Crispy & Chewy Cookies

Saad_94717

Hello Guys,

The following are some of the questions I've had whilst trying to make Crispy & Chewy (Chocolate-Chip) Cookies:

Aren't we better off using melted butter (I use brown-butter for a nuttier and more complex flavour and aroma) and mixing that in with the sugar? Creaming the butter with the sugar would result in a lighter/cakier mixture which is not as chewy as desired. Using melted better will prevent too much air from getting incorporated into the dough.
Should we use a high-protein, gluten-rich flour, e.g. bread flour for making the dough and then knead/work the dough to help develop more gluten? Most recipes call for AP/pastry flour.

Wouldn't it be better to cook the cookies at a lower temperature first, say 120-150°C until the internal temperature reaches 65-80°C, and then blast them with max heat, say 300°C to get a brown and crispy exterior?

Let me know your thoughts. Thank you.

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tshewman

I'm a big brown butter fan and generally do that in winter months (for oatmeal raisin and chocolate chip) because of he deeper flavor. Summer cookies I don't (though I do more oatmeal raisin in summer). I maintain the same temp (~325F) but move them from lower to upper 1/3 in the oven which gets them slightly crispier. Just my .02

fisher23

In my opinion the CS recipe is the best cookie I have ever made. Using bread flour or high gluten flour will make a more cake like cookie. The gluten will cause it to raise more. Melted butter will work making a cookie but they will be crisper and not as chewy. The pressing of the cookie is what makes all the difference to me. If you want them crisper cook them a bit longer. I do two things different from the CS recipe, I add about 1/2 tea spoon of liquid soy letcithin and then I vacuum the dough in a bag to help it hydrate, let it sit for 10 minutes. Then portion and refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Please tell us how they turn out. Everyone tells me they love them, crispy edges chewy centers.

dancurren

I like to make brown butter, chill it an then whip it into whipped butter and chill before creaming with sugar. The process of creaming creates a matrix of butter and sugar while the constant beating aerates this matrix - it traps in pockets of air. This is a process known as mechanical leavenig helps. Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar apparently creams butter and sugar for 10 minutes! Of course, the more cream the cookie the more air is incorporated and the lighter the cooki e (so Iess creaming for denser cookies). With liquid brown butter, you won' have a rigid matrix to hold air pockets and you may have a cookie that is too dense. Also, this matrix helps to grab hold of the butter fat and prevents it from spreading (melting) too quickly during baking - as does having the butter chilled and then rechilling after creaming (th friction of the beaters partially melts or warms th butter). With liquid bu tter mixed with sugar and flower, you may find your cookies thin and crispy.

dancurren

Sorry f or the typos, using this for on a blackberry is a disaster

dancurren

High temp to set the cookies so the dough firms up before it can spread. With low temp your cookies may spread to thin before they set but I haven't tried so only theory.

Saad_94717

Couple of questions:

How will bread flour produce cake-like cookies? And how can gluten promote rise in the dough? Going by bread doughs made using bread flour, I am inclined to think that bread flour should produce a more elastic dough and hence a chewier cookie with a better bite.
What does the addition of liquid soy lecithin do?

Saad_94717

Yeah, that's a good point! Thank you!

fisher23

It just helps keep everything in suspension, it is an emulsifier. You probably don't need it, I put it in most of my baking.

Saad_94717

Yes indeed. Incorporating air will result in lighter, more aerated/cakey cookies. I like a dense, chewy cookie. Hence, the preference for melted better.