There are few desserts that I can think of that cause as much debate as the proper texture for a chocolate chip cookie. Some like them chewy, others like them crunchy while there’s another camp that prefers a more cake-like texture. I’ve always been on the fence, loving the crisp caramelized snap of a good crunchy cookie while feeling equally partial to the soft and chewy cookie more reminiscent of the dough before it’s been cooked. And if you’re a dunker like me, you probably also appreciate the cakier cookies for their ability to soak up milk like a sponge for a cool creamy mouthful of sweet heaven.
So why have these chocolate chip cookie factions always been mutually exclusive? Is it not possible to have a cookie that suits everyone? These were some questions I started asking myself as I set out to make my first batch of cookies in over 4 years. I started with the basic recipe I learned from my mom as a kid. Then, I reduced the amount of flour (her’s is very cakey), increased the amount of sugar (to make it more chewy and to increase crispness), and finally played with the baking times with each tray.
By using a balanced dough (between flour, sugar and butter), I was able to get different textured cookies based on the amount of time they were cooked for. At 12 minutes the edges were slightly cakey while the centers were chewy and slightly gooey. At 16 minutes the cookies were cooked all the way through with crunchy edges and a crumbly center. 14 minutes turned out to be the magic number for my oven, producing cookies with a nice snap at the edges, a layer with a slightly cakey crumb on top and a dense chewy bottom.
In the flavour department, I’m a big fan of rustic Mexican chocolate, which is often infused with spices such as cinnamon and chili peppers. It also tends to be much more course than European chocolates due to the lack of conching. I wanted to introduce some of this into these cookies, but since Mexican chocolate can be hard to find, I added the spices to the dough instead. The heat really punctuates the earthy chocolate and brown sugar, making you pause for a moment while you figure out what’s different about this cookie.
While I recommend the combo, if spicy cookies aren’t your thing, try adding some peppermint oil to the dough, or replacing some of the sugar with raspberry jam. While experimentation in baking is often frowned upon, cookies are pretty forgiving and a great opportunity to try your hand at something a little different.
Ingredients
- 170 grams cultured unsalted butter 12 tablespoons at room temperature
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
Steps
- Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 325 degrees.
- Cream the butter and 2 kinds of sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix till combined after each addition. Add the vanilla, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, mixing until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add it to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir in by hand.
- Scoop roughly 1/4 cup of batter for each cookie onto a baking sheet (it's okay if the balls are jagged) leaving enough room for them to spread. Bake 1 sheet at a time for about 12-15 minutes each or until the edges are set, but the middle is still soft. You may need to experiment with your oven to figure out the perfect cooking time. As these cookies bake, they go from chewy to cakey to crisp, so you can change their characteristic by the amount of time you bake them for.
- To get the chewy center, allow them to cool on the pan (not on a rack).
I never would have thought about putting those spices in, that sounds really cool!
I have three kids and I bake cookies pretty much every week, but I have one that likes chewy, one crunchy and one in the middle. I never thought about taking them out at different times, now I can make everyone happy!
I think I’ll be taking my cookies out of the oven at the 12 minute mark. I’m quite fond of underbaked pastries.
Man, just the description of the dough was getting me hungry. I’d love to play around with cookie recipes but I don’t want to eat 400 cookies!
I love your spirit of adventure. Yes, there’s a lot of chemistry in baking, but you’re right–they’re cookies. And a little healthy experimentation never hurt anyone 🙂 I love to add a pinch of cayenne and cinnamon to my hot chocolate. Same idea–a nod to the Mayan gods, I guess!
When you get a perfect cookie, you want to sing it on a mountaintop! Please warm up your voice and proclaim these to be awesome.
Great idea adding the cayenne in Marc! I too enjoy different type of cookies for all the reasons you listed.
While I am firmly in the soft and chewy camp, if you knew me even a little bit you’d know that I’d devour everything anyway 😉 And now you know I can’t refuse anything with cayenne pepper in it!
Oooh, cayenne, huh? That’ll jump-start taste buds for sure. Thanks for such a useful — and well conceived — cookie recipe.
I am chewy all the way! Mexican chocolate in cookies sounds like a great idea. I am all for your experiments in baking – they seem to turn out perfectly!
I never would have thought about putting those spices in, that sounds really cool!
I have three kids and I bake cookies pretty much every week, but I have one that likes chewy, one crunchy and one in the middle. I never thought about taking them out at different times, now I can make everyone happy!
I think I’ll be taking my cookies out of the oven at the 12 minute mark. I’m quite fond of underbaked pastries.
Adding cinnamon to chocolate chip cookie batter has always been one of my favorite tricks. It does amazing things to the flavor. I’ll have to try the cayenne pepper, too. Thanks for sharing!
Man, just the description of the dough was getting me hungry. I’d love to play around with cookie recipes but I don’t want to eat 400 cookies!
I love your spirit of adventure. Yes, there’s a lot of chemistry in baking, but you’re right–they’re cookies. And a little healthy experimentation never hurt anyone 🙂 I love to add a pinch of cayenne and cinnamon to my hot chocolate. Same idea–a nod to the Mayan gods, I guess!
