How to get the perfect cookie texture?

thick chewy, soft, crunchy… When it comes to cookies, there is something for everyone. Whether it was a happy accident or a genius idea, this cookie originated in the hands of Ruth Graves Wakefield, executive chef at the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, USA. One day in 1930, he added chocolate chips to his cookie dough and gave life to a formula that would be revised a thousand and one times, adopted by the biggest names in confectionery as well as Sunday cooks. A seemingly simple recipe that actually hides several pitfalls. “All it takes is a slight change in weight, temperature or ingredient to make a difference in the end result,” explains Deborah Dupont-Dague, the author of the paper. The cookie of our dreams (1) and owner of a bookstore specializing in the culinary arts, The Gourmand Bookstore (2). Fascinated by making this little cake, she gives us the technique to make… the cake of our dreams.

For a dense and decadent cookie called “American style”.

For most of us, the perfect cookie is dense, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, and covered in a generous amount of chocolate chips. Anyway, that’s Deborah Dupont-Dague’s favorite cookie; “It’s important to remember that the recipe doesn’t change, only the technique used.” In order to get an “American style” cookie, the expert recommends paying special attention to the weights. “Everything about this cookie is overdone. Each individual piece should weigh at least 100 grams, allowing for good thickness. To avoid a tough result that risks breaking a tooth, she recommends removing the batch when the cookie is still slightly undercooked. To ensure this texture, “the dough needs to be very cold, allowing it to cook gradually and therefore have a crisp exterior and a melty, almost raw center. Therefore, I recommend that you prepare the cookie balls in advance and put them in the refrigerator. When it comes to shaping, Deborah Dupont-Daguet prefers an ice cream scoop that allows for a uniform size.

For a chewy cookie

English term untranslatable in French, cookie chewy dense in the mouth, tender as a half-baked dish and has an appearance that almost sticks to the teeth. According to Deborah Dupont-Dague, there is no secret to getting such a texture. “We tend to modify recipes when we think they contain too much sugar. In fact, it is necessary to maintain the recommended weights in order not to disturb the balance of dry and liquid materials. On the other hand, we owe the loveliness of this cookie to its quick cooking. “Only its 1 cm circumference should be perfectly cooked, it is eaten almost raw. So you should leave the cookies on a baking sheet that is still warm after removing from the oven. Then we take the opportunity to make a second design; “Using a cookie sheet or a bowl slightly larger in diameter than the cookie, we’ll cover the cookie and then make circles. Hitting the utensil will pull the edges of the cookie and the cookie will have an almost cracked surface that will provide this characteristic texture.“, concludes the specialist.

For a classic and soft cookie

Regressive and ultra-gourmet, the chocolate and buttery soft cookie is sure to be a great classic. To get this typical soft texture, you need to pay special attention to the sugars used. “We use white sugar and brown or brown sugar in most recipes. Both will approach cooking differently. Brown sugar or brown sugar allows for a softer texture and better coloring. So, for example, if we need to use 160 g of sugar, to get a soft cookie, we prefer 120 g of brown sugar instead of 40 g of white sugar,” explains the specialist.

Since the biscuit is rich in fat, egg yolk can also be added to its preparation, if you pay attention to the proportions used; white and 20 g yellow. However, some eggs weigh up to 65 g. If we don’t compensate with dry matter, we run the risk of not getting the desired texture. To ensure accuracy, Deborah Dupont-Daguet whisks the eggs into the omelette before weighing. “We can also refine the egg and compensate for the lack of protein with the yolk, maintaining the required egg quantity.” Finally, to take advantage of the soft texture, the cookie must be eaten within 24 hours.

For a thin and crispy cookie

Although it’s less common at Deborah Dupont-Dague, the thin and crunchy cookie has carved out a place for itself on the culinary scene. To get this texture at home, the expert recommends using only white sugar. On the other hand, so that it does not spread like a pancake, we make sure not to overwork the dough; “When we no longer see traces of flour in the dough, we stop mixing, at the risk of developing the gluten network of the flour. The idea is for the ingredients to come together only after adding the dry matter,” explains the specialist. It remains to be seen which cookie you prefer.

(1) The cookie of our dreams By Deborah Dupont-Dague and Geraldine Martens, First Editions, 160 pages, €18.95.