Chocolate Chip Cookies | Basics with Babish

Summary

In this episode of Basics with Babish, the focus is on elevating the classic chocolate chip cookie to a premium level. The recipe begins with browning high-quality butter for added flavor, then combines it with sugars, eggs, and dry ingredients, including a secret touch of cinnamon. The dough is mixed with chocolate chips and optional nuts, and can be enhanced by refrigeration for improved texture and flavor. The cookies are baked at 350°F for 12-17 minutes, with a technique to maintain their height and gooey center. The video concludes with tips for customization and a humorous note on sharing cookies with neighbors.

Takeaways

• 🍪 Browning butter is a key step to upgrade chocolate chip cookies to a premium level.
• 🕒 Allow browned butter to refrigerate for at least an hour or until solidified before using it.
• ❄️ Use cold butter in the mixer to ensure the best texture in the cookies.
• 🥄 Cream the butter and sugars together until well combined for a smooth cookie dough.
• 🥚 Incorporate cold eggs into the mixture to maintain the dough's consistency.
• 🧂 Combine dry ingredients separately before adding them to the wet ingredients to avoid over-mixing.
• 🌰 Adding cinnamon to the dry ingredients provides a subtle warmth to the cookies' flavor.
• 🍫 Use high-quality chocolate chips and consider chopping a whole block of chocolate for varied textures.
• 📅 Optionally, refrigerate the cookie dough for up to three days to enhance flavor and texture.
• 🔥 Bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-17 minutes, adjusting time based on desired doneness.

Q & A

What is the main focus of this episode of Basics with Babish?

The main focus of this episode is to upgrade the classic chocolate chip cookie from plain to premium by using brown butter and other techniques.

Why is browning the butter considered an upgrade for cookies?

Browning the butter adds a toasty, golden-brown flavor that enhances the taste of the cookies, making them more premium.

How long should the butter be refrigerated after browning?

The butter should be refrigerated for at least an hour or until it is completely re-solidified.

What is the purpose of using cold butter in the cookie dough?

Using cold butter helps to prevent the butter from melting too quickly during mixing, which can lead to a better texture in the final baked cookies.

What is the significance of creaming the butter and sugars together in the cookie recipe?

Creaming the butter and sugars together helps to incorporate air into the mixture, which contributes to a lighter and more tender cookie texture.

Why are eggs added to the cookie dough after the butter and sugars are combined?

Eggs are added after the butter and sugars are combined to ensure they are properly incorporated without over-beating the mixture, which could lead to tough cookies.

What is the role of kosher salt in the cookie recipe?

Kosher salt is used for its flavor and texture. It provides a balance of sweet and salty flavors to the cookies.

Why does the recipe suggest adding cinnamon to the dry ingredients?

Cinnamon is added to the dry ingredients to provide a subtle warmth that complements the butter and chocolate without making the cookies taste overly cinnamon-y.

How does adding nuts to half the batch cater to different preferences?

Adding nuts to half the batch allows for a version with nuts for those who prefer them, while keeping the other half nut-free for those with allergies or personal preferences.

What technique does J. Kenji Lopez-Alt recommend for incorporating chocolate into cookies?

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt recommends chopping up a whole block of chocolate instead of using chocolate chips to create different sizes and textures in the cookies.

What is the purpose of refrigerating the cookie dough for up to three days?

Refrigerating the cookie dough can improve the texture and color of the cookies, and also enhance the flavor by allowing the ingredients to meld together over time.

How does the method of rolling the dough into a ball and tearing it open affect the final cookie?

Rolling the dough into a ball and tearing it open creates a rustic appearance and a craggly surface, which allows for even baking and a more appealing look.

Outlines

00:00

🍪 Upgrading Chocolate Chip Cookies with Brown Butter

The video begins with the host introducing a recipe for premium chocolate chip cookies. The key to upgrading the cookies is browning the butter, which involves heating high-quality unsalted butter until the milk fats separate and turn golden-brown. The butter is then refrigerated until solid. In a stand-mixer, cold butter is combined with white and brown sugar, creating a base for the cookies. The process continues with the addition of eggs and dry ingredients, including flour, salt, baking soda, and a secret ingredient—cinnamon, which adds warmth without a strong cinnamon taste. The dough is mixed in batches to prevent over-mixing and gluten development, which could make the cookies tough. The video suggests using high-quality chocolate chips and optionally adding nuts, with a tip to chop a whole block of chocolate for varied textures. The dough can be refrigerated to enhance flavor and texture. The host also shares a technique for achieving a rustic look and a chewy, gooey center by tearing the dough balls open before baking. The cookies are baked at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-17 minutes, with a preference for a raw, underbaked center. The video concludes with a suggestion to add flaky sea salt for extra crunch and saltiness.

