You would think that baking cookies would be really simple but there my friend you would be mistaken because if you want to recreate the soft, chewy cookies that you would find at a bakery or shop, well I don’t want to say that it is an exact science….but it kind of is.
Generally speaking I have found there are two different types of biscuits:
- the traditional shortbread type
- cookies: either of the chewy or crunchy varieties
Obviously there are many variations with different flavours and textures etc. yet the main difference in these two types that I have noticed is the addition of an egg or two.
Egg-actly the right amount
Eggs are used in baking for a variety of reasons including leavening, structure or binding, richness and even colour. Adding an extra yolk, as I will be doing in my recipe later on, will give my cookies a richer flavour and adds the moisture that helps to keep the cookies soft.
Type of sugar
A lot of cookie recipes that I have seen ask for you to use two different sugars and this is not just because they want to make your life more difficult. Cookies made with white sugar or sweetener have the tendency to be hard and crunchy whereas if you use brown sugar or molasses; hey presto yummy soft cookie.
A mixture of both will give you the best of both worlds.
Chill your dough
Cookie dough that has just been mixed and is still slightly warm is more likely to spread out in the oven. If your cookies are too thin they will no doubt be crunchy. As with most dough based recipes I find that is always a good idea to chill the mix in the fridge for half an hour .
Cooking time
If you leave the tray in the oven just a moment too long your soft chewy cookies will be ruined so remember what Mad Eye Moody taught you: constant vigilance.
Remove the cookies from the oven when they are lightly golden around the edges yet still soft on top. They will be very soft to the touch so leave them to rest on the baking tray (they may still be cooking at this point) before moving to a cooling rack.
Right well now we’ve covered all of that troubleshooting stuff its about time that I let you in on the recipe right?
250g plain flour
2g baking powder
170g (melted) butter
200g brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
325g chocolate chips/chunks
Cream the butter and sugars in a bowl until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla before adding in the flour and baking powder.
Stir until combined.
Finally add the chocolate chips or whatever else you are putting in the cookies.
Chill the dough in the fridge for half an hour
Preheat the oven to 170c
Spoon a heaped teaspoon or walnut sized blob onto a baking tray but don’t flatten it or try to make it look even as the flatter the cookie the more likely it is to be crunchy.
Bake for 15-17 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges.
Remove from the oven but leave the cookies on the tray for a few minutes as they are still cooking and are very soft. If you try to move them too soon your cookies will break.
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