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PERFECT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Makes 16 cookies. Published May 1, 2009. From ATK Books. Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips, see related tasting. IN GR E D IE N T S 1 3/4 cups unble ache d all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounce s) 1/2 te a spoon bak ing soda 14
table spoons unsa lte d butte r (1 3/4 stick s)
1/2 cup granulate d suga r (3 1/2 ounce s) 3/4 cups pack e d da rk brown suga r (5 1/4 ounce s) (se e note ) 1
te a spoon table salt
2
te a spoons va nilla e x tract
1
large e gg
1
large e gg yolk
1 1/4 cups se m iswe e t chocola te chips or chunk s (se e note ) 3/4 cup choppe d pe can or walnuts, toaste d (optional)
IN S T R UCT ION S 1.
1 . Adjust ov en rack to m iddle position and heat ov en to 3 7 5 degrees. Line 2 large (1 8- by 1 2 -inch) baking sheets with parchm ent paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in m edium bowl; set aside.
2.
2 . Heat 1 0 tablespoons butter in 1 0-inch skillet ov er m edium -high heat until m elted, about 2 m inutes. Continue cooking, sw irling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty arom a, 1 to 3 m inutes. Rem ov e skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bow l. Stir rem aining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until com pletely m elted.
3.
3 . Add both sugars, salt, and v anilla to bowl with butter and w hisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and y olk and w hisk until m ixture is sm ooth w ith no sugar lum ps rem aining, about 3 0 seconds. Let m ixture stand 3 m inutes, then w hisk for 3 0 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 m ore tim es until m ixture is thick, sm ooth, and shiny . Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour m ixture until just com bined, about 1 m inute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giv ing dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets rem ain.
4.
4 . Div ide dough into 1 6 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #2 4 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Sm aller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3
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5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a tim e until cookies are golden brown and still puffy , and edges hav e begun to set but centers are still soft, 1 0 to 1 4 m inutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies com pletely before serv ing. R E CIP E T E S T IN G
Don't Bake in Batches Baking two trays at a time may be convenient, but it leads to uneven cooking. The cookies on the top tray are often browner around the edges than those on the bottom, even when rotated halfway through cooking.
TOP RA CK
BOTTOM RA CK
R E CIP E T E S T IN G
Creating a New Classic Here's how we improved on the Toll House classic to create an even better cookie.
TOLL HOUSE RECIPE:
OUR RECIPE: More Brown
Equal A mounts Brown and
Sugar
White Sugar
Using more brown sugar than
A 1-1 ratio of brown to white
white makes for a chewier
sugar creates a cookie that's
cookie.
TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Creamed Solid Butter
Creaming butter creates a cakier texture in cookies.
neither crisp nor chewy.
OUR RECIPE: Browned, Melted Butter
M elting butter contributes to chewiness; browning it enhances flavor.
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TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: 2
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OUR RECIPE: 1 Whole
Whole Eggs
Egg, 1 Yolk
Whole eggs contribute to a
Eliminating one egg white also
drier texture.
boosts chewiness.
TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Beat and Bake
Baking the dough immediately after mixing doesn't allow the sugar to dissolve as fully as possible.
TOLL HOUSE RECIPE: Less
OUR RECIPE: More Dough
Dough
Three tablespoons of dough
The smaller the cookie, the
per cookie increases its crisp-
more uniform its texture.
chewy contrast.
OUR RECIPE: Whisk and Wait
Whisking sugar into the liquid ingredients and then waiting 10 minutes allows more of it to dissolve, setting up better flavor and texture.
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T E CH N IQUE
M easure It Right Even a tablespoon too much or too little flour can have an impact on cookies. Here's how to measure accurately.
PREFERRED: WEIGH
SECOND-BEST: DIP A ND
FLOUR
SWEEP
For the greatest accuracy,
Dip a dry measuring cup into
weigh flour before using it. Put
the flour, sweeping away
a bowl on a scale, hit the "tare"
excess flour with a flat edge.
button to set the scale to zero,
This method yields more
and scoop the flour into the
accurate results than spooning
bowl.
flour into a measuring cup.
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