There’s a deep nostalgia for chocolate chip cookies, and everyone with an affinity for this classic treat has a different take on what characteristics are most important to the “perfect” cookie. Probably.
Some people are all about chocolate: chips, chunks, semi-sweet, bittersweet, others brown butter to create the perfect chewy crust, or use flaky salt as a finishing touch. Some people say it’s all about improving technology.
But for King Arthur Baking Company’s team of recipe development experts, reinventing recipes allows bakers of all levels to make classic baked goods with a twist on never-before-seen techniques and make them even better. You will be able to make large cookies. Bolder and more delicious than anything I’ve tasted before.
Make cinnamon rolls called King Arthur Baking’s Recipe of the Year
“This is a new take on chocolate chip cookies, and it takes a little more time and intention than your average one-bowl chocolate chip cookie recipe, but it’s so much more worth it,” said the Test Kitchen team. “Whether your baker is constantly experimenting with different chocolate chip cookie recipes or you have a go-to favorite, make this recipe and join the conversation about extra-large, super-soft chocolate chip cookies. I hope.”
To confirm that the content is as per the title, 2024 Recipe of the YearIt took Molly Marszalek-Kelly and her team two years, 75 tests, and more than 1,200 cookies to create a chocolate chip cookie worthy of the title in their test kitchen.
“People are very passionate” about the baked goods, said Key Ameden, a King Arthur veteran and one of five team members who helped develop the company’s 11th recipe this year. He told “Good Morning America” that he understands his concerns. He collaborated on “what problems could this recipe solve, like not having to wait for the butter to soften, etc.” and ranked the ideal things that would make the recipe the best it could be.
“There are so many ways to make great chocolate chip cookies. We wanted to come up with something new, innovative and different,” Ameden said. “It’s a completely different kind of chocolate chip cookie recipe, so this year I intentionally stirred the pot a little bit.”
Features of King Arthur’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
This recipe has some important differences. First, brown butter. It creates a deep, nutty, complex flavor in the dough.
The second is the use of a technique called . TangzhongAs Ameden explains, “pre-cooking some of the liquid in the recipe with some of the flour” is common in milk bread recipes, “but we’re I was really excited about the idea of trying it with cookie dough because it really gives you a nice, soft texture that you don’t have in cookies before. ”
To make this technique less intimidating for home bakers, Ameden encouraged them, especially since “you’re already at the stove because you just browned the butter.”It couldn’t be easier.
“We’re trying to break it down to the basics of what it actually does: cook flour and milk on the stove in less than five minutes,” she said. “It’s very basic, but the skillet is already hot, so it takes about two minutes. If you do this, you’ll end up with the most textured cookies you’ve ever had.”
The recipe calls for strong flour, which Ameden says “creates a soft texture with a little bit of curvature that stays that way for several days.” The result is a cookie that “has a very soft texture when you bite into it, but with a little crunch on the edges.”
Additionally, this recipe requires you to chill the dough in the refrigerator overnight, which will add moisture to the dough, enhance its flavor, and help prevent the cookies from spreading while baking.
Finally, there is another important attribute that distinguishes this cookie. No special equipment required. The entire recipe is completed by hand using a whisk, so you don’t need a fancy stand mixer.
Check out the complete recipe below and additional cookie baking tips from Ameden. If you have any comments or questions, be sure to share them with our team of experts.
Super soft chocolate chip cookies
“When I set out to create a chocolate chip cookie worthy of the Recipe of the Year title, I knew I had to create a version that combined ingredients and techniques in a way I had never seen before. , the result is a large, super-buttery cookie that’s full of deep caramel flavor thanks to the nutty brown butter.The texture is very soft and slightly curved. [which] Made from tangzhong starter and breadcrumbs, it provides a satisfying bite. And then there’s chocolate. A handful of shredded semi-sweet wafers adds sweetness and complexity, pushing chocolate chip cookies into bolder, richer, and more sophisticated territory than ever before. ”
Preparation time:35 minutes
Baking time:15-22 minutes
total time: 1 day and 1 hour (taking into account relaxation/rest)
yield: 16-17 large (4 inch) cookies or 28 medium (3 inch) cookies
material
2 cups (426g) light brown sugar, packaged
2 teaspoons table salt
16 tablespoons (226 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup (113g) milk, preferably whole milk
King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour 2 3/4 cups (330g) divided
Two large, cold eggs from the refrigerator
King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract 1 tablespoon
1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (340g) semisweet chocolate, preferably 60% to 65% cocoa content
*For best results, use chopped wafers or bars. If using chocolate chips, coarsely chop them before mixing.
