Q. My cookies are too brown on the outside and not done on the inside, and are not spreading.
A. This means your oven is too hot. Ovens vary greatly and your results can vary greatly from oven to oven. If the oven is too hot it will sear the outside of the cookies not allowing them to spread or cook on the inside. Try lowering the oven temperature 25 degrees or so until you get a perfect cookie. Remember a baker’s best friend sometimes can be an oven thermometer.

Q. My cookies don’t look done and are dry. I baked them longer than the directions say.
A. This means your oven is not hot enough. Cookies baked at too low a temperature for too long will result in the cookies becoming dry. They will not brown when exposed to too low of temperature for too long.

Q. My cookies are browning too much or burning on the bottom.
A. This is usually caused by your baking sheets. If a baking sheet is too light in weight the heat in the oven will absorb to the mass, where the dough balls are sitting on the pan. You can improve this by either doubling your baking sheets or buying a heavier gauge aluminum. Also, lining your cookie pans with parchment or silpat will help this dramatically.

Q. My cookies are not spreading.
A. Tom’s cookies are thicker and chewier than most cookies. They are made from great ingredients such as real butter, pure vanilla and real chocolate. We use no oils, fillers or shortening which have a tendency to make cookies spread thin. If you want a thinner cookie, lightly press each cookie with the back of a spatula after baking 12–14 minutes and continue to bake them another minute or two. You can also let the cookies set out at room temperature 10–15 minutes and they will spread easier when baked.

Q. How long with the dough last in my refrigerator? Can I freeze the dough?
A. As long as the dough is kept airtight it will last through the expiration date on the bottom of the tub. You can freeze the dough up to 4 months as long as it is airtight. If you freeze the dough allow an additional 2–3 minutes for baking time.

Q. Do you have any suggestions on creative things I can do with the dough?
A. We have many! Too many to mention here, but here are a few suggestions below.

Warm cookie sundaes.
Place a warm, freshly baked cookie in a bowl or cup and top with your favorite ice cream and toppings. Tom’s favorite is peanut butter chocolate chip, topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce and salty peanuts.

Cookie dough cheesecake/ Cookie dough ice cream.
Break Tom’s chocolate chip cookie dough balls into smaller pieces, fold into your favorite cheesecake and bake accordingly or make your favorite ice cream and fold Tom’s cookie dough pieces in at the end and freeze.

Ice cream sandwiches.
Place a scoop of your favorite ice cream between two of your favorite Tom’s cookies. Eat them right away or you can freeze them for a handy snack later. Try chocolate chip with vanilla or mint chip ice cream, snickerdoodles with strawberry ice cream, café latte with coffee or mocha chip ice cream, oatmeal raisin with vanilla rum raisin or butter pecan ice cream, or peanut butter chocolate chip cookies with chocolate or peanut butter cup ice cream. Be creative and if you come up with your favorite email us and let know!

Reuse your tub, over and over. We designed the tub with recycling in mind. Use your tub to store your baked cookies on your counter top or as a gift package to take them in as a hostess gift to your next party. (You’ll be guaranteed an invite back when you show up to a party with a fresh baked batch of cookies). Use them to store crayons, pencils, and other craft supplies. Use your imagination!