Burnt Cookies Can Be Prevented With One Simple Swap
Cookies are a seemingly simple homemade treat, but you might be surprised by the surprising twists the baked goods can take. Sure, there are many tips for baking great cookies, including those from celebrity chefs, but even if you follow them to the letter, you might still have a batch spread too much in the oven — or burnt well beyond saving. Cookies may spread too thin or burn if you swap or use the wrong ingredients, but you can prevent this simply by replacing margarine with butter. But why does margarine cause cookies to spread and burn faster?
Margarine and butter share a number of similarities and differences. While they both contain fat and water, margarine has a higher water content than butter and is typically made with plant-based oils instead of cream. The extra water in margarine evaporates out of the cookie dough more quickly, causing the cookies to spread thinner. Usually, this causes cookies to become crispier, but when cookies spread too thin, it becomes easier for them to burn. The thinner the cookies are, the less time is required for cooking.
Don't use margarine instead of butter
If you still prefer chewier cookies that spread more, melted butter gives the cookie dough just the right texture to achieve this. Similarly, if you use softened butter in your cookie dough, it won't spread as much but will still yield delicious cookies with a crispy edge and a bit of chew. Apart from impacting how the cookies spread and bake, butter also enhances the flavor of cookies. You can even brown the butter for more depth of flavor with caramelized notes before adding it to your cookie dough.
If you come across a recipe that actually calls for margarine instead of butter, the recipe likely accounts for the water content in the margarine. In that case, don't worry about using butter. For all other cookie recipes, especially ones that specifically call for butter, it's best to avoid swapping the two ingredients. So, stick with butter, and don't hesitate to reference Tasting Table's ranking of 12 grocery store butter brands if needed.