11/14/10

Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

When it comes to your chocolate chip cookie, how do you want it, texture-wise: Cakey or chewy? Think about it and come up with an answer before you click on the following link.

See, Saveur did the taste testing for us, and while flat and chewy emerged as the clear winner, before I held this knowledge, I had felt very torn. Cakey had sounded fine a moment earlier, but then, like Buddy Garrity and his defection to the East Dillon Lions (You can't fake boosterism!), I quickly ditched the notion of cakey and jumped on the flat-and-chewy bandwagon. That's the consistency of a classic cookie anyway. And I mean, if we wanted cakey, we'd make a cake. Right?


Photo: Todd Coleman
our version:
(Oddly reminiscent of Shopsin's pumpkin pancakes tower!)

Photo essay begins now.
These cookies were delicious. Salty, chocolatey, nutty, flat, and yes, chewy. Unfortunately, the walnuts we used had been in our pantry since the midterm elections (the 1982 ones) and thus, they tasted a little old. From now on, let's make it a rule: All nuts go in the the freezer. Another quick tip: We didn't bother with the food processor for grinding the walnuts. Instead, we gave them a really nice, fine chop and called it a day. Also, this recipe comes at us via Saveur but is based on one published in The Essential New York Times Cookbook. Does anyone have this cookbook? It seems kind of essential, no?


Flat & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups flour
1 scant tbsp. kosher salt
1 1⁄4 tsp. baking soda
1 1⁄2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1⁄4 cups sugar
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. finely shaved bittersweet chocolate
8 oz. finely ground walnuts

1. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside. In a bowl, beat sugars and butter with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, 1–2 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time; beat in vanilla. Add reserved flour mixture, chocolate, and nuts; mix until just combined; chill.

2. Heat oven to 325°. Divide dough into 1-tbsp. portions; roll into balls, transfer to parchment paper–lined baking sheets spaced 3" apart, and flatten. Bake until set, about 15 minutes.


Makes about 60 cookies.

19 comments:

Ol' Buddy G said...

I'll have to talk to the boosters. But, yeah. these cookies look real good.

rebecca said...

I had no idea. I was wondering why, when I made cookies the other night (my favourite type of cookie, which, by the way is thick and crunchy, not chewy or cake-like at all), my husband took a big bite and looked shocked as hell. He said he'd never had a crunchy cookie and it wasn't what he was expecting and he didn't know if it was good or not.

I told him that he was British, like me, and so should be used to crunchy cookies. He reminded me that those are biscuits, not cookies. Cookies, I am told, are always meant to be chewy.

Now I know.

These look very delicious, though.

Matthew said...

Always been one for the chewy cookies. These are awesome -- I've had about 12 of them so far :-/

Mary Anne said...

yesssss....i've ALWAYS been a flat and chewy girl! my mom makes the best flat and chewies: the secret lies in the massive quantities of butter one must use.

i'm totally making these!

mom also has a vintage copy of the new york times cookbook. we do pull it out from time to time but i wouldn't go so far as to say it's "essential"--i'd say it's like a fancier, more sophisticated joy of cooking?

Mary Anne said...

oh never mind... apparently mom's old craig claiborne volume isn't essential at all. amanda hesser is where it's at these days?

Andrea said...

Adam makes a chocolate chip cookie from Cook's Illustrated that is plump and chewy - quite tasty - but these look delicious (and much bigger than the head of the Dutch boy who is the subject of the Vivianne).

And - Buddy Garrity reads your blog!!! Whoa.

Amelia Morris said...

rebecca: thick and crunchy could be good, but maybe your husband will like these?!

andrea: the rare PLUMP and chewy cookie! would love to check out the recipe! Saveur makes it sound like it's all in the baking and heat levels, so now I will pay attention to this when browsing my cookie recipes.

Heather Taylor said...

these really kind of are the best cookies. the salty/sweet! i love them!!!! danger!!!! re. the cookbook - yes, i want it. is it essential? maybe. i think it just might be.

Mary Anne said...

Just made these!! Mine looked just like yours, but were more crispy than chewy. Maybe because I didn't use parchment paper? Anyway, they were DELICIOUS. I love Saveur.

Amelia Morris said...

Mary Anne: lots of ours came out more crispy than chewy and we used parchment paper... I think we may have cooked those ones a bit too long??

Rachel said...

I heard the editor of that cookbook interviewed in NPR. What an interesting task she had. Did you see this article in the NYT? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/dining/10marilyn.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=marilyn%20monroe%20stuffing&st=cse

Mary Ann said...

Definitely get the Essential NY Times cookbook - it's a.m.a.z.i.n.g.

P.S. Love your photos!

Amelia Morris said...

rachel: i completely want to do that recipe!! thank you for sharing!

mary ann: thank you! & consider the book in my online shopping cart. ;)

Andrea said...

Amelia - I can scan you the Cook's Illustrated recipe. Of course, if you were coming to NC for Thanksgiving, I could just hand you a copy.

Coco Cake Land said...

these cookies look mental. also, your photos are very lovely.. glad i found your blog!

^_^

Mark and Marsha said...

Ol' Buddy just tweeted that he and Coach are over yonder at Ray's Barbecue scarfing down some flat and chewies.

Megan Taylor said...

Those look like SURE contenders for my cookie exchange party...how come you all don't live in SF? xo

Ameesha Lee said...

You are my new favourite blog! So many good recipes, I wanna try them all! Uh oh's. Lucky I have a treadmill at home for times of great over-indulgence. Hehe :)

Elizabeth Willis said...

These cookies are addictive! Really enjoy your blog, thanks!