The Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate Part 1
Written by joythebaker on July 8, 2008 – 11:32 pm -
Thank you to the many-many-many of you who took the time to talk me through my heartache. I can’t even begin to tell you how special your insight and comments are. Really. I read every single word and I am endlessly touched by your openness and honesty. You’ve all touched my heart and it has worked wonders to help me through a bit of a rough patch. I can’t thank you enough.
In the past two days I’ve been bake in the kitchen (in something other than pajamas) where I belong.
Today I bring you the Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate. My question to you is simple. What makes a better chocolate chip cookie: melted butter or softened and creamed butter? Does it make a difference?
I think I make old school chocolate chip cookies. You know what I’m talking about. Cream the butter with the sugar, add eggs and vanilla extract and then the dry ingredients. Dollop onto a cookie sheet, throw them in the oven and sometimes you end up with completely flat and crisp cookies. One remedy to the flat cookie conundrum is to chill the dough before you bake off cookies. That really helps. But melted butter?
Let’s discuss.
Update: Look what’s in the NY Times today! A whole article about the perfect chocolate chip cookie. There is much to discuss! Judging from all your comments so far, this might be a week long series. We’ll get to the bottom of this and find the perfect cookie. I promise. And… it’s a good thing I stocked up on chocolate! Thanks Alanna and Kevin for the link!
Part one of the Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate is a testing of the melted butter chocolate chip cookie. The recipe is from Alton Brown. In addition to the melted butter, this recipe calls for bread flour (more gluten strength and protein) instead of all-purpose flour, and a much larger proportion of brown sugar to white sugar, milk and an egg yolk.
Madness? Perhaps. But the result is a solid, yet somehow light and moist chocolate chip cookie. It’s packed with sweet brown sugar flavor, and really a delight!
This cookie was far from the flattened, crispy, somewhat disappointing chocolate chip cookies I made when I was just kid standing on my tip toes to reach the counter. This recipe creates a tall, proud and perfectly soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie.
How do you feel about melted butter and bread flour in chocolate chip cookies? How do you think the creamed butter and all-purpose flour will hold up? This is serious friends. Dead serious.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe from Alton Brown
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
Pour the melted butter in the mixer’s work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Tags: chewy cookies, Chocolate, Cookies, the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, yummy
Posted in Cookies, Recipes, Tips and Tricks | 88 Comments »
First, love your blog. Bookmarking it right now.
Second, love this debate. I’ve had this debate internally (haha) for awhile now. That may be my next mission, after finding the perfect birthday cupcake for a gang of two year olds! Maybe I’ll find that here.
I personally am a lover of the thick and chewy, not thin & crispy or puffy & cakey, cookie. I’ve tested out a bunch of recipes, but for some reason hadn’t come across Alton’s “Chewy”. It’s definitely the next cookie on my list.
To melt or not to melt, this is one of baking’s finest questions. It all depends on my mood. Do I want crisp or cakey, am I feeling lazy or inspired to be in the kitchen all day? They are both great, but when I am feeling like being in my PJs all day I go for the creamed butter.
BTW I’ve been married for almost 17 years and I still haven’t figured this love thing out. Butter is much easier!
[...] The Cookie Debate Part One I mentioned that the NY Times had serendipitously printed an article about the perfect chocolate chip [...]
Thanks for your comments everyone!
I really enjoyed the melted butter recipe, but have decided that it all depends on my mood. The melted butter is no better or worse than the creamed butter method. Just depends on whether you want a tall, chewy cookie, or a butter, flat cookie. It’s a cookie either way, right?
Thanks for the pudding suggestion too. I’ve never had pudding in cookies. I think I fear that the pudding taste will overwhelm the cookie. No?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The debate tumbles on!
My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe is from a combination of Cooks Illustrated and Allrecipes sources, and it uses melted butter and all-purpose flour. It would seem to me that bread flour would make a cookie tougher than desired–too much strength, maybe?
-Chris
http://smellslikedessert.blogspot.com/
[...] Times. First it was Serious Eats, then Joy the Baker began her Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate – Part 1 & Part 2. I was [...]