Keywords

💡Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are a popular type of cookie that incorporates chocolate chips or chunks into a sweet baked dough. In the video, the host aims to upgrade the basic chocolate chip cookie recipe to a premium version, highlighting the process of making them from 'Plain Jane to premium'.

💡Browning Butter

Browning butter is a technique where butter is heated until the milk fats separate and turn a golden-brown, giving it a nutty flavor. In the script, browning butter is one of the first steps to enhance the flavor of the cookies, indicating the transition from a basic to a gourmet cookie.

💡Creaming

Creaming is a process in baking where butter and sugar are beaten together until light and fluffy. This helps to incorporate air into the mixture, resulting in a lighter final product. The script describes creaming the butter and sugars as a part of the cookie-making process.

💡Dry Ingredients

Dry ingredients in baking typically refer to the flour, leavening agents, and other non-liquid components of a recipe. In the video script, the host whisks together all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking soda, and cinnamon to form the dry ingredient mix for the cookies.

💡Gluten Development

Gluten development is the process by which gluten, a protein in wheat flour, forms a network that gives structure to baked goods. Over-mixing cookie dough can lead to excessive gluten development, resulting in tough cookies. The script advises against over-mixing to prevent this.

💡Mix-ins

Mix-ins are additional ingredients that are folded into a base mixture to add texture and flavor. In the context of the video, chocolate chips and nuts are mentioned as mix-ins for the cookies, with a suggestion to add nuts to only half the batch to accommodate different preferences.

💡Refrigeration of Dough

Refrigerating cookie dough can improve texture and flavor by allowing the dough to rest and the flavors to meld. The script suggests refrigerating the dough for up to three days to enhance the cookies' taste and texture.

💡Texture

Texture in baking refers to the feel and appearance of the final product. The video emphasizes creating a cookie with a 'craggly' surface and a 'gooey center,' indicating a soft and chewy interior, which is achieved through specific techniques like browning butter and keeping ingredients cold.

💡Baking Time and Temperature

Baking time and temperature are critical factors in achieving the desired texture and doneness of baked goods. The script specifies baking the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-17 minutes, with a preference for a softer, under-baked center.

💡Flaky Sea Salt

Flaky sea salt is a finishing touch added to the cookies for a burst of saltiness that contrasts with the sweetness of the cookie. The script mentions adding flaky sea salt as a final step to enhance the flavor profile of the cookies.

Highlights

Introduction to making premium chocolate chip cookies

Browning butter to enhance cookie flavor

Refrigerating butter after browning for optimal texture

Using cold butter in a stand-mixer for cookie dough

Adding white and brown sugar for sweetness and molasses flavor

Creaming butter and sugars for a smooth cookie dough

Incorporating cold eggs into the dough

Preparing dry ingredients with flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon

Mixing dry ingredients in batches to prevent over-mixing

Adding chocolate chips and nuts for mix-ins

Chopping chocolate for varied textures in cookies

Refrigerating cookie dough to improve texture and flavor

Creating rustic cookie shapes with torn dough

Baking cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-17 minutes

Adding flaky sea salt for a finishing touch

Baking nut cookies separately for allergy considerations

Experimenting with different fats and dough aging for varied outcomes

Encouraging responsible cookie enjoyment and sharing with neighbors

Transcripts

Hey guys, welcome back to Basics with Babish

where this week we're taking a look at the quintessential cookie -

chocolate chip.

We're bumping up this basic biscuit

from Plain Jane to premium.

Let's get down to basics.

♪

Okay, so one of the easiest ways to upgrade your cookies instantly

is to brown your butter.

We've got one cup of high-quality, unsalted butter here

that we're heating over a medium heat

until we start to see

the milk fats separate and turn a light, toasty golden-brown.

You want to take it off the heat at the very second that you

start seeing those milk solids turn brown.

