Featured Recipe
Chunky Chewy Choc Cookies
By Kate
"
A chewy chocolate chip cookie with a twist. Uses cake flour swapped for all-purpose plus almond extract instead of vanilla. Cornstarch and baking soda replace baking powder to yield more chew. Butter and light brown sugar adjusted down slightly. Dough chills 1.5 to 3 hours max, trimmed from original to speed process. Flattened puck shape, baked around 16-18 minutes at 370°F for golden edges. Watch edges for bubble bursts and faint caramel scent. Offbeat ingredient swaps give chew and crunch contrast. Perfect timing clues over strict minutes. Common pitfalls include overmixing, under-chilling, or flattening too thin leading to crisp edges only.
"
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
16 min
Total:
28 min
Serves:
12 servings
cookies
dessert
baking
chocolate
American
Introduction
Butter softened, sugars measured exactly — basis of chewy cookies. Eggs add moisture; almond extract swaps classic vanilla for nutty depth. Milk thins dough slightly, controls spread without thinning too much. Flour sifted with cornstarch for tender crumb. Baking soda meets acid of brown sugar for chew. Chocolate in chunks melts uneven pockets, texture contrast you want — molten pools in bite. Dough chills control spread, not frozen stiff. Flattened dough discs bake evenly. Oven at 370°F darkens edges without burns. Bubbling edges, crackled surfaces, caramel-scented cues trump timer. Resting on hot pan firms them up. Rack cool prevents soggy bottoms. Small tweaks yield big textural shifts — trust dough, senses, adjust on fly.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Butter must be softened but not melted. Using melted butter ruins texture — spreads too much, rubbery chew. Light brown sugar packed gives moisture and depth — swap with dark brown for more molasses flavor but will darken cookies. If no brown sugar use white sugar plus 1 tsp molasses or honey. Cake flour can be replaced with all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch per cup flour sifted together. Almond extract can replace vanilla for a nutty aroma; use vanilla if preferred for standard flavor. Baking soda instead of baking powder used to react with brown sugar acid to produce lighter rise and more chew. Salt balances sweetness; use fine sea salt for even distribution. Chocolate chunks coarser than chips melt in spots, creating texture variation. Milk thins dough but can be omitted if dry dough; add extra tablespoon if dough feels dry before chilling. Refrigeration important to solidify fat and moisten ingredients — impacts spread and chew. Chilling time adjusted compared to original: shorter chill but enough to chill for handling and spread control. Fine details in measurement and ingredient balance dictate final texture—precision matters. Too much milk or under chilling equals flat, crisp cookies; too little liquid or long chilling yields dry, thick, crumbly cookies.
Method
Dough prep
- In a large bowl or stand mixer with paddle, mix butter and both sugars until fluffyish about 1-2 minutes. Don’t go too far or’ll be greasy. Use softened butter, not melted — texture difference huge here.
- Add eggs one at a time then almond extract and milk. Blend just enough to combine. Avoid foaming; too much air equals cakey cookies.
- In another bowl sift cake flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt. Cake flour lighter, helps chew and tenderness. Mix dry ingredients few seconds.
- Add dry mix to wet in two parts. Fold or mix on low speed just till combined. Overmix and gluten builds — tough cookie.
- Fold in chocolate chunks by hand. Keep chunk sizes if possible. Chips or chopped bars both work but size controls melting texture.
- Cover bowl, refrigerate dough 1.5 to 3 hours max. Shorter chill keeps softer centers, longer solidifies fat contributing to less spread.
- Preheat oven 370°F. Line baking pan with parchment or silicone mat.
- Scoop 1/2 cup dough balls — scalloped scoop or hands. Each ball about baseball size. Don’t pack too tight. Flatten slightly with palm to hockey puck, roughly 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Thickness critical to get proper chew versus crisp thin cookie.
- Place cookies spaced 1.5 to 2 inches apart to allow gentle spreading.
- Bake 16-18 minutes. Edges should bubble and turn golden brown. Surface dulls a bit and cracks appear on top. Smell caramelizing butter and sugar. If edges puff then soften with finger press, done. Too soft means underbaked; too firm equals overbaked crisp.
- Remove pan, rest cookies 4-5 minutes on sheet before transferring to wire rack. Still too fragile hot, but rest firms texture while cooling.
- Swapped almond extract adds nutty aroma; vanilla still fine for classic. Using baking soda instead of baking powder gives lighter rise but more chew - acid in brown sugar reacts to soda.
