Some say a baker is only as good as their best chocolate chip cookie. I have, like others, searched far and wide to find and perfect the ultimate chocolate chip cookie. I have picked up some useful tips, from experience, technical bakery experts from the food ingredient industry, and the American Institute of Baking. Overall, we are looking for a balanced recipe with the right amounts and types of ingredients. If you have too much sugar, the cookie will spread too much and burn quickly. Too much flour will yield a tough cookie (no pun intended ;-). Lower quality chocolate will compromise your flavor. Cookie spread, the diameter of the cookie, can be controlled by balancing the amount of sugar added as well as chilling your dough prior to baking.
Be careful not to over cream your batter. Adequate creaming of room temperature ingredients can be achieved in approximately 3-5 minutes. Remember, you are looking for a sugar-butter mixture that is light in color, texture, and also has a pleasant sweet smell. Be sure your fat is not too warm during hot summer months. Room temperature is right around 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not over mix your cookies after you have added your flour. This results in over development of gluten and can again yield a tough cookie! Gently fold in chocolate chips or other inclusions by hand rather than with your mixer. Do not let cookies cool on the hot pan for too long. We want the cookies to set but not continue to bake after we remove them from the oven. I recommend 2-5 minutes maximum on the hot pan before carefully transferring them to wire racks.
The above are general tips on how to make a great chocolate chip cookie, but below are some of my suggestions to take that cookie over the top, creating a moist, chewy chocolate chip cookie.
1. Age Your Dough
Preparing your dough a few days ahead of baking matures the flavors in your dough. Securely wrap or seal your dough to prevent odor migration from your fridge. If space permits, pre-scoop dough onto trays and refrigerate. Bake for the same amount of time as recipe calls for (cookie will have a greater height and less spread).
2. Freeze Batter Before Baking
Freeze batter into pucks to prevent spread during baking. Rotate pans once during baking. Pull cookies as soon as the outside is set, as residual heat will continue to cook the cookie. Let stand on a tray for 2 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.
3. Use Different Chocolates
Your cookie will taste as good as the quality of chocolate you use. Try using your favorite chocolate bar, or varying amounts of bitter and semi-sweet chocolate. Higher cocoa solids usually means a less sweet morsel with a sharper chocolate taste, which can help balance the overall sweetness of the cookie.
4. Use Brown Sugar for a More Chewy, Moist Cookie
Including equal or greater amounts of brown vs granulated sugar will provide a softer, chewier cookie that will stay softer longer. This is due to the humectant (moisture attracting) qualities of brown sugar due to the molasses portion.
I hope the above will help you in your journey to create the best ever moist and chewy chocolate chip cookie! A delicious, crowd pleasing treat is never too far away. Thanks for stopping by Sweetini's!