Thick and Molten Chocolate Chip Cookies
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There are some foods that are contested, and chocolate chip cookies are one of them. There are purest who love the recipe printed on the back of Nestle chocolate chip bag and others who love the crispy bite that comes with thin chocolate chip cookies. But honestly, nothing amplifies the elements of a chocolate chip cookie quite like this recipe for Thick and Molten Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies bake up both crispy and tender, with mix-ins that are equally contrasting and intriguing to eat!
When one thinks of thick cookies the image of Crumbl cookies appears, having become synonymous with thick decadent cookies, yet it didn’t start with them. The predecessor Levain paved the way in the late 1990s by selling ginormous cookies. While it may be seen as decadent and over the top, once you have a bite of this version of chocolate chip cookies, there’s no going back.
What makes chocolate chip cookies thick, tender, and molten?
Cake Flour and Cornstarch: The low gluten content of the cake flour in combination with the cornstarch lowers how much gluten is developed in the dough, making for a more tender, softer cookie.
Brown Sugar: Unlike thin cookies which have a higher percentage of granulated sugar, thick chocolate chip cookies rely on brown sugar, which has a higher moisture content than granulated sugar.
Egg Yolks: This additional ingredient adds extra fat and moistness to the cookie without compromising the taste and texture.
Double the Dough: More dough equals bigger cookies. Each portion of these thick cookies has double the amount of dough in comparison to a thin and crispy cookie. How the dough is shaped helps with the thickness. Piling the dough high into a mini mountain or thick hockey-puck shape makes for a thicker cookie.
Temperature: A quick baking time at a high temperature bakes the outside but prevents the inside from drying out and keeps the cookies from spreading. Unlike thin or classic chocolate chip cookies, thick ones cook at a higher temperature for a shorter period.
Mix-ins: The addition of eating chocolate (not baking chocolate) will give you that molten, melty chocolate interior. In contrast, the optional addition of chopped nuts keeps the cookies from spreading as well.
The dough needs a bit of chilling, this will prevent the cookies from spreading. Use a 1/3 dry measuring cup to portion out the dough. Don’t flatten the dough or else you’ll lose the thickness of the cookies. You want to look for cookies that are brown on the top and not spread out.
The crucial factor in getting thick cookies is letting the cookies rest on the baking trays for as long as possible. The gentle residual heat continues to bake the cookies without them spreading.
These Thick and Molten Chocolate Chip Cookies are dripping with decadence in the best possible way. The exterior is slightly crispy, while the interior is tender and soft.
A trio of chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and walnuts create a great contrast — the walnuts and chocolate chips have a firm bite while the chopped chocolate melts into the dough.
These are definitely a treat, and their gigantic size is a fun presentation to bring to a special event or give as a gift. Despite the size of these cookies, you won’t want to share.
Thick and Molten Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield(s): Makes about 12 large cookies
10m prep time
15m cook time
1h inactive
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 8 ounce chocolate bar (for eating), roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (optional)
Preparation
- In a large bowl sift together all-purpose flour, cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, set aside.
- In another bowl beat butter alongside brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and lump free, about 2 to 3 minutes on a medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in vanilla and scrape the bowl again.
- Gradually add in the sifted dry ingredients until there are no visible streaks of flour.
- Fold in chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and walnuts (if using). Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- After the cookie dough is done chilling, preheat the oven to 400°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1/3 dry cup measure, portion out the dough. Shape each portion into a mound or a super thick hockey puck, don’t flatten out the dough. Place about 4 to 6 onto a baking sheet with at least 2-inches of space around each cookie.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the tops are slightly brown. The trick to baking them right is to pull them out before you think they are done.
- Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 15 to 30 minutes (which will continue to bake the cookies further with carryover residual heat). Cool for an additional 30 minutes on a wire rack, serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Kroll's Korner