Instructions
Combine brown sugar and salt in a large bowl. Let’s set it aside.
To brown butter: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. After a few minutes, the butter will start to sizzle and may splatter.
Continue to cook the butter, rotating the pan regularly, until the butter is deep golden brown and brown bits begin to collect at the bottom of the pan, about 5 to 7 minutes. The butter may stop sizzling and a layer of bubbles may form on the surface.
Once the butter is brown, immediately pour it over the sugar mixture (make sure to scrape up any brown bits at the bottom) and whisk vigorously to combine. This melts the sugar and creates a glossy surface on the baked cookies. Set the empty pot aside to cool slightly.
To make tangzhong: In the same pot that you used to brown the butter, whisk together the milk and 3 tablespoons (23 g) of strong flour until there are no lumps left.
Place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring regularly with a flexible spatula, until the mixture thickens and becomes a paste and begins to form into one lump, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and transfer directly to the bowl with the butter and sugar. Whisk until almost smooth. Some lumps in the tangzhong mixture are okay.
Add eggs and vanilla and continue whisking until smooth.
Lightly scoop the remaining 2 1/2 cups and 1 tablespoon (307 g) of strong flour into the cup, wipe off the excess flour, and measure. Add the flour to the bowl with the butter and sugar, then add the baking powder and baking soda. Using a flexible spatula, stir until well mixed and no dry spots remain.
Place the bowl, uncovered, in the refrigerator to cool for 10-15 minutes.
While the dough is cooling, roughly chop the chocolate using a serrated knife. Be careful not to chop the chocolate too finely or it will melt when mixed into the batter. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, add the chopped chocolate and mix. Cover the bowl and return to the refrigerator to chill for 24 to 72 hours to intensify the flavors.
To bake cookies: When you’re ready to bake, remove the chilled cookie dough from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes to warm up slightly. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.
Scoop out 85g to 90g of the dough. Rebel scones and muffin scoops work well here. If scooping by hand, the mound of dough should be about 2 1/4 inches in diameter. To make smaller cookies (but still a good size), use a jumbo cookie scoop to divide the dough into 50g portions.
Place scooped cookie dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, 3 to 4 inches apart. (90g cookies can be laid out in a 2-1-2 pattern; 50g cookies can be laid out in a 4 x 2 pattern, slightly staggered.) To create consistently shaped cookies, roll each piece of dough Roll into a smooth ball and place on top. Prepared baking sheet.
Bake large chocolate chip cookies (90g) for 18-22 minutes and small cookies (50g) for 15-18 minutes, until edges are set and cookies are golden brown. Rotate the bread halfway through baking to ensure even browning. (For best results, bake cookies in one pan at a time.)
Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes until cool enough to handle.
Storage information: Store leftover chocolate chip cookies, covered, for up to 5 days. The slightly crunchy edges will soften and the cookies will maintain a soft texture. Baked cookies can be frozen for long-term storage.
Tips from a baker
To avoid scooping cold (relatively hard) cookie dough: After chilling for about 1-2 hours (step 11), scoop the dough and return it to the refrigerator to continue chilling for 24-72 hours. Follow the recipe given elsewhere.
More complex and less sweet taste: Replace up to 1 cup (170 g) of semisweet chocolate with bittersweet chocolate (70% to 75% cocoa content).
Bake immediately (no need to rest overnight): Chop the chocolate and prepare according to the recipe (Step 10). Prepare a parchment paper sling in a 9-inch x 13-inch pan. Lightly coat the exposed short sides of the pan with nonstick spray. Add the chopped chocolate and immediately transfer the dough to the prepared tin. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake at 350°F for 34-38 minutes until well browned and set. If you insert a toothpick or thin knife into the center, the moist crumbs will come out, but not the raw dough.
Allow the cookie bars to cool completely, then use a sling to remove the cookie bars from the mold and slice into bars.
Cookie dough scooped with a spoon can also be frozen. Bake until the edges of the frozen cookie dough are set and the cookies are golden brown, about 22 to 24 minutes. These cookies spread slightly less than cookie dough baked after 24 hours in the refrigerator, but retain their signature glossy appearance, soft texture, and caramel flavor.
To make this recipe gluten-free: Replace the bread flour with an equal amount of King Arthur gluten-free bread crumbs. For the best overall texture, press the scooped cookie dough down with your fingers until it is about 3 inches in diameter. Bake for an additional 2 to 4 minutes (about 20 to 26 minutes total) until cookies are firm to the touch. .
To reproduce the recipe, King Arthur Baking Company.