[...] The Chewy, with melted butter and bread flour, from Alton Brown. [...]
Actually, the best recipe I have found (creamed butter) involved the inclusion of oatmeal (made into flour with a blender or food-processor) substituted for half the flour (experiment though because I think I found a better ratio- I just can’t recall). Also, I always drop the pan on the top of the over door before placing the cookies to cool (it seems to kill the cakeyness)–I like mine very chewey. One point though I can not stress enough. The actual baking process, in my opinion, is 70% of the game. In a hurry I use store bought dough and get fabulous cookies (I feel guilty pawning them off since guests always rave about my secret recipe). The store bought dough cookies still taste great because I do not over-cook, use either parchment or an insulated baking sheet, and my oven temp in dead on (and I drop the cookie sheet as above). Everyone seems to overcook and get these thin, burnt edge, hockey-puck cakey in the center things (worse than vending machine cookies!).
[...] As I’ve said, there’s plenty out there already: Leite’s article itself and also this and this and this. But after one buttery, bendy, chocolate-studded bite, I knew I had to add my [...]
I finally baked Alton Brown’s Choc Chip Cookies with the melted butter and I am blown away! In this case, a cookie is NOT just a cookie. This cookie bridges the gap between my husband and I: he likes crunchy, I like chewy. For the longest time I thought that we would never be able to enjoy a cookie together. But now, thanks to Alton Brown and Joy the Baker, we can set aside our cookie differences and enjoy one…together…crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside…choc chip cookie goodness. Thanks!
[...] points in their 36 hour resting period. Her posts are entitled The Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4, after which she decides that sometimes a cookie is just a cookie and [...]
[...] – bookmarked by 2 members originally found by aykura on 2008-08-18 The Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate Part 1 http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/archives/113 – bookmarked by 5 members originally found by [...]
Hey Joy! These cookies turned out AMAZING!!! I did tweak the recipe, though, to make them a little more healthy. I know, it’s practically a sin to try to make desserts “healthy,” but they still tasted great to me.
Instead of bread flour, I used whole wheat flour, and instead of regfular chocolate chips, I crushed up an entire gigantic Hershey’s dark chocolate bar. Also, I added some oats for heart health and texture. I personally thought they tasted great. Try it if you’re bored one day.
My mom made the Alton cookies from your blog over Labor Day. They were AMAZING. I am waiting for my own batch of dough to chill right now
I know this sounds odd, but I love my cookies with a bit of Chinese 5 Spice thrown in + a teeny extra bit of salt. Scrumptious just out of the oven, but even better after a day! MMMMmmmmmmmm. Thanks for all your great posts, Joy! Makes my day every time!
I’m a big fan of chocolate in every bite of my cookie and found that chopping up either chocolate bars or chips lends itself to a fantastic variation. I tend to use bittersweet or a combo of various percentages so the sweetness isn’t too overpowering.
I loved these cookies. I put in buttermilk instead of milk. This gave it a nice and creamy texture.
Creamed has always seemed to work better for a fluffy yet crispy cookie. Also, I double the vanilla. Try adding a tablespoon of orange zest and white chocolate chips- they were raved about!
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[...] says “Hey! I like who you are. I’m glad we’re in the world together” like homemade chocolate chip cookies. Nothing helps makes the world a better place like letting people know they’re appreciated. [...]
[...] is Joy the Baker’s post on [...]
I found your blog today~
spend the whole afternoon reading and enjoying every post. How I came to find you, I google…”what makes the best chocolate chip cookie”…after I clicked on you in “google” I stayed at your blog site all afternoon…I’m “chilling” the dough as I type~ I’ll bake my cookies tomorrow. Funny thing~ I just baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies this morning. I wasn’t happy with them, I thought, there has to be a better CCC!! I just know this is the one!! Can’t wait till tomorrow!
I’m going to post the results on my blog~ would love for you to visit.
Love my visit at your place today…
Great blog!
