There’s something undeniably comforting about a warm, chewy chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven. It’s a classic treat that brings back memories of childhood, cozy kitchens, and indulgent moments. The perfect chocolate chip cookie strikes a balance between a crispy edge and a soft, gooey center, loaded with melty chocolate chunks that melt in your mouth.
Finding the ideal recipe can be a quest, as everyone’s idea of the perfect cookie varies. However, this recipe aims to please most cookie lovers by focusing on achieving that perfect chewiness. By carefully selecting ingredients and following specific techniques, you’ll be able to create cookies that are soft, flavorful, and irresistibly delicious.
Whether you’re baking for a family gathering, a special occasion, or just because you have a sweet tooth, these chewy chocolate chip cookies are sure to become a favorite. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and get ready to bake the best chewy chocolate chip cookies you’ve ever tasted!
Achieving the perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie involves a combination of the right ingredients and baking techniques. Here’s a guide to help you bake cookies with that ideal chewiness:
Ingredients
- Butter: Use cold butter, and cut it into small cubes.
- Reasons for Using Cold Butter in Cookies
- Texture Control: Cold butter can help control the spread of the cookies. Because it melts more slowly in the oven compared to softened or melted butter, the cookies spread less and can result in a thicker, more substantial texture.
- Moisture Retention: Cold butter can help retain more moisture in the dough, which can contribute to a slightly chewier texture, though not as effectively as melted butter.
- Handling Ease: Cutting cold butter into small pieces makes it easier to incorporate into the dough without overmixing. Overmixing can lead to tough cookies.
- Dark Brown Sugar: Increase the amount of brown sugar in the recipe. Brown sugar contains more moisture and contributes to chewiness.
- White Sugar: I used a lesser amount of white sugar. It helps in getting a slightly crispy edge.
- Eggs: I Use one whole egg and one egg yolk. The extra yolk adds richness and chewiness.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour. Too much flour can make cookies cakey, so measure carefully.
- Cake Flour: Adding a small amount of cake flour can make the cookies softer and chewier.
- Baking Soda: This helps the cookies spread and contributes to the chewy texture.
- Salt: Enhances flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds depth to the flavor.
- Chocolate Chunks: Use a generous amount of high-quality chocolate chunks. I used a bar of 50 % dark chocolate and chopped it into pieces. You can use dark chocolate chips if desired.
Method
- Mixing:
- Sift the all-purpose flour and the cake flour along with the salt and soda.
- In another bowl take the cold butter and cut it into small chunks, like really small chunks, and then add the sugars and give it a good whisk till it’s light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Chilling the Dough:
- Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to an hour. This step is crucial as it solidifies the fat in the cookies, preventing them from spreading too much during baking, which helps maintain a chewy texture. But my ideal chill timing for an exceptionally amazing chewy cookie is at least 24 to 36 hours. Sounds crazy I know but this step results in the best chewy chocolate chip cookies. The cookie is chewy and has a crispy side with a soft chewy gooey center.
- Baking:
- Preheat your oven to 200°C.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop out cookie dough measuring 100 gm per cookie and place them on the baking sheets, leaving enough space between each cookie.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden but the centers are still soft.
- Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips
- Do not overbake: The cookies may look underdone when you take them out, but they will continue to cook on the baking sheet.
- Use room temperature ingredients: Eggs mix more evenly when they are at room temperature.
- Avoid overmixing: Overmixing can incorporate too much air into the dough, leading to a cakier texture.
By following these steps and tips, you’ll be able to bake chewy chocolate chip cookies that are soft in the center with just the right amount of crispiness on the edges.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Sift Flour, Soda, and salt and set aside.
- Take a large bowl and whisk the cold butter which has been cut into small pieces with both the sugars till its nice, light, and fluffy.
- Add the egg and yolk and whisk well. Add the vanilla essence and mix it well.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar mixture and don’t over-mix. Add your chocolate chunks give the cookie dough a quick stir.
- Chill the dough at least for 30 minutes to 1 hour but ideally chill the dough for 24 to 36 hours.
- Once you want to bake them take the chilled dough out till its pliable, take the dough, and make a ball of dough weighing 100 gm (use a weighing machine). Butter a parchment paper well and place it a on a cookie tray (ideally the cookie tray should be light colored as the darker the tray more heat it will absorb)
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and keep the cookie balls at least 4 cm apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the oven take them out as soon as the sides are brown and the cookie is soft in the middle and golden brown outside. Keep the cookies balls baked on the middle rack of the oven,
- Keep the bake baked cookies aside and let them cool down for 15 minutes now take the cookies and place them on the wire rack till cool. Enjoy !