- Cake flour substitutes all-purpose with cornstarch if needed: remove 2 tbsp AP flour per cup, add 2 tbsp cornstarch. Low gluten helps softness but not collapse. If no cake flour, sift cornstarch plus AP mix well before adding.
- Refrigeration important. Too warm dough spreads too thin and crisp; too hard dough less melt.
- For more crunchy edges, flatten thinner or add 1/4 cup chopped nuts/pretzels for texture; nuts add oil reducing spread, pretzels add salt crunch.
- Overmixing dough creates tough, flat cookies. Mix slow, fold chocolates, and chill.
- Use room temp eggs. Cold eggs chill dough unintentionally, slowing mixing.
- If dough sticky, chill extra 15 minutes. If very firm, let soften slightly before shaping.
- Thickness right in puck shape controls final texture: thicker equals softer middle, thinner crisp all over.
- Listen for faint popping as edges bubble. That signals near doneness better than timer.
- Cookie shape ideal with 1/2 cup scoop. Too small yields more crisp bite, too large risks raw center.
- Watch cookie edges during bake. Browned edges with soft domed center signal just right.
Baking
Notes and tweaks
Technique Tips
Start by creaming butter and sugars just till creamy — do not whip dry. Too long makes greasy, fragile texture. Combine eggs and flavorings gently to avoid foam and tough structure. Sift dry ingredients fine to avoid clumps and provide aeration. Incorporate dry into wet slowly; overmix ruins texture due to gluten development. Folding chocolate by hand protects chunks from breaking down, keeps pockets of melting chocolate in final. Dough refrigeration chills fat — controls spread at baking, helps flavors meld. Flatten dough balls before baking for even shape and consistent thickness critical for chew. Oven temperature set slightly lower than usual 375°F to 370°F to prevent bottom burning with thick cookies. Baking time adjusted ±2 minutes around 16 minutes; watch edges for bubbles and golden hue. Surface dullness and cracked tops signal ready cookie. Rest cookies on sheet post-bake for five minutes lets structure set. Remove carefully with spatula to cooling rack to avoid soggy bottoms. Adjust thickness and bake time based on dough feel and cues: too thin spreads too flat, overbakes too crisp. Use timer as guideline but rely on sight, smell, touch for perfect bake. Tips for mistakes: too warm dough spreads, chill needed; overmixed dough tough, avoid excessive mixing; dough too sticky add flour tablespoon; dough hard add milk teaspoon; flatten dough for chew, skip and risk uneven baking. Experience trumps exact time and temp with chewy chocolate chip cookies.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Cream butter and sugars till fluffy not too long. Avoid greasy texture. Watch for creaminess, not whipped air. Softened butter for better mix; melted ruins structure. Milk adds moisture; don’t overdo it. Need balance.
- 💡 Chill the dough. Between 1.5 to 3 hours. Critical for controlling spread. Too warm, cookies turn flat. Too cold, hard to work with. Aim for dough that’s firm but not frozen. Flatten dough balls before baking for thick uniformity.
- 💡 Baking soda over baking powder for chew; reacts with brown sugar acid. Monitor edges during baking. Watch for signifiers: bubbling or golden edges, faint caramel smell hints at doneness. Smell it; don't just count minutes.
- 💡 Thickness of dough pucks matters. Flatten slightly but don’t go too thin. Too thick results in raw centers; too thin means crisp. Use 1/2 cup scoop for round size; adjust thickness based on feel.
- 💡 Chocolate chunks different from chips. Chunks give pockets of molten chocolate. Check size of pieces; keep them varied. Butter's aromas during baking tell you a lot. Listen for bubbling edges; they indicate readiness.
Kitchen Wisdom
What’s the best way to store cookies?
Airtight container keeps them fresh. Fridge slows moisture loss. Freeze for longer storage; wrap tightly to avoid freezer burn.
Can I use other extracts?
Almond adds depth but vanilla still works. Experiment with orange or mint for different flavors. Just adjust amounts to avoid overpower. Too strong equals bitter.
Dough too sticky?
Chill for extra 15 minutes if too tacky. Can add flour lightly too, a tablespoon at a time if really needing help. Less moisture brings dough together.
Common baking issues?
Underbaked cookies soft; check edges for firmness. Overbaked results in dryness. Watching bubbles, aromas are key. Practice makes it clearer over time.
