Friday, January 16, 2009

Dessert Bible: Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

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The neverending search for the best chocolate chip cookies continue..like it ever stops! Even though I think I found my favourite in CI's thick and chewy, I just can't help but think that there's something better out there. CI's CCC definitely has the best flavour, but I find that their chewiness is more soft than chewy and the crispy edges are gone a few hours later. Is the melted butter making the cookies too soft? They say that melted butter is the key for chewiness because it allows for more gluten development, but there are many cookies made with creamed butter that are chewy too. Maybe it's the large amount of brown sugar or the extra egg yolk.. seriously, this was driving me crazy so I just had to make another batch of CCC's even though I'm on a major butter overdose.

I found a recipe by Chris Kimball in the Dessert Bible had the same ratio of ingredients as the CI recipe except for the use of some shortening instead of butter, an extra egg white instead of egg yolk and baking powder instead of baking soda. It also creamed the fat instead of melting the butter. This was the perfect recipe to try because the ratio of ingredients were basically the same as CI's with a few minor variations and a different mixing method. To make the most out of this batch of cookies I also compared baking powder and soda. After creaming the butter, shortening, sugar and eggs I divided the mixture evenly by weight. Then I measured out half the dry ingredients following the original recipe in the Dessert Bible and half the dry ingredients with baking soda substituted for baking powder.

cookiechocolatechipdessertbible (2)

Now I could compare these cookies with my usual go to, the thick and chewy and also compare the dessert bible recipe using different leavening. To make it completely fair, I used a medium cookie scoop to portion them out and baked both baking powder and baking soda versions on the same cookie sheet at the same time at 325. Even though the Dessert Bible uses 375, I knew the bottoms would burn before the tops could properly set in my oven. I also alternated the cookies, just in case one half of my oven was cooler or warmer than the other. On the left, we have the baking powder cookie and on the right, we have the baking soda cookie.

cookiechocolatechipdessertbible

Compared to CI's thick and chewy, these were definitely less buttery. They had an extra crunch to them, but was not worth the sacrifice in flavour. Between the baking powder and baking soda versions from the Dessert Bible, there was a difference in texture that was more noticeable as the cookies cooled. By the way, I refrigerated the dough for 36 hours (because I'm sure we all know by now after the endless posts on the NYT recipe that refrigeration makes better cookies!)

What I learned:
* Baking powder sets up a cookie faster in the oven, producing a thicker cookie and baking soda produces more spread and crisp. Both leaveners produced chewy cookies, but the chew in the baking powder cookie was more of a 'doughy chew'
* Shortening makes the edges crispier, but there was a huge compromise in flavour and a slight greasiness so it's all butter from now on. Plus, the crispiness eventually goes away so it didn't really make a difference and was not worth it.
* Creaming produces chewy cookies too! (I guess as long as the amount of brown sugar is large enough)

Overaly, my ranking is: CI > Dessert Bible with baking soda (modified) > Dessert Bible with baking powder (original). Even though CI still comes up on top, I'm still searching for the best CCC. At least now I've settle my curiosity in using shortening and baking powder vs baking soda. I'll definitely have to make another batch of cookies! Hopefully, the search ends next time.

27 comments:

  1. I love your magic baking powder haha I still have yet to try CI's version. Maybe this weekend...

    Oh and if it makes you feel any better, I really don't go to Le Gourmet Chef that often because I don't have a car on campus.

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  2. Wow. You've been doing some serious baking, huh? The cookies look great. Interesting stuff, Steph! :o)

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  3. Thanks for sharing your tests with us. It is always good to learn something new.

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  4. So interesting! Thank you so much for doing all of this legwork -- I feel like I can just swoop in and gain all the benefits of your testing. Let us know if you hit upon the undisputed CCC champ!

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  5. Wow- what an intense taste test. I will have to get in on it someday since my hubby loves ccc. They all look good to me!

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  6. i love your tests! hehe... your guinea pigs must be really happy :)

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  7. I love that you are doing this. Thanks for sharing your results.

