# Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Problems



## myangel956 (Feb 1, 2014)

*I've been having this problem for a while so I thought I would ask for some help. This really applies to other cookies besides the chocolate chip; I have this problem with sugar cookies also. So every time I make cookies I get this fluffy cakey chocolate chip cookie. I've been following measurements to a T, sifting flour before I measure, sifting flour after I measure, or not sifting at all. Over the years I have tried something like 30 different recipes including the Nestle Chocolate chip and the Big, Fat, Chewy cookie recipe on allrecipes.com. I try different variations of the same recipe before I move to the next. I change things like the ingredients I use, changing temperatures, using room temperature butter and eggs, and refrigerating dough before baking it. They always, ALWAYS come out super cakey like this: *http://www.thebakerupstairs.com/2013/10/bakery-style-pumpkin-chocolate-chip.html instead of chewy like this: http://www.beckybakes.net/2010/05/28/crispy-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Has anyone had this problem and found the solution? And does anyone have a recipe that turns out chewy and could you also include the brands of the ingredients.

P.S. We can't eat shortening so please no recipes with that in it.

Thanks in advance!


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

I could not put it any better so check out this link...

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/35551/what-makes-a-cookie-chewy-effects-of-ingredients-question

mimi


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## laurenlulu (Sep 9, 2012)

Pardon me if this is redundant, I haven't looked at the link provided by Mimi.

Cake-like cookies happen for two reasons, added moisture and excess egg. I don't know how many eggs your recipes call for but an average of an egg per 2 cups of flour is about right.

The moisture can come in a variety of ways, physically added of course, or the fat/water content of the butter or margarine you are using. Depending upon that ratio your cookie texture will be affected. The more water, the cakier your cookies will be. Brand matters in this instance.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

Once upon a time I had an eBakery. I needed a recreatable recipe that produced uniform chocolate chip cookies that were neither too cakey or too chewy. I worked with a friend from another forum and we came up with an all butter recipe that worked. I used cold butter and cream the butter and sugar well. Here's the recipe.

Kyle

Ingredients 
AP Flour 2 CUPS 
Cake Flour ¾ CUP 
Salt ½ tsp 
Butter 16 TBS 
Sugar ¾ CUP 
Brn. Suqar ¾ CUP
Eggs 1 Large
Eqq Yolks 1 Large
Baking Soda 3/8 tsp 
Vanilla 1 tsp 
Chocolate Chips 12 Oz.

Cream cold butter and both sugars. 
Lightly mix egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Add to Butter/Sugar.
Sift dry ingredients and add to batter.
Add chips.
Bake TBS sized cookies (I use a #40 scoop) about 14 [email protected] 350º
Makes about 4 dozen


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## triddick1 (Feb 1, 2014)

I'm going to give this recipe a try. How does the dough freeze?


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

I have never frozen it. Next time I might bake 1/2 the batch and freeze the other. I suspect it would do fairly well.

Kyle


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## triddick1 (Feb 1, 2014)

I'll try freezing some as well. Thanks for sharing! This forum makes me awfully hungry.


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## skyler (Jan 27, 2014)

triddick1 said:


> I'm going to give this recipe a try. How does the dough freeze?


triddick1, most cookie doughs freeze beautifully...chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter, and other types of drop cookies. I also freeze sugar cookie and shortbread dough all the time. They hold in the freezer (well wrapped) for a couple months.


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## triddick1 (Feb 1, 2014)

@Skyler Thanks! I just read your posts under eastshores post. I'll give this recipe a try and freeze the extra dough I have left. 4 dozen cookies is just way too much for little 'ol me.


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## skyler (Jan 27, 2014)

You're welcome, triddick!  Freezing cookie dough is convenient.  I start making and freezing dough in early October for holiday cookies in December.  You can also freeze the baked cookies.


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## triddick1 (Feb 1, 2014)

@KyleW I'm stuck in the house due to a wonderful ice storm but I still have power, sooooo what better time to make the recipes I've been dying to make. I am currently eating white chocolate chip cookies, courtesy of your recipe, and they are delicious. Crunchy on the edges, chewy in the center, and just the right amount of saltiness. They get two thumbs up from me. I feel like good chocolate chip recipes are so hard to come by. I used white chocolate chips because that's what I had on hand. I can't wait to try them with macadamia nuts in them, and a sprinkle of sea salt on top, or a chcolate chip with pecans. Thanks for sharing!


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

Glad they worked /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif


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## naturesbliss (Jan 2, 2014)

Are you creaming your butter and sugar too much and incorporating too much air into the batter? This sounds like a mixing issue if this happens over and over again with many different ingredients. Most cookies are mixed until the ingredients are just incorporated, while cakes are a bit more tricky. However not knowing you or seeing what is happening really gives lots for the imagination.


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## cocoanut (Sep 13, 2014)

I've had this problem before as well (usually due to low-fat-high-moisture content), but something that I have found that produces a wonderfully chewy, slightly puffed cookie is by melting the butter instead of creaming it with the sugar. I know this is somewhat unconventional, but for certain recipes it just works. I sift the dry ingredients together while melting the butter, and once it is melted, whisk in the sugar (to cool it slightly), then fold in the dry and add-ins. Another benefit of this is that is makes it very convenient to brown the butter before adding it to a recipe, which, especially when it comes to classic chocolate chip cookies, is a definite plus. Hope I helped!


