Cookie Disaster

[Kelleybean]

I tried to make the snickerdoodle cookies from the gluten-free Cake Mix Doctor Cookbook, and they were a mess! They came off the sheet in crumbs. The recipe was basically Betty Crocker yellow cake mix, egg, butter (I used Earth Balance sticks to keep it dairy free), cinnamon, and some sugar. I kept trying different things on subsequent batches - greasing the cookie sheet, making them bigger, etc. Nothing worked.

Is this a common problem with baking gluten free cookies, or did I mess things up subbing the Earth Balance for the butter? I've used EB in place of butter with cake recipes with no problems.

The crumbs were tasty, but it'd be nice to get it off the sheet in one piece!

[shadowicewolf]

needs more starchy stuffs i think. But i've noticed that that is common for gluten free cookies.

[Mizzo]

I tried to make the snickerdoodle cookies from the gluten-free Cake Mix Doctor Cookbook, and they were a mess! They came off the sheet in crumbs. The recipe was basically Betty Crocker yellow cake mix, egg, butter (I used Earth Balance sticks to keep it dairy free), cinnamon, and some sugar. I kept trying different things on subsequent batches - greasing the cookie sheet, making them bigger, etc. Nothing worked.

Is this a common problem with baking gluten free cookies, or did I mess things up subbing the Earth Balance for the butter? I've used EB in place of butter with cake recipes with no problems.

The crumbs were tasty, but it'd be nice to get it off the sheet in one piece!

I have not tried this recipe but I have made her other recipes but never substituted and have had plenty of success. IMO BC mixes are always crumbly. I only use King Arthur, Pamela's and Namaste gluten-free mixes. In that order. The Pamela's mix uses almond flour that might help with the butter sub as it has more fat than rice flour.

If you want to stick with what you have put the cookies on the pan in the freezer for 15 minutes before cooking them. Worth a try, it helps with our PB cookies we make from scratch.

The recipe calls for vegetable shortening instead of butter if going dairy free have you tried that?

[love2travel]

I've always only made my cookies from scratch with great success (cannot tell they are gluten-free) BUT vegetable shortening and butter behave very differently from one another with cookies. Substituting that can make all the difference. What is Earth Balance comprised of exactly?

[sa1937]

I just got out my cookbook. I haven't made these cookies but I see she does have a note that if you want a more cakelike cookie to use 2 eggs. I also saw the note about using shortening instead of butter.

[zus888]

I hate the idea of using shortening because, for me, (particularly with choco chip cookies) eating the raw dough is MOST of the fun of making the cookies. And, I just can't see myself eating raw dough made with shortening. I only use butter.

[Kelleybean]

Thanks, everyone! I guess my problem was assuming that Earth Balance would behave the same way as shortening/butter. I made the Orange Bundt cake from the same cookbook and it turned out great so I wanted to try the cookies, especially since the cookie recipes in that cookbook are so easy! I guess I either need to stick to finding recipes from scratch that don't require butter (so I don't have to substitute) or try it again with the 2 eggs.

[love2travel]

Thanks, everyone! I guess my problem was assuming that Earth Balance would behave the same way as shortening/butter. I made the Orange Bundt cake from the same cookbook and it turned out great so I wanted to try the cookies, especially since the cookie recipes in that cookbook are so easy! I guess I either need to stick to finding recipes from scratch that don't require butter (so I don't have to substitute) or try it again with the 2 eggs.

Cake substitutions (butter/shortening) are easier than with cookies. Some gluten-free cookie recipes call for vegetable shortening to prevent spreading, for example.

[love2travel]

I hate the idea of using shortening because, for me, (particularly with choco chip cookies) eating the raw dough is MOST of the fun of making the cookies. And, I just can't see myself eating raw dough made with shortening. I only use butter.

I rarely use anything but butter as well because of the delicious flavour (including raw dough!). Therefore I usually use gluten-free recipes that specifically list butter.

[Marilyn R]

I rarely use anything but butter as well because of the delicious flavour (including raw dough!). Therefore I usually use gluten-free recipes that specifically list butter.

I can't tolerate dairy or soy and haven't found a soy free shortening yet. I in fact got tired looking. I considered lard, but that's bad for your cholesterol and the amount of additives in lard are staggering.

[sa1937]

I can't tolerate dairy or soy and haven't found a soy free shortening yet. I in fact got tired looking. I considered lard, but that's bad for your cholesterol and the amount of additives in lard are staggering.

Earth Balance is coming out with a new shortening called Coconut Spread Open Original Shared Link

[love2travel]

I can't tolerate dairy or soy and haven't found a soy free shortening yet. I in fact got tired looking. I considered lard, but that's bad for your cholesterol and the amount of additives in lard are staggering.

Hmmmmm...lard definitely is not the wisest choice for cholesterol! It is awesome in pastry crust, of course. Have you tried coconut shortening?

[Darissa]

We LOVE LOVE LOVE Snickerdoodles at our house. I have made the recipe from the general mills site and love them. I have also made the recipe from the cake mix doctor, but like the general mills recipe much much better. We took them to families at church last week, and everyone loved them. They couldn't believe they were gluten-free.

ALso, a note. Alot of times I bake my cookies on parchment paper. Not wax paper. THey are not the same thing. The cookies slide right off! Might try it.

Here is the recipe copied off the website from general mills.

Ingredients:

[Ginsou]

I can't tolerate dairy or soy and haven't found a soy free shortening yet. I in fact got tired looking. I considered lard, but that's bad for your cholesterol and the amount of additives in lard are staggering.

Spectrum shortening is soy/dairy/gluten free.....comes in a 24 ounce blue container...they also have a new butter flavored shortening, which I haven't tried yet. The product is 100% palm oil. I have purchased it mainly in natural food stores, and some supermarkets sell it. The supermarkets sell it in the special diet/gluten free section, if there is one. It is not refrigerated.

[Skylark]

Don't fool yourselves that Earth Balance is good for cholesterol. Earth Balance has some very clever marketing but the sticks contain palm oil and have a very similar amount of saturated fat to lard (40% for both). Butter has even more saturated fat at 60% which is also why it bakes so nicely. Palm oil is NOT heart healthy.

Open Original Shared Link

Agreed the additives in lard are not great but it might beat eating something you're sensitive to.

[GlutenFreeManna]

Spectrum shortening is soy/dairy/gluten free.....comes in a 24 ounce blue container...they also have a new butter flavored shortening, which I haven't tried yet. The product is 100% palm oil. I have purchased it mainly in natural food stores, and some supermarkets sell it. The supermarkets sell it in the special diet/gluten free section, if there is one. It is not refrigerated.

This is what I use. Works good for cookies, cake, and biscuits so far and is good for greasing pans just like you would use Crisco vegetable shortening.