Customizing Your Chocolate Chip Cookie

Ever wonder why some chocolate chip cookies are gooey, some are crunchy, and others are cakey? We all have our own cookie preference (personally I like a combo of all of these) so next time you bake chocolate chip cookies, don't leave it up to chance... get your version of the perfect cookie!

Let's start with the most well known Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe: Nestle Toll House
-2 1/4 cups of flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp salt
-1 cup or 2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
-3/4 cup granulated sugar
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-2 large eggs
-2 cup chocolate chips

Now we need to change the ratios of sugar, butter, and baking soda to make the cookie you desire.

To make gooey/chewy cookies follow the recipe above but change the amount of baking soda, and sugars:
-only use 1/2 tsp of baking soda
-use 1/2 cup granulated sugar
-use 1 cup brown sugar
-bake 8-10 minutes

To make crunchy cookies follow the recipe above but change the amount of baking soda, butter and sugars:
-only use 1/2 tsp of baking soda
-use 2 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
-use 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
-use 3/4 cup brown sugarr-add 1/4 cup water to the wet ingredients when you mix.
-bake 12-15 minutes

To make cakey cookies follow the recipe above but change the amount of baking soda, butter and sugars:
-only use 1/2 tsp of baking soda
-use 1 3/4 sticks of unsalted butter
-use 3/4 cup granulated sugar
-use 1/4 cup brown sugar
-bake 10-12 minutes

Customize your Cookies

Everyone likes a little something special, something made just the way they like it, and who doesn't love cookies?! Although most people think baking is a science not to be messed with, we'd like to encourage you to experiment with any old fashioned recipe to get the cookie results that suit your kids' (or your own) taste buds!

Here are a few tricks that can help you take an old cookie recipe in a new direction and bake experimentally with confidence!

For Flat, Crispy Cookies:

• Use butter
• Replace 1 egg with 3 Tbs milk
• Use a high ratio of white to brown sugar (i.e., for a combined total of 1 1/2 cups sugar, use 1 1/4 cups white sugar and 1/4 brown sugar)
  

For Cakey, Puffy, Fluffy Cookies:

• Use margerine/shortening
• Use cake flour instead of all purpose. (If you don't have cake flour, use my grandma's substitution: measure 1 cup all purpose flour, then remove 1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon and replace with 1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of corn starch. Viola, you have makeshift cake flour.)
  
• Use baking powder in place of baking soda
• Chill dough before scooping to minimize spreading
  

For Moist, Chewy Cookies:

• Melt the butter
• Replace 1 egg white with 2 Tbs milk
• Use a high ratio of brown to white sugar (i.e., for a combined total of 1 1/2 cups sugar, use 1/4 cups white sugar and 1 1/4 brown sugar)
• *Note: If you're baking any cookie recipe a day or two in advance, using a larger proportion of brown sugar to white will encourage moisture to stay in the cookie, making the cookies seem fresher longer (delaying the staling process).

So, next time you're making cookies with the kids, it'll be easy to satisfy whatever texture suits their day!



References: Alton Brown

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB-KVveLp3k&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWoN0PtsIIQ