Monday, 02 November 2009

• The Science of Chocolate Chip Cookies

  
  

  The Science of Chocolate Chip Cookies
  How to vary Techniques and Ingredients to bake your perfect cookie
  

  
  
  
  

  Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chunk, Peanut Butter Chip and Macadamia Nut Cookies
  

  
  
  

   
  Dark Chocolate Chip and Macadamia Nut Thin & Crispy Cookies
  

  
  This is the Seventh Week of IReallyLikeFood's Challenge Of The Week Showcase, featuring ingredients and themes which readers and contributors use as a base for creating dishes.
   
  This Seventh Week, it's a Theme:  Cookies
  
  Today we'll be exploring how varying the Techniques and Ingredients in the Chocolate Chip Cookie making process can affect the end result of your cookie; and how you can use the variations in Techniques and Ingredients to custom-tailor your perfect cookie.  We'll learn how these Ingredients function, some of the science behind Cookie Baking, and why do what you do when you make Chocolate Chip Cookies.  We'll also cover tips, troubleshooting and address common errors.
  
  By the time we are done today, you will have sufficient knowledge to begin crafting your own perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie; and be able to create your own recipe.
  
  
  
  

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  Most cookies and every Chocolate Chip Cookie can be broken down into a basic set of ingredients:  Flour, Fat, Sugar, Leavener, Liquid, Flavorings, and Stuff.
  
  
  Stuff refers to Chocolate Chips, nuts and any other additions that usually designate what a Chocolate Chip Cookie is.  The problem with this is that while "White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookie" is informative in the way that it tells you what the Stuff is, it's completely un-informative as to what the vehicle cookie is.  Is it Thin-and-Crispy?  Thick and Chewy?  Cakey?  We don't know.  And as cookie eaters tend to be polarized between these types, ending up with the wrong kind of vehicle cookie can be pretty upsetting.
  
  We're going to solve that problem here, by examining the rest of the ingredients, and the techniques used to incorporate and prep them prior to baking.  And then we're going to take what we learn here, and bake two kinds of cookies:  Thin and Crispy, and Thick and Chewy.
  
  Using these Ingredient Guidelines, you can adjust any recipe you have on hand to produce a more favorable result.  These guidelines work for ALL cookies, not just Chocolate Chip Cookies:
  
  
  Flour, protein content and its effects:
  
  

  Usually when baking cookies, you use one of three kinds of flour:  All Purpose (AP) Flour, Bread Flour or Cake Flour.  Depending on what you want your end result to be, you can choose your Flour based on its protein content. 
  
  All Purpose (AP) Flour is the standard Flour used most often, and is a Medium Protein flour.  Cake Flour is a Low Protein Flour.  The low protein content soaks up less moisture than AP Flour, making more available for steam production.  Steam rises the batter, producing a more cake-like batter.  Bread Flour is High Protein.  High Protein Flour is used when the desired result is chewiness, because the high protein content encourages more gluten formation.  More moisture will also stay in the cookie because of its ability to hold more moisture.
  
  

  • AP (All Purpose) Flour - Medium Protein, Standard for Baking
  • Bread Flour - High Protein - Chewier because of Gluten formation
  • Cake Flour - Low Protein - Cakeier... Cakey-er.  Whatever.

  
  
  Liquid stuff (Eggs, Milk and their effects)
  
  

  Generally speaking, when baking a cookie, you use some combination of Eggs and Milk to provide the majority of the liquids in a cookie batter.  If you want a chewier cookie, you can replace whole eggs with equal amounts of Yolk only.  Or if you want a crispier, drier cookie, you can do the same, except with Whites.  If you want more spread, remove Eggs and use Milk.  If you want less spread, remove Milk and use Eggs.
  
  

  • Whole Eggs - Standard (balanced)
  • Yolk Only - Chewier texture
  • White Only - Crispier, drier texture
  • Milk - Replacing Eggs with Milk promotes spreading of batter

  
  
  Fats; Butter vs. Shortening and temperatures:
  
  

  For cookie baking, most people use either Butter or Shortening.  What most people don't realize is that the temperature and technique of integrating the fat into the dough has an effect on the end result. 
  
  Now here's the trade-off you have to decide on:  Using Melted Butter, the moisture from the butter immediately combines with the flour in the dough, for better gluten formation, giving you a chewier cookie but also a cookie that spreads more.  However, it doesn't incorporate as well using the Creaming Method; where in using Cold Butter, the butter is whipped with sugar and the sugar crystals cut the butter apart, allowing air bubbles to form in the mixture, and thus allowing superior incorporation and even distribution of the other ingredients into the dough -- also, this batter spreads LESS, because of the superior structure.
  
