Tasting Journal

Tips for Baking Perfect Cookies

I pride myself on my cookies… or at least I used to. My ego crumbled in my hands the other night however, when I decided to try out a different recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I chose Carole Water’s “Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies” from her book, Great Cookies. Mine, however, did not come out soft nor chewy, but more dense and cakey. I was very disappointed. I hadn’t come across cookie ailments in such a long time… I thought I had advanced past that…

After looking over the recipe, I noticed that the list of ingredients called for two eggs, while most others called for one (I normally use one). In Carole’s tips, she noted that doughs containing more egg will result in a cakey-textured cookie… AH HA! There was the answer to my problem… In addition, I also used less butter than the recipe called for (I ran out and was too lazy to run to the store). So much for being a cookie expert…

Here are some other helpful tips that Carole mentions for making great chocolate chip cookies:

1. Using vegetable shortening will not spread the cookies as much as butter.
2. Using a greater ratio of white sugar to brown sugar will produce crisper cookies.
3. Using fresh, soft brown sugar is essential to the quality of the cookie.
4. For a heartier cookie, use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar.
5. Flour must be measured accurately to ensure the quality and consistency of the dough.
6. For a thicker cookie, shape the dough balls in higher mounds.
7. Slightly underbaking the cookie will produce a softer, chewier texture.

See recipe for “Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies” HERE …

Walter, Carole. Great Cookies. New York: Clarkson/Potter, 2003.


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