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  8. Wow that looks like fun! I love all types of chocolate chip cookies and find all the different investigations fascinating. Hope you find the perfect one soon :)

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  9. Very interesting! I just posted on the CI cookies, too.
    So - if you had made the Dessert Bible Modified cookies with all butter, would there have been any difference between those and the CI cookies, do you think? At that point it's just an egg white vs. egg yolk, and creaming vs. melting, right?

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  10. I've been filing away all these CCC comparison recipes I'm now completely confused. Thanks for the very enlightening post :)

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  11. Have you tried the Neiman Marcus one? I really like that one. These cookies look gorgeous! Hope you find your perfect cookie soon. As for crispness, I don't think I've ever come across a cookie that stayed crisp for days. They're always best on the first day.

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  13. I love this post. I too love baking cookies and trying out a variety of recipes or tweaking the ones I love. Currently I have been adapting the CI cookie by subbing cream cheese for the eggs, adding more flour etc. MMMM good!

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  14. this is really interesting. thanks for sharing your findings, I was always curious about the different recipes. Well the cookies all look good you made me feel like a cookie :)

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  15. As a little tip, I find when I use finely granulated sugar (here in Ireland it's Caster sugar), the edges get a nice crispness (without sacrificing the inner chewy) that lasts for days! Even just slightly increasing the amount of sugar should help.
    These look delicious! Anytime I think I've found the CCC recipe I'm going to stick with I see a new one I want to try.

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  16. wow tastiest ever experiment! They look sensational ChocChip Cookies= deliciousness wrapped in scrumptiousness! (i'm obsessed lol)
    xo

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  17. The chocolate chip cookie - the Holy grail of baking! Love your experiment very informative.

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  18. Wow.. the one with baking soda looks great!

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  19. Great post on your cookie testing experiment! Thanks for sharing your thoughts and results!

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  20. i, too am on a neverending search for the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie. i have baked several different batches this last week, in search for my "go to" recipe. thanks for doing the legwork that i have always wanted to do (but haven't found the time to do so)...i.e., baking powder vs baking soda; creaming vs melting butter; to refrigerate the dough vs not. the variations go on and on! i think about the ratio of brown sugar to white sugar...should i use finely granulated sugar vs regular. unsalted vs salted butter? 350 degrees or 375? can you see, i'm just as obsessed?! lol

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  21. just made a batch but used 1/4 tsp of bs and 1/4 tsp of bp. also subbed all golden brown sugar for the brown and white sugar. will let you know how they turn out! ps - for the past decade i've been using a ratio of 2 to 1 chocolate chips to caramel chips and EVERY one of my friends and family are hooked--the caramel gives an amazing amount of depth to the cookie!

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  22. Thank You!
    I was wondering about the baking soda vs powder AND whether the adding shortening (like KA version) was losing some butter flavor, but needed to be there for the crisp edges.
    My experiments are making for yummy results, but way too much cookie eating! You saved me a couple of calories.
    I choose recipes by the picture. Your BSoda is the perfect cookie ... to me :)

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  23. Thank you!! The clarification of what is chewy and crunchy is JUST what I needed! I'm making them right now! I can't thank you enough.

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  24. Good one on chocolate chip cookies. I would like to try this one. It seems to be very tasty. I love lot baking cookies. Good informative blog.

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  25. I can SO relate to this post! I have been using my choc chip cookie recipe for years, but I will try a new one every now and then. Tried CI's and wasn't very impressed. Tried a copycat recipe of Levain's bakery, not impressed. Yesterday I tried the NYT recipe against my own in a blind taste test. Still not really that impressed. One thing that I thought was interesting was they used baking powder and baking soda. I normally just use baking soda. I thought the NYT recipe were very pretty but I didn't think the taste was that spectacular. I also just weigh all the ingredients so you get a more accurate result every time. I also have been playing around with the temp. I tried today baking them at 300 and I really like the result. It is funny to find that someone else out there is as OCD as me over a chocolate chip cookie!! I think my husband thinks I am nuts. :)
    Renee

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