  Butter also has a very sharp and relatively low melting point -- meaning, there's a very small difference in the temperature at which it's a liquid and which it's a solid.  Shortening has a higher melting point, so using Shortening instead of butter will give your cookie more time to rise and set, resulting in a taller, thicker cookie.
  
  

  • Butter, Cold - Forms "bubbles" when air is whipped into it, superior incorporation
  • Butter, Melted - Better gluten formation, gluten = chewier; but spreads more
    
  • Butter Flavored Shortening - Higher melting temperature, taller, thicker cookie

  
  

  
  Sugar; White and Brown and its effects:
  
  

  The ratio of White Sugar to Brown Sugar used is directly related to how Crisp to how Chewy the end cookie is.  It also is directly related to how "rich" the cookie tastes; as Brown sugar provides more of a Molasses/ Butterscotch flavor that is common to Chocolate Chip Cookie dough, and White Sugar provides more of the refined "sugary" flavor common to Sugar Cookie dough.
  
  The higher the ratio of White Sugar to Brown Sugar, the crisper the cookie will be.  However, using too little Brown sugar makes a cookie taste more like a Sugar Cookie.  As a cookie cools, the sugars crystallize, and the cookie hardens.  Brown sugar contains 35% more moisture (because of the Molasses) and is more hygroscopic, meaning it will attract that much more moisture from the air, allowing for chewier cookies even after cooling.  Light Brown sugar, which is a good balance between White and Brown, contains half the molasses as Brown.  You can also use a bit of Corn Syrup, which browns at a lower temperature than sugar.  It gives surface of the cookie a shiny crackly texture.
  
  

  • White Granulated - Low in Molasses, Crisper, Purer in Sugary
  • Light Brown - Medium in Molasses, Chewy, Good Flavor
  • Dark Brown - High in Molasses, Chewiest, Richest, Tenderness
  • Corn Syrup - Browns at lower temperature, gives surface a shiny, crackly look

  
  

  
  Leaveners; Baking Soda and Baking Powder, and what they do:
  
  

  Baking Soda and Baking Powder are two ingredients commonly found in baked goods.  Without it, you tend to get an end product that is very dense.  This is because through chemical reactions, they produce carbon dioxide gas that give "rise" to dough.  Baking Soda is Akaline, and produces these bubbles immediately when mixing.  Baking soda also enhances browning reactions.  Baking Powder is Baking Soda with a built-in acid like Cream of Tartar -- this makes it generally pH neutral.  Baking Powder, however, can be Double-Action, however; and produce bubbles once during the mixing, and again later during the baking, giving for more "rise" in the dough, even during baking.
  
  Baking soda reduces the acidity of the batter, raising the temperature at which the batter sets.  Increasing the Baking Soda in a recipe makes for a flatter cookie.  Akaline batter also sets slower, allowing for more spreading.  Replacing Baking Soda with Baking powder increases the acidity of the dough.  Acidic batter sets quicker, spreads less.
  
  

  • Baking Soda:  Akaline, produces bubbles immediately, needs to be baked ASAP
  • Baking Powder:  Single or double action, pH balanced, more rise

  
  
  
  Flavorings; Extracts, Salt, and Others:
  
  

  Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie dough usually contains Vanilla Extract and Salt.  I cannot emphasize enough, do not forget the salt and do not purposely omit the salt thinking it's more healthy, or it's weird to have salt in a cookie.  It is a necessary component of the cookie's flavor profile.  Vanilla Extract is also; but if you're feeling adventurous, feel free to experiment with other extracts, especially when adding similar ingredients into your cookie.
  
  Other things you can add to change flavor and texture are Crushed Oats, Ground Nuts, Spices like Nutmeg and Ginger, fruit rind like Orange, or Cocoa or Espresso Powder -- the possibilities are limitless, only bound by your own creativity. 
  
  The most important thing to remember when adding additional flavorings into your cookie is this:  If adding significantly more wet flavoring, make sure you add more dry ingredients to compensate.  If adding significantly more dry flavoring (like espresso or cocoa powder), make sure you add more liquid ingredients to compensate.
  
  

  • Don't forget your Salt and Vanilla, these are very important
  • When adding more Dry Flavorings, compensate by adding more Wet ingredients
  • When adding more Wet Flavorings, compensate by adding more Dry ingredients

  
  
  
  With this knowledge of how these Ingredients work, you can take any Cookie recipe you have and custom-tailor it to your own specifications to produce a cookie that you feel is personally perfect for you.  Because hey, screw that other guy's recipe -- if you can make a cookie and brand it with your name for all eternity, awesome.
  