Tina~ Cherry Hill Cottage…
I’m visiting for the first time, I came to you from Tina, at Cherry Hill Cottage. I’m also searching for the perfect CC cookie. I can’t wait to try this. Am having company all week and so it will be a good opportunity to have more people to eat them than just me and my husband. One ingredient that I like added (and was previously mentioned) is oatmeal. I’ve never ground it up though, just added as is.
Helllloooo:) I must say that ur blog is SUPER ULTRA COOL!!! It makes me go all GUGUGAGA and I just simply love the way you take your pictures hahaz… I was actually contemplating the idea of baking these chewy chocolate cookies on V-Day. I was wondering if you could tell me how long do i need to chill my cookie dough cause it’s not really stated in the recipe above. Thanks! (p.s. i kinda need it in a hurry cos V-Day is just 4 days away:) )
Everyone loved these cookies =o) They are so chocolatey and soft..yum!! Thanks for sharing!!
[...] oven thermometer in your oven to make sure that it’s only as hot as the dial says. I love Alton Brown’s Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe using melted butter and bread flour. I chill the dough in the fridge for at least three [...]
I’m thinking (which is always dangerous) that if you don’t melt the butter you don’t have to put this in the fridge for so long… just a manic thought. However if you do; I would go on & brown the butter as browned butter adds a nice touch when making cookies. Just a thought mind you… I mean what the heck do I know…. forget I ever said it. You asked for feedback, right????
This recipe is fantastic, I didn’t have any bread flour on hand I just substituted the bread flour with regular flour, and the cookies still turned out great! Thanks for this wonderful recipe, and for the many other recipes on your site. Definitely inspired me to get back in the kitchen and make some fabulous desserts. Joy you are one of the greatest Bakers ever, good luck in all that you do!
[...] do puppies with giant paws, foggy mornings, warm chocolate chip cookies and my bright, red spatula have in common? That’s easy… they’re just some of my [...]
[...] wish I could thank each and every one of you a big batch of my chocolate chip cookies, but because that seems like too daunting a task for a morning like this, I’ll have to put [...]
I am having a dessert buffet graduation party(evening) for approx.150 people. Any great ideas to share?
I just found this – I personally eschew butter in my chocolate chip cookies. And I always have since I first learned to make them as a teenager. I have always just used butter flavor Crisco instead and find I get a much better result – the cookies stay soft and don’t flatten out too much or get too crisp. I always cook them a bit less than the recipe calls for as well.
I did make these this morning. they are delicious. mine spread out which made for a thinner cookie. but they still seemed nicely crisp on the outside and softer on the inside. i do like this recipe.
thanks for sharing it.
You make my world a happier place to be, along with my dog and chocolate chip cookies. For that I must thank you… well, at least for the you and the cookie part.
Here’s another happiness inducing recipe you might want to try. I was so skeptical of the melted butter thing before I tried these…now I’m for melted butter all the way – and even (gasp!) all brown – no white sugar!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Big-Fat-Chewy-Chocolate-Chip-Cookie/Detail.aspx
I made these tonight, and I am TOTALLY puzzled. Mine are flat, dark, and crispy. Not at all what I was expecting! The dough was VERY soft and sticky if that gives anyone any clues. I weighed the ingredients and used 4.25 oz flour = 1 cup (per King Arthur Flour). Would appreciate any advice as I have been having my own choc chip cookie debate (with myself, of course) and have come up nearly empty handed. I was so excited about this one! Thanks!
[...] my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, I chill the dough for at least three hours, but usually [...]
Joy- Can a Microwave the butter? or does it have to be slow stove top meltage… I’m impatient when it comes to cookies…
Ok so i tried this recipe and I am in love it was the best cookie i have ever made at home, I am still trying to find a recipe that taste like a cookie this restaurant makes here in Jacksonville Fl, called The Cool Moose Cafe, this came very close, my mom tried their cookie and she can tell you everything someone puts in their recipes….its a skill i could only dream of having…she said it taste like they puree’d the chocolate in the batter, I did this on a dreamsicle cookie recipe I made up , with white chocolate chips and it was sooooo good. Have you ever tried that??