What burned my cookies?

Were they all burnt or some on one side or the other.
Maybe the temp for the oven is off and needs calibration. Is it gas or elec.

You always go with ungreased, why did you put foil down?

Get some parchment paper of if you want to spend the money some silpats

Pass those yummy treats around now!!!!

Sounds like they may need to be baked at a lower temperature, or your oven needs to be calibrated.

I always put a sheet of foil down on my cookie trays before baking, and it has never affected the baking time or caused my cookies to burn.

If you have a dark cookie sheet, that may have caused it, even with a sheet of nonstick foil,
electric ovens can be tricky and you may even need to bake on the top rack, also as @ANef_is_Enuf said, it may be an oven temp thing… get a good thermometer for inside your oven and see if your oven is the temp you’re setting it at.

I’ve always had luck with those “sandwich” type cookie sheets, that have a space of air in between two layers of metal… You may want to try that.

Also, last thought, if you’re making the cookies into balls before putting on the sheet, you may want to try flattening them out just a bit, so that the bottom doesn’t burn before the top is set. (they may not be spreading enough to cook through before the bottom gets overcooked)

I’m guessing the foil conducted extra heat the cookies did not need. Try parchment paper next time.

Some good suggestions above, so I’ll just throw in some additional tips:

Every time you open an oven, you effectively increase the heat on the bottom of the sheet. This is because you both release the heat that has accumulated up toward the top of the oven, and the drop in temperature will cause the flame or element down under the oven floor to turn on, adding to the radiant heat coming up from the bottom. So open the door only when you really must, and do so quickly.

The sandwich-style cookie sheets that @christine215 mentions do work great for sensitive cookies, but you can get a similar effect by either double-sheeting (setting your sheet on top of another), or setting your sheet on top of a sheet of foil placed shiny-side-down on the rack. This will reflect a good bit of the radiant heat away from the cookie sheet as well as creating an insulating layer of air between the foil and the sheet.

It was a dark cookie sheet, but the same ones I’ve been using forever and ever. They did spread nicely… and my stove is gas. I guess I should check to see if the temperature is correct?

The cookies were perfect except for the bottoms O.o

Did you preheat the oven? As @thorninmud pointed out, the element or flame comes on at the bottom of the oven to heat it up to the required temperature. When you put cookies in before the required temp has been reached the bottom element is on until the temp is reached, or if you open the oven, the element comes back on also.

I agree a dark pan or cookie sheet can cause the bottom to burn. You might want to look into getting a silpat for the bottom of your cookie sheets. Nothing sticks or burns.

Well rolling the dough into balls onto the sheet is probably the reason. If the cookies are flattened enough to spread quickly, then the bottom will surely burn before the heat can circulate evenly through the whole cookie.

I always put an empty cookie sheet on the rack below to block extra heat. Works like a charm every time :)

I tried them again.

I didn’t open the oven, and I smushed them down a little bit (not too much because I didn’t want thin cookies), and I even put the rack all the way up to the very top. Still burned on the bottom.

I’m very frustrated. The cookie tastes sooooo good… except for the damned burned part.

@poofandmook and the temp of the oven inside was?????

@poofandmook and did you still use aluminum foil at the bottom of the pan?

@poofandmook did you put an empty pan on the rack below?

oh okay.. the temp was 375 per the recipe. I did not use foil… I put them straight on the sheet. And no, I tried them before I saw the suggestion for the extra pan.

@poofandmook next time try baking them at 350. That cookie recipe might be a little to delicate for 375. Do everything you just mentioned and use the extra pan on the lower rack. Keep us posted.;)

I never have problems with recipes or cooking. With the minor exception of pad thai—I can NOT get it right—everything always comes out great. I am being stumped by a sugar cookie, of all things.

Alright…the only thing I can suggest is for you to share the recipe so that I can make them. That way I can tell you what you’re really doing that’s making the cookies burn at the bottom.:-)

OK, post the recipe here and I will make them and provide results.

@AmWiser ooops posted before i read your same request-. GMTA

@blueiiznh Great, than we both can test the recipe. We’ll get to the bottom of the mysterious burnt bottom cookies.:)

Cookie Mystery She Wrote!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/easy-sugar-cookies/detail.aspx

lol you guys are awesome. Of course, if you do it right, yours won’t burn and you’ll have delicious sugar cookies so it’s not like you’re losing on the deal lol

@poofandmook It is on my list for tonight, worst case the weekend.

I will share them to all….

^^Ditto. Looking forward to making these di-licious cookies.

did either of you guys get around to making them?

@poofandmook the Sugar Cookies were made last evening. Delicious. I made them according to the recipe you gave and they came out perfectly. The first batch (12) was devoured by hubby and me while preparing the second batch (25). The third batch (18) I added pecans to the batter because hubby thought the cookies reminded him of Keebler Pecan Sandies. They were better than the store bought (100% better). I don’t know why your cookies burned except maybe you need to have your oven serviced for temperature. Thanks to you, this is my new go-to cookie recipe. Hubby just walked by and says thank you too.;}
Edit: I don’t think the link to the pics I took works. I’ll see what I can do. They are so pretty.

I too made them per recipe and they came out non burnt and yummy…..

hm. Well, I’m glad it worked for you guys, and I’m glad you have a new go-to cookie recipe. They are delicious. I won’t stop trying… lol

I agree 375 is a bit much and the added foil probaby conducted extra heat. Heat LOVES metal as you know. Next time try Silpat… It’s awesome!

I made them again, on the tippy top rack with a sheet on the bottom. I ignored the “until golden” part of the directions and baked them for 9 minutes. Almost no color on the top, golden on the bottoms, soft in the middle… Perfection!

WHOHOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

Glad you’re finding out what works best for your oven. They are great cookies….I’ll be making another batch this weekend. Yum!

so, if I wanted to add some festive colored sugar, would it be best to wait until they come out, or would it be okay to dip the balls in the sugar before baking? I figured that would work since it’s such a short bake time, but I don’t want ugly Christmas cookies lol