When you get a perfect cookie, you want to sing it on a mountaintop! Please warm up your voice and proclaim these to be awesome.
Great idea adding the cayenne in Marc! I too enjoy different type of cookies for all the reasons you listed.
I love chocolate chips cookies especially those chewy ones.
The beauty of chocolate chip cookies is that there’s always room for improvement. They are forgiving and no one ever chucked a batch unless burnt. I think the cayenne w/ chocolate with be a great sensation.
While I am firmly in the soft and chewy camp, if you knew me even a little bit you’d know that I’d devour everything anyway 😉 And now you know I can’t refuse anything with cayenne pepper in it!
Oooh, cayenne, huh? That’ll jump-start taste buds for sure. Thanks for such a useful — and well conceived — cookie recipe.
I am chewy all the way! Mexican chocolate in cookies sounds like a great idea. I am all for your experiments in baking – they seem to turn out perfectly!
Adding cinnamon to chocolate chip cookie batter has always been one of my favorite tricks. It does amazing things to the flavor. I’ll have to try the cayenne pepper, too. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, that’s a lot of cayenne pepper Marc. But then I know that chocolate is actually taste good with chili. So I can imagine how good this cookies must be.
Cheers,
Elra
I love chocolate chips cookies especially those chewy ones.
The beauty of chocolate chip cookies is that there’s always room for improvement. They are forgiving and no one ever chucked a batch unless burnt. I think the cayenne w/ chocolate with be a great sensation.
I love mine thick and chewy. I’m dying to try out choc and chili combo now…
Wow, that’s a lot of cayenne pepper Marc. But then I know that chocolate is actually taste good with chili. So I can imagine how good this cookies must be.
Cheers,
Elra
Mmmm, love chilli and chocolate. Cayenne pepper would be just right with the dark choc chunks.
I love mine thick and chewy. I’m dying to try out choc and chili combo now…
Oh, love, love, love the combination of chocolate with chili! Well done! 😀
+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
I think I’m in the thin and crunchy camp, but I’m fickle with cookie preferences! The cayenne addition sounds great.
great cookies! I’ve had peanut butter cookies with cayenne pepper in them. It was very different and interesting but I actually found myself enjoying it!
That is Patience Marc! This is how you finally achieve perfection, isn’t it? Trying and trying… I love the combo of chocolate and spices you made 😀
I’ve never baked cookies… I’m keeping your recipe!
Great recipe! Love the added heat!
Well, *somebody* has to experiment with baking, don’t they? Otherwise we’d never find out about new and interesting combinations and textures 🙂 – and I love your description of the different textural stages of your cookies.
I reckon I would like your spice combination. I put cayenne in the gingerbread I made before Christmas – it was a teeny little experiment for me, and I loved it. Of course I later discovered that people have been doing this for centuries (if the recipe for gingerbread from Mrs. Beeton’s 1859 book is anything to go by)!
Mmmm, love chilli and chocolate. Cayenne pepper would be just right with the dark choc chunks.
Brilliant idea! Love the spicy. I will definitely have to make these for my husband.
Oh, love, love, love the combination of chocolate with chili! Well done! 😀
+Jessie
a.k.a. The Hungry Mouse
I think I’m in the thin and crunchy camp, but I’m fickle with cookie preferences! The cayenne addition sounds great.
I’m big fan of choco cookies…really addicted…the new hot-spicy-cayenne dimension is gorgeous to eat!
Marc a perfect and delicious inspiration 🙂
Cheers!
Gera
great cookies! I’ve had peanut butter cookies with cayenne pepper in them. It was very different and interesting but I actually found myself enjoying it!
That is Patience Marc! This is how you finally achieve perfection, isn’t it? Trying and trying… I love the combo of chocolate and spices you made 😀
I’ve never baked cookies… I’m keeping your recipe!
Great recipe! Love the added heat!
Well, *somebody* has to experiment with baking, don’t they? Otherwise we’d never find out about new and interesting combinations and textures 🙂 – and I love your description of the different textural stages of your cookies.
I reckon I would like your spice combination. I put cayenne in the gingerbread I made before Christmas – it was a teeny little experiment for me, and I loved it. Of course I later discovered that people have been doing this for centuries (if the recipe for gingerbread from Mrs. Beeton’s 1859 book is anything to go by)!
Sweet & spicy, I likey! I also like the peppermint oil suggestion.
I’m actually working on a Mexican chocolate post—great minds cook alike 🙂
Brilliant idea! Love the spicy. I will definitely have to make these for my husband.
I’m big fan of choco cookies…really addicted…the new hot-spicy-cayenne dimension is gorgeous to eat!
Marc a perfect and delicious inspiration 🙂
Cheers!
Gera
Sweet & spicy, I likey! I also like the peppermint oil suggestion.
I’m actually working on a Mexican chocolate post—great minds cook alike 🙂
Love the tips for chewey, crunchy, etc. Being the moody type I change with the wind on which way to go.
Love the tips for chewey, crunchy, etc. Being the moody type I change with the wind on which way to go.