You're going to burn some butter, don't worry about it, don't beat yourself up,

just, when you do get a good batch

go ahead and refrigerate it for at least an hour or until completely re-solidified.

We're now going to add the cold butter to

the bowl of a stand-mixer.

If you don't have a stand-mixer,

just let the butter soften up a little bit,

but ideally we want to use cold butter.

To that we're going to add half a cup of plain old white sugar,

and 1 and one half cups of brown sugar.

You can go light or dark, depending on how

molasses-ey you like your cookies.

I'm going dark.

From here it's kind of the regular cookie procedure,

we are creaming together the butter and sugars.

Getting those guys whipped together

at medium speed for

three to four minutes, or until

thoroughly combined,

and then we're going to pause to crack two cold eggs into the bowl,

and mix to combine.

Once we've got that all good and homogeneous,

we're going to shift our attention to the drier side of things.

The dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, we are whisking together

about 11 and a half ounces of all purpose flour.

And a solid tablespoon of kosher salt,

this might seem like a lot,

but hey, sweet and salty.

Ever heard of it?

A half teaspoon of baking soda,

and then my secret little ingredient,

you can feel free to omit this,

but about three quarters of a teaspoon of cinnamon.

I think this adds a nice, subtle warmth to all the butter and chocolate,

and it doesn't really taste cinnamon-y.

Give it a shot, I think you'll like it.

We are whisking those together until

thoroughly combined.

Before adding about half of the mixture to our wet ingredients.

We're doing this in batches, because just like pancakes, we don't really want to over-mix the cookie dough

once we've introduced flour.

Because that will result in

gluten development, which will result in a tough cookie.

Ha ha...

ah.

Once that's combined we're going to add the remaining

flour mixture and

your desired mix-ins.

I'm just starting with high-quality chocolate chips,

and adding the nuts later to half the batch for those non-nut folks out there.

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt also has an awesome

technique where instead of using chocolate chips, you chop up

a whole block of chocolate,

thereby giving you a whole bunch of different sizes and

textures.

Now we're going to stop mixing this guy as soon as it comes together,

and, again, optionally, cover and refrigerate for up to three days.

Even as little as an hour in the fridge can make

a noticeable difference in texture and colour.

But a few days will actually give you more pronounced flavour.

Now as you can see, I've separated half the cookie dough, and

toasted some freshly-chopped walnuts that I have allowed to cool,

and I'm going to mix those in to the nut half of the cookie dough.

Now, my last little cookie trick

is inspired by Levain Bakery

here in New York,

Basically,

you grab a handfull of your dough, roll it into a ball,

and then tear it open,

thus creating a whole bunch of

craggly

cracks and crevices,

which gives you a more

rustic-looking cookie.

And because we used butter as opposed to shortening,

and because we kept everything cold

these guys are not going to lose much of their height or definition.

As we bake them at 350 degrees fahrenheit,

from 12-17 minutes depending on how big you've made them.

Now again, this is going to come down to preference.

I like my cookies sort of almost like

cookie dough in the centre, I like them really raw.

So these guys are going to deflate and they're going to stay chewy and gooey

long into the forseeable future.

I'm also going to hit them with a little bit

of flaky sea salt.

Now, of course, taste the cookie first to make sure you didn't oversalt it beforehand,

but if it could use a little bit of an extra hit of

crunchy salty flakes, go for it.

Next up we've got our nutters,

make sure that you're keeping everything separate and being careful to not

share any cooking surfaces

or cooling surfaces with the non-nut cookies,

in fact, bake all the nut cookies second,

if you're concerned about anyone's nut allergies.

So that's how you make Grandma Babish's

down home, country style

brown butter

chocolate chip cookies.

And let me show you why we specifically engineered these to retain their height,

so we keep a nice, gooey centre.

Doesn't get much better than that.

Now, I hope you guys try this recipe yourselves

and go ahead and experiment, try using shortening instead of butter,

and see how it changes the texture and final appearance of the cookie.

Try chilled versus un-chilled ingredients,

try aging cookie dough versus un-aged cookie dough,

after all, can you really have too many cookies?

I mean, yeah, of course you can. So...

enjoy responsibly.

And bring a plate over to your neighbours'.

Who knows, maybe you guys will start dating, and maybe that's how

you meet your future spouse.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is,

you're welcome, and I'll see you at the bachelor party.