Thin and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies
I learned two things during our chocolate chip cookie research project. First, there are far more variations than I had imagined—cakey, soft and chewy, crisp and chewy, and thin and crispy, to name a few. Second, searching for the “ultimate” cookie is a fool’s errand; everyone has their own favorite type, and there are excellent recipes within each category.
A great thin and crispy cookie recipe proved to be one of the hardest to find. This type of chocolate chip cookie, made famous by Tate’s Bake Shop in Southampton, New York, and distributed in food stores and supermarkets, was our benchmark. The search included a recipe from America’s Test Kitchen, which featured unexpected ingredients like corn syrup and milk. Another recipe from the Food Network followed a basic formula but baked the cookies at 300°F. Both recipes relied on extended baking times, which resulted in very dark exteriors but lacked the overall crispiness we were seeking.
Going back to the drawing board, I browsed the Martha Stewart website and found a 2020 recipe that caught my attention. The ingredients were familiar, except for the inclusion of a small amount of water. Since it was a large recipe yielding 36 cookies, I decided to halve it and give it a try.
Peeking into the oven halfway through baking, I noticed the cookies spreading beautifully, which gave me hope. Once cooled, I took my first bite, and voila! Buttery and crisp, they were absolutely wonderful! Even better, they maintained their crispiness for several days.
Thin and Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies
| Yield: 18 cookies | # of Servings: 18 | Method: Creaming Difficulty: Easy |
Ingredients:
1 cup + 2 tbl (5.25 oz / 148 g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
10 tbl (5 oz / 142 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup + 4 tsp (4.4 oz / 124 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup + 2 tbl (2.63 oz / 74 g) light brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbl (1 fl oz) water, room temperature
1 cup (6 oz / 170 g) chocolate chips (see note)
Special tools and equipment
- Heavy cookie sheet or half sheet pan
- Silpat or parchment sheets
- # 70 sized scoop, optional
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Remove butter from refrigerator and let come to room temperature
- Beat room temperature egg and vanilla extract together in a small measuring cup or small bowl.
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F
- In mixing bowl, whish together the dry ingredients, set aside
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or handheld mixer, cream the butter and the sugars until light and, fluffy.
- On medium speed, add egg, vanilla and water. Beat until smooth.
- Reduce to low speed. Add dry ingredients, mix until almost combined.
- Scrape sides and bottom of mixing bowl. Add chocolate chips, mix until thoroughly combined.
- Scoop balls of dough using a #70 (approximately 1 tbl (¾ oz) onto Silpat or parchment lined tablespoon sized dough balls, leaving 2-inches of space between each, as they will spread considerably.
- Bake until the entire cookie is golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes on the pan. Remove to wire cooling rack thoroughly cool.
- Cookies will maintain their crispiness in a well-sealed container for up to one week.
Notes:
- I used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips for this cookie but you can use any semi or bittersweet chocolate chip.