Because we love alliterations just as much as we love a soft cookie. Keep it simple with classic chocolate chip, or if you’re looking for something a little different try the matcha white chocolate version!
A good soft chocolate chip cookie is one of life’s greatest pleasures. This is a safe space for all who favor soft chewy cookies over crispy cookies. Just close your eyes and sink your teeth into that chewy, pillowy goodness. Forget all the horrible things that 2020 has brought and just stay in magic cookie land.
Okay. Eventually we’re going to have to come back to reality. But at least there’s still cookies, even in real life where shit’s bad a lot of the time.
Achieving the perfect chewy cookie
Do. Not. Over. Bake.
This is the problem that everyone has. This is the problem that I used to have. Cookies were the bane of my existence until I finally just forced myself to ‘undercook’ them. You don’t want ANY browning except on the edges. If the whole cookie has gone tan then it’s a goner, this will not be the chewy cookie of your dreams.
Look. Achieving a flat AND chewy cookie with very slightly crispy edges is possible. It is the cookie of my dreams and I’m hoping it’s yours too otherwise why are you here? Look at this pic of the cookies in the oven, they’re all puffy and big.
After baking though, when you let it cool off the cookie will CONTINUE to bake from the residual heat (which is why you want to UNDERBAKE IT) and the steam and whatnot gets released and it’ll sloooooowly flatten out.
NOTICE, the color difference between the very edge of the cookie and the center. The center is much paler while the edges are very very slightly browned. When the edges set and turn color that’s when you pull it out of the oven, not a minute more. And don’t eat it directly after, let it cool down.
If you’re having cookie problems you need to understand how every ingredient plays a role. You’ll notice that this recipe requires melting your butter, which is how the cookie spreads and stays flat. In Levain-style cookie recipes they always use either cold or room temp butter to keep the cookie thick. Egg whites bring structure and the yolks help the cookie stay chewy and moist. White sugar makes a cookie crispy while brown sugar keeps it soft (due to the molasses). And of course, baking soda is used for leavening (even though I like flat cookies these cookies still have a liiittle bit of thickness to them).
Okay well hope you learned something today, either about cookie chemistry or my obsession with soft baked goods. Enjoy the recipe!
Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 170 g butter (1 1/2 stick), melted
- 150 g brown sugar (3/4 cup)
- 60 g white sugar (bit less than 1/3 cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp almond extract (or vanilla I just like the almond taste)
Dry Ingredients
- 260 g all-purpose flour (2 cups and 2tbsp)
- 4 g salt 1 tsp
- 4 g baking soda 1 tsp
- 120 g chocolate chips/chunks 3/4 cup, add as much as you want tbh don't follow this amount at all
- sea salt to taste, for topping
Instructions
- Mix together butter and sugars. Whisk until fully incorporated and color turns slightly lighter (I hand whisk but you can use an electric mixer).
- Add the egg in and whisk until fully incorporated, then add the yolk and whisk more. I usually whisk for a full three minutes, the color will turn lighter again. Overmixing is generally not a problem for this recipe until we add the flour, so go ham and work those forearms!!
- Add the almond extract. Whisk more!!!!
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Whisk all your dry ingredients together in a small bowl (or you can sift but I hate washing sieves, whisking is so much easier).
- Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Fold until dry spots are no longer visible, remember to get the bottom and the sides! (It's okay to have a few little dry spots for now)
- Add your chocolate into the mixture and fold in gently.
- Grab a baking sheet lined with parchment. I like to grease it but you don't really have to. Scoop out balls of dough onto the sheet using spoon/hands/scoop. Leave space so they don't touch when they spread. Sprinkle some sea salt on top and add additionaly chocolate chunks if you like.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes. While you're waiting you can leave the rest of the dough in the fridge, it will control the spread (8 minutes doesn't really make much of a difference in my experience but it's easier to scoop after lol). Pull the tray out when you see the edges browning but the center is still soft and puffy.
- Let it cool for at least 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack as it will still be baking from residual heat. The dough will be soft and hard to move in one piece so let it stiffen up.
- Enjoy!