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## qlderj (Sep 1, 2014)

Absolutely agree melt the butter then add the sugar to it to get more chewy result. I have a new problem though, I have made the same recipe twice in the last month, but 2nd time used a differ3nt brand of choc chip. They were both supposed 'hold shape, no melt' choc chips variety, but the second batch melted quite a bit, particularly having added warmish butter &sugar, changing the consistency of the dough so they were impossible to roll. And final result was not as good. Next batch I will put the chips in the fridge and cool the mixture off a bit more.


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)




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## beecher (Jun 9, 2010)

I absolutely agree with all of these. That's the way I do things! I also reduce the oven temp by about 25 degrees and take them out erring on the side of under done. Larger cookies tend to be easier to get the soft, chewy texture as well, so perhaps try increasing the size.

As to the freezing issue, I portion the the dough into the appropriate cookie size onto a baking sheet no spacing minimum other than they don't touch. I freeze them like that and then package for the freezer with date, type, baking temp and time. They are ready when you want to bake...and you can bake one at a time or as many as you want. They can usually bake from frozen, just add a minute or so to the time.


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## niko1227 (May 6, 2006)

KyleW, I made that chocolate chip cookie recipe, two big thumbs up!




  








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niko1227


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Jun 24, 2017


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## Chrisopotamus (Jul 12, 2017)

My bakery specializes in chewy - it's my favorite texture for most baked goods. We actually use the Alton Brown Good Eats recipe and it literally one of three specific items that launched our first bakery into a success:

https://www.handletheheat.com/alton-browns-chewy-chocolate-chip/

It doesn't require a mixer and since you melt the butter, you don't even have to wait for it to come to room temp. Note that it uses bread flour (the extra gluten adds to the chew) and also ... I can't stress it enough - if it looks cooked in the oven, it's going to be overcooked when it comes out. The outside edge (maybe half a centimeter) should look dry and the inside should still look wet. They'll finish cooking on the tray on the counter. Make sure that you're not using one of the "air insulated" cookie sheets.

They're MUCH better the second and third day, btw, and both the dough and the finished cookie freeze well. They're Legendary. To put these into perspective, our first location was in a mall and we were charging something outrageous - like $2 a cookie. People would buy one, then come back 10 minutes later and ask for one or two dozen (at the same price per cookie). They didn't bat an eyelash paying that price.

Since you like chewy cookies, you may also love the chewy sugar cookie recipe from America's Test Kitchen. (I linked to someone else's site in case you don't have a membership there.) We don't do the glaze part (it isn't in the original recipe). The I posted uses a glass to flatten the sugar cookie, but if you use a 1/4 cup measuring cup that has straight sides, and flatten it so that the cookies just reach the sides, you'll have exactly the perfect thickness and size for the recipe and chewy deliciousness.

http://www.olgasflavorfactory.com/sweets/chewy-sugar-cookies/

The chewy chocolate chip and the sugar cookie recipe are the base for all of our cookies. For example, on the chocolate chip cookie recipe, we'll replace use almond extract instead of vanilla then replace the chocolate chips with dried cherries (using only half the amount). On the sugar cookies, you can add cinnamon to the sugar before rolling and make a chewy "faux" snickerdoodle.

One other thing - it is 100,000% worth it to pick up a $20 scale at Target for weight ingredients. It's much faster and you always get consistent results, and you can also increase a recipe exactly (e.g. - This recipe makes 48 cookies and I need 52). I start assuming that the recipe is 125g per cup flour and 200g per cup of white or brown sugar, then tweak as needed. You kind of get to know who doesn't measure their flour properly (I'm looking at you, Paula Deen!) and get used to adjusting the recipe automatically.

And a cookie scoop (2 tbsp) will change your life.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

niko1227 said:


> KyleW, I made that chocolate chip cookie recipe, two big thumbs up!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


High praise coming from the SysAdmin


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## Chrisopotamus (Jul 12, 2017)

beecher said:


> I absolutely agree with all of these. That's the way I do things! I also reduce the oven temp by about 25 degrees and take them out erring on the side of under done. Larger cookies tend to be easier to get the soft, chewy texture as well, so perhaps try increasing the size.
> 
> As to the freezing issue, I portion the the dough into the appropriate cookie size onto a baking sheet no spacing minimum other than they don't touch. I freeze them like that and then package for the freezer with date, type, baking temp and time. They are ready when you want to bake...and you can bake one at a time or as many as you want. They can usually bake from frozen, just add a minute or so to the time.


beecher - can you share some advice on how you package them for the freezer once frozen? Do you just put the frozen balls right in a gallon ziplock? Or do you have to wrap them in layers with parchment paper first?


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## Chrisopotamus (Jul 12, 2017)

Chrisopotamus said:


> beecher - can you share some advice on how you package them for the freezer once frozen? Do you just put the frozen balls right in a gallon ziplock? Or do you have to wrap them in layers with parchment paper first?


Do you store them in a cambro or Ziplock?


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