The Perfect Chunky Cookie

You know that classic question, “Am I the only one?”

Well, am I the only one…that doesn’t like flat, crispy cookies?

Let me tell you a little story.

Yesterday I made cookies.

Sounds like an innocent enough statement, no?

And yet, these cookies just weren’t right.  They were flat.  They were crispy.  And they were practically pure baked butter on the outermost edges.  It was a classic case of the over-spreading cookie.

I was not a happy camper.

So this morning I decided to set out on a little science experiment of culinary sorts. 

First off, these cookies needed an overhaul.  My initial recipe change involved cutting down the butter drastically from two sticks to one stick.  I was a little wary of making such a drastic change, but I grew more confident as I used the mixer to combine the ingredients.  Nothing exploded, nothing spontaneously set afire, and a single stick of butter worked magically.

Below is my rather undetailed lab report, each batch including one fourth of the single-stick-o-butter cookie dough…

Batch #1:   …used le parchment paper.  Simple enough.

Batch #2:  …used cooking spray to grease baking sheet.

Batch #3:  …refrigerated for one hour and used le parchment paper.  The refrigeration period tested my patience, so I read Running Times magazine while I waited.

Batch #4:  …refrigerated, along with Batch #3, for one hour and used cooking spray to grease baking sheet.

Conclusion:  The overarching factor in getting chunkier, taller, and less-spreading cookies (in this particular experiment) was reducing the butter.  This modification helped drastically.  As for the refrigeration, it didn’t seem to make much of a difference.  All the hardened dough really did was cause my ice cream scoop to repeatedly break upon forcing the dough balls onto the baking sheet.  Hmph. 

Also, whatever the parchment paper did was hardly noticeable.  HOWEVER.  The parchment paper was an easy clean-up and I’m always game for not doing the dishes!

The winning batch?

Batch #1, with its hearty cookies and lack of clean-up, won my heart over.  And I guarantee it’ll win your heart over too.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (with Half Whole Wheat) 

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed firm
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups Quaker rolled oats
• 1 12-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Stir together flours, baking soda, and salt. 
3. Add brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat just until well combined. 
4. Manually stir in rolled oats and chocolate chips.
5. Place about 3 Tablespoons’ worth of cookie dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or greased with cooking spray, if you’re dying to wash some dishes).
6. Bake about 13 minutes or until lightly browned.
7. Allow them a couple minutes to cool and then remove cookies from baking sheet. 

(We’ve already discussed the importance of using mini chocolate chips in Whole Wheat Mini Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.  However, there’s a time and place for the mini chips, and this is most certainly not one of them.  These cookies call for the normal sized chips.)

Tagged as: baked goods, chocolate chip, cookies, Desserts, whole wheat