  Okay, now let's take what we learned about Ingredients, and apply them:
  
  
  
  
  

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  We'll only be making two versions today:  Thin and Crispy; and Thick and Chewy. 
  
  This is because I don't actually like eating the Cakey ones, and I don't know anyone who does like eating them either.  IMO, cookies are cookies, not cake.
  
  Because I love Alton Brown, because you love Alton Brown, and because Alton Brown's three Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes demonstrate the above concepts well, we'll be using his recipes today.
  
  
  I N G R E D I E N T S:
  
  

  Thin and Crispy: 2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Baking Soda 1 Egg 1/4 Cup Milk 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter 1 Cup White Sugar 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar 2 Cups Chocolate Chips

  Thick and Chewy: 2 Sticks Unsalted Butter 2 1/4 Cups Bread Flour 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Baking Soda 1/4 Cup White Sugar 1 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar 1 Egg 1 Egg Yolk 2 Tbsp Milk 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract 2 Cups Chocolate Chips

  
  

  Cakey:
  

  
  

  Click here for Cakey recipe (off-site to Foodnetwork.com)
  

  
  
  P R O C E D U R E:
  

  
  NOTE:  I'm only photographing Thin & Crispy -- the procedure is pretty much the same for Thick & Chewy unless otherwise indicated.
  
  Preheat your oven to 375°F.
  
  
  
  
  Start by sifting together your Flour, Baking Soda and Salt.  This makes distribution of ingredients more uniform.  Combine your Wet ingredients (Egg, Extract, etc.)
  
  If you are making THICK AND CHEWY, melt your butter.
  
  
   
  
  Add your Butter and Sugar into the bowl of your Stand Mixer.  If you're making Thin & Crispy, cube up your COLD Butter before adding.  If you're making Thick & Chewy, pour your MELTED Butter in.   If you don't have a Stand Mixer, get one.  Until then, just use this as your arm workout.  Start it on low, then increase speed. 
  
  
  
  
  
  Whip the mixture on high speed until it's creamed.  It should look like this.  The goal is to get as much air into the mixture as we can.
  
  
  
  
  When the mixture is creamed, reduce speed and add your Liquids first; then your Dry Ingredients in two or three batches.  This allows for the Dry Ingredients to incorporate more smoothly into the Wet ingredients.  This also keeps Flour from exploding all over you and your countertop.
  
  
  
  
  Then stir in your "Stuff":  Dark Chocolate Chips and Macadamia Nuts in this case.  I like doing this step by hand, for more control.  If you want to make a single batch of cookies of multiple types, remove the dough here and mix in your ingredients separately in separate bowls.
  
  
  
  
  This is the size of a #20 scoop of cookie dough next to a quarter, for size reference.
  
  If you are making THICK AND CHEWY, chill your dough.  Chilled dough spreads slower while baking.
  
  Scoop your dough onto your Parchment sheets (see Tips below), making sure you leave room for spreading (the thin cookies will spread a lot); and bake for 13-15 minutes; but check every five minutes for browning -- you may need to rotate the pan to get even browning.  Cookies are ready to come out when the edges start to brown -- if the center is browned and hard, the cookies are already burnt.
  
  
  
  
  When done, remove the Parchment from the hot sheet pan (and the cookies on them) to cool on a cool surface.
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  Thin & Crispy
  

  
  
  
  

  Thick & Chewy
  

  
  
  
  
  

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  Now for some tips:
  
  Use Parchment instead of placing the dough balls directly onto the Pan.  This is important for several reasons:
  
  

  1)  Parchment is non-stick.  Cookies slide off easily.
  2)  Parchment keeps the bottom of the cookies from burning.
  3)  Parchment allows you to Pre-Stage your cookies before going onto a pan.
  4)  Parchment allows you to de-pan cookies faster, for faster cycling.
  

  
  What I mean by Pre-Stage and Cycling is this:  You can lay out multiple sheets of Parchment on the countertop, and scoop your dough onto that Parchment.  When a pan of cookies comes out of the oven, you can de-Pan them by sliding the whole Parchment off, onto a cool surface; and cycle on a new Parchment loaded with cookie dough to go straight back into the oven. 
  
  This is important because if you leave cookies on a hot pan, they will overcook.  Also, if you drop your uncooked cookie dough directly onto a hot pan, it takes a few minutes between the first cookies you drop and the last -- by then, the first cookies down are already melted and drooping (this is an important tip when making anything with Puff Pastry, btw).
  
