Let’s face it: Almost all chocolate chip cookies are chewy when warm out of the oven. But how do you preserve that texture even when the cookies are cool? After lots of testing (no complaints here), we found three keys to the perfect texture and lasting chew: melted—not just softened—butter; extra fat, which we got from an extra yolk; and cooking time, which is less than you’d think.
With these few simple tweaks, we had chocolate chip cookies with rich chocolate flavor and a whole lot of tenderness and chew. Now that’s the taste of sweet success.
STEP #1 Use Melted Butter: Using melted butter in the dough helps make the cookies chewy. Of course you can melt the butter on the stovetop, but we find using a microwave easier.
STEP #2 Beat the Melted Butter with Sugar: Even though the butter is melted, we still beat it with the sugar first—it makes it easier to incorporate the other ingredients into a cohesive dough.
STEP #3 Add the Flour on Low Speed: Adding the flour on low speed keeps it from flying out of the bowl. If using a hand mixer, it can be tricky to add the flour and mix at the same time; if so, just add the flour in small batches, stopping the mixer as needed.
STEP #4 Roll the Dough Into Balls: Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls. Simply dropping the cookie dough onto the baking sheet from a spoon causes jagged, unevenly shaped cookies.
STEP #5 Bake on Parchment Paper: We line our baking sheets with parchment paper to keep the cookies from sticking and for easy cleanup.
STEP #6 Underbake the Cookies: Pull the cookies from the oven while they are still slightly underbaked and let them set for 10 minutes on the hot baking sheet. The cookies will finish baking as they sit. Doing this ensures moist, chewy cookies.
About the Author: America's Test Kitchen
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If i wanted the batter to also be chocolate in color, how much cocoa powder/ unsweetened chocolate should i put?
one more trick: put handfuls of mini marshmallows in the storage container with the cookies, and the cookies will stay very chewy….but the marshmallows will become rock solid
Increasing the amount of brown sugar compared to white and using high gluten flour like bread flour also make for a very chewy cookie.
In Cook’s Illustrated, it recommends cooking the butter in a skillet for 3 minutes to give it more carmel taste, then add the sugars. Use 60 % cocao chips for a more intense chocolate flavor. We did and it is the top coookie in our family now.
In step #4, how much does the 2 TBS of dough weigh?
I have made a few changes to the recipe that I believe truly ensure a thick and chewey cookie. First, I substitute bread flour for the all purpose flour. (2) I increase the pure vanilla extract to 3 teaspoons. (3) I use 9 ounces of Ghiardellii bittersweet chocolate chips, and 9 ounces of Kirland brand semisweet chocolate chips that contain (51 percent cocoa butter). I have in the past also added milk chocolate chips, however, family and friends prefer the first combination.
(4) I use a two tablespoon ice cream scoop that saves time and eliminates the need to roll the dough into balls.
(5) My finanal tip is to create a thick and chewy cookie is to shape all of the cookie dough and freeze dough for 30 minutes before baking. I double the recipe and always keep some in the freezer for unexpected guests.
These few changes and additions have made this Cook’s Ilustrated recipe a great hit with my family and friends!!!!!!