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Introduction to Chewy Monster Cookies
Chewy Monster Cookies are an oatmeal-peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies containing colorful candies adding to the charms of these cookies to children and several grown-ups. The ideal features of the monster cookie consist of an appropriate texture of chewy and soft with right taste. That is why getting that perfect texture and taste is not always easy. Quite often, even a beginning or an experienced baker gets to some mistakes which lead to the production of dry or flat cookies or cookies with poor taste or wrong color. Below are the six mistakes people make when making chewy monster cookies this guide will guide you on how to make perfect chewy monster cookies every time.
Common Mistakes When Making this Cookie
Mistake #1: Using Margarine Instead of Butter
When making chewy monster cookies one important thing should not be done, that is substituting margarine for butter. Margarine for instance can be regarded as a suitable substitute to butter especially for those with restrictions on their dairy intake but it does not have the same taste and texture as butter has. Butter, an important ingredient is fat which provides the right texture of the cookies besides, giving them that rich taste. Moreover, margarine is moister than butter thus when baking cookies, the margarine makes the cookies to spread and turn flat and crispy instead of thick and chewy.
Solution: You want to make sure you use real butter when making the monster cookies. It will also ensure that the required texture and taste of your cookies is achieved and maintained.
Mistake #2: Not Chilling the Cookie Dough
Why on earth would one chill the dough one may ask especially if the Chewy Monster Cookies are waiting impatiently to be baked to be devoured. For instance, if the step of creating the dough is omitted, cookies turn out too thin in an oven and take on crispiness rather than chewiness. Freezing the dough tends to make the fats hard so that more of it becomes incorporated into the structure of the cookies during baking.
Solution: Once you have your dough your next step is to cover it and let it rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. If you have more time, chilling for whole hours or, indeed overnight enhances the texture of the Chewy Monster Cookies. Besides halting the spreading, chilled dough also improves the taste of a cookie by allowing the compound flavors to develop and enhance the taste of the resultant product.
Mistake #3: Overmixing the Ingredients
One needs to be careful when mixing the dough since the particulars can quickly go overboard especially when using a stand mixer. But when the ingredients are mixed for more than the required amount of time especially after the addition of flour results in cookies that are hard and dry. Overmixing the flour creates too much gluten, which is important for bread, however for cookies and specifically soft cookies it’s not desirable.
Solution: Do not over mix the ingredients; mix them to a degree that can best be referred to as combined only. Once you have incorporated the flour, mix it low speed or by hand so that the dough does not get over kneaded. It is important note that mixing should be stopped as soon as you cannot see any sign of flour streak. This will assist you in making ensure that your monster cookies remain soft each time you bake them.
Check Out: 5 Variations of Monster Chocolate Chip Cookies to Try.
Mistake #4: Not Adding Enough Flour
In the making of Chewy Monster Cookies, flour is very essential as it acts as binder and gives the dough strength. If you forget to add enough, your cookies will spread too much upon baking and yield to crispy flat cookies far from taming Chewy Monster Cookies. Make sure you measure your flour very well to strike the right balance that you desire.
Solution: Before adding flours check your ingredients carefully using spoon and level method. This involves placing the flour in the measuring cup and then using the flat knife to slide it flat so as to be parallel to the table then leveling to the top of the lip of the measuring cup rather than digging into the flour bag and then gently dumping the flour into the cup which compacts the flour and leads to more than what is required being added. If your dough is too wet and sticky, it is safe to add some flour, a tablespoon at a time until you get a consistency which gives your dough some structure.
Mistake #5: Using Old Baking Soda or Baking Powder
Soda and baking powder are important for the right rise of your Chewy Monster Cookies and their softness. These leavening agents may be old or expired and if so they will not rise the cookies and instead will yield a dense flat cookie. To add on this, even if your baking soda or powder is still within its expiration date it may have lost it functionality if not well stored.
Solution: Ensure that your baking soda and baking powders are as fresh as they can be before using them. The best way to check baking soda you have is to take a little quantity and mix it with vinegar if it fizzes well then you know the baking soda is still usable. Lastly for baking powder mix a small amount with hot water if the powder fizzes strongly then it means that it is fresh. If none of them responds, then it is time to replace it. New baking soda or baking powder will enable you enjoy well risen cookies with the much desired tender texture.
Mistake #6: Not Adding Enough Mix-ins
These Chewy Monster Cookies are often filled with quite an extensive list of add-ins such as chocolate chips, peanut butter, oats, candies and nuts. However, one can compromise with these ingredients resulting in what can be described as boring cookies that fail to live up to the name. The mix-ins also bring flavor to the cookie and also to its texture that makes the cookie delicious when eaten.
Solution: That is why it’s essential to make sure that the mix-ins are not skimpy as well. A good guideline is to use approximately 1 to 1 and will often find that around 0.8 to 1. To incorporate these mix-ins I used five cups of them for each batch of cookie dough. This means that every piece that you take is tasty as well as having a right combination of the texutre. You can also put in extras such as other ingredients, for example, nuts, dried fruits or even crisped rice or pretzels
Conclusion
Below are some things to note when making the delicious and perfect chewy monster cookies to avoid messing up your cookies. They include using real butter, cold dough, Stir only until ingredients are combined, right amount of flour, fresh leavening, and lots of add-ins to help your cookies to be soft and chewy. Happy baking!
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FAQs of Chewy Monster Cookies
Is it ok to replace butter with margarine in monster cookies?
You can, however, use margarine, but that is not good for chewy and tasty cookies. Butter has the fat and richness that are absent in margarine hence it fulfills the need of our bodies.
When should I let my monster cookie dough chill?
Although 30 minutes is ideal you can refrigerate the cake for a few hours or even overnight for more desired results.
If your dough is too sticky, what should you do?
If your dough is more wet just add one spoon of flour at a time in order to reach the right consistency.
