What makes cookies hard?

Question

Whenever I make cookies, I follow all of the instructions, yet my cookies come out hard as rock! What makes them so hard?

Answer 1

Being in the presence of naked female cookies.

Answer 2

What are you using for your fat?  Butter tastes good but makes cookies harder; shortening makes them softer but doesn't have as good a flavor.  I usually use half of each, or else the butter-flavored shortening.

If your kitchen is warm, your dough may be spreading too much and you end up with thinner, drier cookies when they bake.  Try chilling the dough before shaping them, and make sure you put them on cool cookie sheets.

Answer 3

if your using dark non stick pan to bake they  tend to over bake cookies so i take out 4-5 min before the recipe says and they stay chewy for days

also air makes them get hard so store in air tight bags or tubberware

Answer 4

Probably overcooking them.  You want to take them out just before they look like they are done, because even when you take them out of the oven they are still cooking a little till they cool down.  As soon as they stop looking doughy take them out.