My Recipe For Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies
And my Tips for The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie
Every baker has their favorite recipe for chocolate chip cookies. There's something about this beloved cookie that keeps us coming back for more, sending many of us on a never ending quest to perfect our recipe.
When it comes to cookies I have a hard time picking a favorite. Sometimes I bake purely for the act of baking itself and making a recipe that doesn't feel routine seems more invigorating than baking on autopilot. Texture plays a big role in how we categorize cookies- some like theirs thick and chewy, others are team cakey or crunchy. There’s room for all of these versions on my cookie tray and so I ask ‘who needs just one favorite!?’
My hunger for perfecting chocolate chip cookies began as a kid, after noticing that the recipe that we baked with my mom always turned out flat (love you Mom!) I wanted our cookies to look like the ones on the bag of chocolate chips and so I set out to crack the code. The internet was just becoming a resource and I searched for answers on sites like baking911 and FoodTv.com.
Since then my love for the CCC has continued and every few months I get the urge to tinker with my recipes.
Here are some tidbits that I’ve learned along the way
-I prefer a chocolate chipper that’s made with all brown sugar because it’ll lend more flavor and chew than a blend of white and brown sugars. To convert a recipe to use all brown sugar, find the total amount of sugar in the recipe by adding the amount of white and brown sugar, usually around 1 ½ cups, and use that amount of brown sugar.
-Chilling your cookie dough really does make a difference. Cookie dough that has chilled overnight will spread less and make a chewier cookie. Chilling cookie dough gives the flour more time to fully hydrate, so a cookie baked from chilled dough will retain more moisture after baking.
-Less baking soda=less spread. As a kid I learned that I could add more flour to my dough to make the cookies spread less, and that's definitely true. But baking soda also plays a role here. Baking soda slows down the ‘setting’ of the flour and eggs in the dough, which in turn gives the dough more time to spread before it sets. Use less soda for less spread- a ½ teaspoon instead of the full teaspoon in most CCC recipes will work well.
-Don't skimp on the salt. Where some recipes call for 1 teaspoon of salt, I go for a teaspoon and a half. Your cookies will taste better, plain and simple.
-Damage control after baking means that you can reshape cookies that have gone rogue. Use a metal spoon or silicone spatula to push in any edges to make a rounder cookie. Do this as soon as the cookies have finished baking.
-A couple of perfectly placed chips make a cookie look inviting- so press a few into the surface of the cookie while they’re warm and they’ll melt into place.
Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be sharing some recipes from my upcoming cookbook, Bake Your Heart Out, which hits bookshelves on Oct 3rd. Right now you can pre-order a copy, and when you do you’ll get invited to a virtual baking class with me in the fall and get 3 bonus recipes emailed directly to you. Visit this link to get the goods after you’ve pre ordered.
I’ve got two fantastic recipes for chocolate chip cookies in Bake Your Heart Out. There’s a recipe for the thin and crispy camp and then there is the thick and decadent version that I’ve titled THICK AND CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES. These are made with sweetened condensed milk which gives them an irresistibly dense texture on the inside, similar to a blondie. I used this recipe (scaled up 6 times!) to make packaged cookie favors when my sister got married, so you know that I stand by the recipe. A quick note- a standard can of sweetened condensed milk is 1 cup, so you’ll be able to make 3 batches from one can. Transfer leftover SCM to a covered container and store in the fridge for 1 month or freeze indefinitely. No need to thaw before measuring because it won't freeze solid.
Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Reprinted from Bake Your Heart Out
Makes 15 large cookies
1 cup (2 sticks/226 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 ⅓ cups (295 g) lightly packed light brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons fine salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup (120 g) sweetened condensed milk
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ¾ cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
12 ounces (340 g) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or semisweet chocolate chunks
Flaky salt for sprinkling (optional)
1. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. Mix with a rubber spatula until combined, breaking up any sugar lumps. Add the condensed milk, egg yolks, and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Stir in the flour and mix until nearly combined, then stir in the chocolate pieces and mix until uniform.
2. Use a large (1⁄4 cup) scoop to portion the dough onto a parchment- lined baking sheet or plate. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
3. To bake, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center position. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Arrange 6 cookies on each baking sheet. Flatten the dough balls to about 1 inch thick and sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt (if using). Bake the cookies on the center rack, one sheet at a time, for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the centers no longer look wet. The cookies will puff up but will settle as they cool. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets. Store the cookies in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Thank you for reading my newsletter. I hope that you enjoy my tips for better chocolate chip cookies and get to try my new recipe. I bet that my thick and chewy chocolate chunk cookies will become a new favorite. If you bake the recipe feel free to tag me on Instagram and share how much you enjoyed them.
Until next time!
-Dan
Thick & chewy CCC for the win!