  When you scoop your dough onto the Parchment, use a uniform size.  Large cookies will be undercooked, and small cookies will be burnt to a crisp if they're on the same pan.  Alton Brown uses a #20 scooper for his cookies, I use this too but also use a #30 sometimes for smaller cookies (the number denotes a fractional amount of a quart in volume -- #20 = 1/20 quart).  The smaller your scoop, the greater the height-to-width ratio.  Chill your batter if you want a slower spreading dough.
  
  Get an Oven Thermometer.  The #1 culprit of baking gone bad is the oven that does not heat correctly.  Your oven may run hotter than, or colder than your dial reads.  My oven is psychotic, and runs 100-150°F hotter than the dial reads.  Yes, when the dial reads 300°, it's really doing about 425° or so.
  
  If you want to make multiple types of cookie from a single batch of dough, remove the base dough after mixing, and add ingredients by hand in multiple bowls.  This way you can have a whole variety of cookies.
  
  Give cookies room to spread.  Check the cookies while baking, you may have to rotate pan for even browning.  Cookies come out of oven before they look done - if centers appear hard and set, the cookies are already burnt.  De-pan your cookies ASAP after removing from the oven.
  
  If you live in a humid place, consider increasing the dry-to-wet ingredient ratio.  I have to increase by 1/4 cup Flour to account for the tropical humidity.  If you live in a hot place, or your kitchen is hot, chill your dough.  Do this especially if your dough gets warm.  My kitchen was reading 93°F and my dough warms quickly, causing wrecked cookies.
  
  Remember, using what you learned about Ingredients and what they do, you can alter these recipes to suit your personal preferences!
  
  
  
  
  

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  Friends of CHOW, who contributed to this week's IReallyLikeFood Theme of the week:

  
  
  
  

  Jacquie of Osmundaregalis brings us Milan Cookies with Pistachio-Mint Dark Chocolate.  Look at that.  What a great combination of textures and flavors too.  I think I love this girl.  D:
  

  
  
  
  
  

  Jane of Just_the_average_jane brings us three cookies today; Almond-Orange Biscotti, Raspberry Shortbread, and Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I would love Jane too, but she seems too much like my little sister, haha.
  

  Great work!  Let's keep it coming, guys :) 
  
  
  
  
  

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  Let me tell you, there's no better way to make me feel loved than to bake me cookies. 
  
  
  There's something about the cookie that's deeply rooted in the last warm part of my heart and soul.  Cookies make me remember a better time, before life took it's toll; before I became this cold, bitter man, jaded and cynical.  Cookies make me remember innocent nights lying on the floor beside a friend, a plate of warm cookies between us and two half-full glasses of cold milk, slowly drifting to sleep together.
  
  When somebody loves you enough to bake cookies for you, the simple mixture of flour, egg, milk, butter, and sugar takes on a magical quality. 
  
  I always say that my favorite flavor is Love -- that I can taste Love in dishes; which is why I prefer small mom-and-pop restaurants who prepare their food with love and care, over fancy restaurants with fancy food.  I've had tens of thousands of Cookies over, of every variety, but I always prefer the Cookies from small bakeries run by someone who truly loves to bake -- or even better, the Cookies made from someone who loves me, who puts their love into their Cookies.
  
  I take another sip of my Lagavulin 16, place the glass of walnut-colored scotch back down onto Brazilian Mahogany, and close my eyes.
  
  It's been nearly twenty years since Katie baked me those Cookies. 
  
  Yet, with my eyes closed, I can still remember the warmth.  I can still remember how cheerful her eyes were, her cheeks flushed with pink, tossing her honey colored hair over her back whenever it would fall forward as she stirred the wooden spoon around and around in the mixing bowl.  I can still remember the smell of baking chocolate, and how impatient we were, trying to eat our cookies right off of the sheet pan, laughing as we'd dart our fingers on and off of the pan like we were so fast the heat couldn't hurt us.
  
  We thought nothing could hurt us then.
  
  I can still remember what it felt like; falling asleep on the floor with our backs touching, empty plate and glasses set off to the side, with half-eaten cookies in our hands, together.
  
  Cookie Love, Forlorn thoughts and Scotch Whisky,
  

  
  

  How do you like your Chocolate Chip Cookies?  Thin & Crispy?  Thick & Chewy?  Cakey?  What do you like in your Cookies?
  
  (If you're on my cookie sending list, please let me know so I can send you the correct cookie type.)
  

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