It doesn't take much to achieve melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness when it comes to chocolate chip cookies. After all, it's a dessert that tastes great even if you don't put much effort into it. However, this does not imply that you should be satisfied with anything 'basic'. In fact, because these cookies start out so well, you only need one or two simple tweaks to make them even better—and to personalise them to your preferences.
Are you ready to up your chocolate chip cookie game? Try some of these tricks to easily enhance your favourite cookies.
Use of salted butter
Almost every chocolate chip cookie recipe asks for a pinch of salt, but the added salt in salted butter brings the sweetness of the cookies to a new level.
If you use salted butter, make sure to leave out the amount of salt called for in the recipe. A little salt goes a long way, but too much salt is simply salty.
Room temperature eggs
Using cold eggs in a high-fat batter (like cookie dough) might cause the fat to re-harden, resulting in a lumpier dough. It's best to take your eggs out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you start baking.
Create a ratio between white and brown sugar
Equal amounts of brown and white sugar are required for the perfect chocolate chip cookie. A crispier cookie is obtained by increasing the amount of white sugar and decreasing the amount of brown sugar. A denser, chewier cookie can be made by doing the opposite. Furthermore, molasses is used to make brown sugar; the darker the brown sugar, the more molasses it contains. So go for a 2-to-1 dark-brown-to-white ratio if you want a cookie with a richer, more toffee-like flavour.
Chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Because chocolate chips are often smaller, you can fit more of them into a single cookie. Chocolate chunks melt more quickly, resulting in a gooier chocolate flavour in your cookies. However, in the end, this is a personal choice. Whichever cookie you want will be the best match for your preferences.
Chill the dough
You may be eager to devour your cookies as quickly as possible, but patience pays off handsomely. Chilling the dough is an important step in creating chocolate chip cookies; it not only allows the flavours to merge but it also improves the texture and rise of the cookies.
Bake for the shortest recommended time
Most chocolate chip cookie recipes will offer you a range of baking times; for example, chocolate chip cookies should be baked for between 9 and 11 minutes. Set your timer for the shortest amount of time possible, then check on your cookies. If the bottoms are set and just beginning to brown, they're done no matter how much time is left on the clock. (And if they still take a little longer to bake, that's fine, the bake time is a range rather than a precise number because every oven is different.)
Use paper bags to cool your cookies
The paper bag cooling method accomplishes two goals: it prevents air from entirely circulating around the cookie, removing moisture and resulting in a crispier cookie; and it absorbs some of the additional grease created as the cookies cool.
After you've gone to the work of preparing the ideal chocolate chip cookies, make sure you store them properly to prevent them from going stale. Pour yourself a glass of cool milk to accompany your delicious treat, kick your feet up, and enjoy a cookie or two