Andrew Zimmern's Trick For The Perfect Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

When it comes to cookies, the line in the cookie aisle has been clearly drawn. You are either team crunchy or team chewy. Which one of these two types of cookies is better? That debate can get intense, so Rachael Ray decided to find the definitive answer, and Ray definitely found a winner. Per a poll conducted by National Today, the magic curtain has been pulled back to reveal that 35% of those who responded said they like their cookies crunchy, while an overwhelming 65% advocate for cookies of the chewy variety. And when it comes to what type of cookie our hands like to reach for the most, Better Homes & Gardens says, without a doubt, homemade chocolate chip cookies are the all-time favorite among Americans, with 40% of those surveyed professing their love for this treat.

So, how do you get chewy, delicious chocolate chip cookies that make it hard to stay out of the cookie jar? According to King Arthur Baking, there are several factors that contribute to the texture and the taste of your chocolate chip cookies. The cooking site goes on to explain that baking time and the temperature of your oven can really impact the end result of your cookies, along with how you mix the sugar, flour, and whichever fat you use. Luckily, Andrew Zimmern has a sweet trick to help you get the chew your mouth greedily desires. 

Andrew Zimmern shares in a cooking video that if you want to get a cookie that is "crisp around the edges" and "soft in the middle" along with that classic yummy chew, you will want to pay close attention to the sugars you are using. Zimmern shares that the "crispchewity" factor he so loves is achieved from a combination of white sugar, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Why does this produce a chewier chocolate chip cookie?

King Arthur Baking explains that when creating a chewy chocolate chip cookie, the use of brown sugar and butter are key because of the higher moisture content than if you used granulated sugar and vegetable shortening. The cooking site says that this characteristic of the brown sugar, along with a decrease in baking time, gives you that chew. King Arthur Baking also says the chewiness comes from using less sugar, which typically causes your chocolate chip cookies to spread, impacting softness. Additionally, they share that while experimenting with their chocolate chip recipe, they debunked the idea that using bread flour will help make your cookies chewier, and they are not sold on the addition of corn syrup.