shortening,
flour, salt, and sugar.

Every recipe varies, even pie crusts use varying ingredients, (my wife's
has vinegar and eggs) but your recipe looks sound as is.


Lots of cookie recipes have eggs in them, and there's some amount of
water in eggs.

On Fri, 19 Nov 2004, pheasant wrote:

No liquids are needed. Basic cookie ingredients are butter/shortening,
flour, salt, and sugar.

Well, I was thinking "egg", not water...

Every recipe varies, even pie crusts use varying ingredients, (my wife's has
vinegar and eggs) but your recipe looks sound as is.

Then, why do they melt and turn to lace? There's precious little water in
butter, and less in shortening. If not making a shortbread (with a lot
more flour relative to the butter), what is there to bind it?

As suggested, I will try again, with less butter/more flour, but this was
really just a single example of several recipes that I've had the same
problem with. I *do* get a good shortbread cookie from the spelt flour.
They spread only a small amount in the heat. Perhaps I should go back to
that as a basis, and morph it to the oatmeal cookie...

Thanks,

Dave