Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Jazzy Vegetarian

Vegans don't have to miss out on traditional Summer meals with Laura Theodore's all-American
Summer recipes for vegans like this vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe.

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Yield: 20-24 large cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Occasion: Party, Picnic
Theme: Family Friendly, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup maple sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon sea salt
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (grain sweetened variety works well)
1 cups fresh apple pure (see note)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cup plus 2 tablespoons nondairy milk
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with unbleached
parchment paper.
2. Put the flour, maple sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir
with a dry whisk to combine. Add the pecans and vegan chocolate chips, and stir with
the whisk to combine. Stir in the apple pure, vanilla extract, and nondairy milk, and mix
just until incorporated. If the dough seems overly wet, stir in a bit more flour, 1
tablespoon at a time. Alternately, if the dough seems overly dry, stir in a bit more
nondairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. For each cookie, drop about 2 tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking
sheet. Flatten slightly using the back of a flat spatula. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until
slightly golden around the edges. 4. Remove the sheet from the oven and let cool for 2
minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack. Cool for about 10 minutes.
Tips/Techniques
To make the apple pure, peel and core 3 very large or 4 medium apples. Rough chop the
apples. Put the apples in a blender and process until the consistency of smooth applesauce is
achieved. Be careful not to liquify! http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Gingersnaps
From America's Test Kitchen Season 13: Spicy Fall Sweets
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We wanted to put the snap back in Gingersnap cookies. This meant creating a cookie that not only
breaks cleanly in half and crunches satisfyingly with every bite but also has an assertive gin...(more)

WATCH THIS RECIPE
Whats the secret to gingersnaps that combine bold spice flavor and
real snap? To begin with, theres getting rid of all that moisture.
Watch the Video
Makes 80 1-inch cookies
For the best results, use fresh spices. For efficiency, form the second batch of cookies while the first
batch bakes. And no, the 2 teaspoons of baking soda is not a mistake; its essential to getting the
right texture.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2teaspoons baking soda
1/2teaspoon salt
12tablespoons unsalted butter
2tablespoons ground ginger
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4teaspoon ground cloves
1/4teaspoon pepper
Pinch cayenne
1 1/4cups packed (8 3/4 ounces) dark brown sugar
1/4cup molasses
2tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1large egg plus 1 large yolk
1/2cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat
until melted. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to cook, swirling pan frequently, until foaming
subsides and butter is just beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer butter to large bowl and
whisk in ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and cayenne. Cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Add
brown sugar, molasses, and fresh ginger to butter mixture and whisk to combine. Add egg and yolk
and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Cover dough tightly with plastic
wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line
2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place granulated sugar in shallow baking dish or pie plate.
Divide dough into heaping teaspoon portions; roll dough into 1-inch balls. Working in batches of 10,
roll balls in sugar to coat. Evenly space dough balls on prepared baking sheets, 20 dough balls per
sheet.
3. Place 1 sheet on upper rack and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, transfer partially baked top
sheet to lower rack, rotating 180 degrees, and place second sheet of dough balls on upper rack.
Continue to bake until cookies on lower tray just begin to darken around edges, 10 to 12 minutes
longer. Remove lower sheet of cookies and shift upper sheet to lower rack and continue to bake until
cookies begin to darken around edges, 15 to 17 minutes. Slide baked cookies, still on parchment, to
wire rack and cool completely before serving. Cool baking sheets slightly and repeat step 2 with
remaining dough balls.
TO MAKE AHEAD: Dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. Let dough
stand at
room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping. Let frozen dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator
before proceeding with recipe. Cooled cookies can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks in
airtight container.
TECHNIQUE
LOADING UP ON LEAVENING
Using a full 2 teaspoons of baking soda in our cookie dough instead of the more typical to 1
teaspoon not only helped create desirable fissures in the final cookie but also helped it dry out. Baking
soda is an alkaline substance that weakens the gluten (the network of proteins that gives most baked
goods their structure) in a dough or batter. Weaker gluten means a more porous structure from which
air bubbles and moisture can burn off. It also means that the dough will collapse after its initial rise in
the oven, leading to cracks that also allow more moisture to escape.

TECHNIQUE
PUTTING THE SNAP IN GINGERSNAPS
The hallmark of gingersnap cookie texturebig crunchcame down to one key factor: drying out the
dough.


BROWN THE BUTTER Butter is 16 percent water. Browning it before whisking it with the sugar,
eggs, and flour eliminates moisture.
CUT BACK ON SUGAR The brown sugar in our recipe holds on to water, even after baking. Our
solution? Use just 1 1/4 cups.


TURN DOWN THE OVEN Baking the cookies in a low (300-degree) oven gives the dough ample time
to graduallybut thoroughlydry out.


STAGGER THE BAKING Baking each tray on the top rack before moving it to the cooler bottom rack
creates fissures that allow moisture to escape.
http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=32230

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
From America's Test Kitchen Season 13: Great American Classics
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Peanut butter flavor molecules can be trapped by flour in baked applications, so we ratcheted up the
flavors intensity by sandwiching an uncooked peanut butter filling between our cookies. Add...(more)

WATCH THIS RECIPE
We wanted a cookie so packed with peanut flavor that it needed no
crosshatch to identify it.

Watch the Video
Makes 24 cookies
Do not use unsalted peanut butter for this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
Cookies
1 1/4cups (6 1/4 ounces) raw peanuts, toasted and cooled
3/4cup (3 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1teaspoon baking soda
1/2teaspoon salt
3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2cup creamy peanut butter
1/2cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
3tablespoons whole milk
1large egg
Filling
3/4cup creamy peanut butter
3tablespoons unsalted butter
1cup (4 ounces) confectioners' sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
1. FOR THE COOKIES: Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven
to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Pulse peanuts in food processor until
finely chopped, about 8 pulses. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in bowl. Whisk butter,
peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, milk, and egg together in second bowl. Stir flour
mixture into peanut butter mixture with rubber spatula until combined. Stir in peanuts until evenly
distributed.
2. Using #60 scoop or tablespoon measure, place 12 mounds, evenly spaced, on each prepared
baking sheet. Using damp hand, flatten mounds until 2 inches in diameter.
3. Bake until deep golden brown and firm to touch, 15 to 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets
halfway through baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack and let
cool completely, about 30 minutes. Repeat portioning and baking remaining dough.
4. FOR THE FILLING: Microwave peanut butter and butter until butter is melted and warm, about 40
seconds. Using rubber spatula, stir in confectioners sugar until combined.
5. TO ASSEMBLE: Place 24 cookies upside down on work surface. Place 1 level tablespoon (or #60
scoop) warm filling in center of each cookie. Place second cookie on top of filling, right side up,
pressing gently until filling spreads to edges. Allow filling to set for 1 hour before serving. Assembled
cookies can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.
TECHNIQUE
FILLING COOKIES EVENLY

SCOOP IT WARM
Using a #60 scoop or a tablespoon measure, portion warm filling onto the bottom cookies (turned
upside down).

SQUISH IT GENTLY
Rather than smearing the filling with a knife or offset spatula, top it with a second cookie and press
gently until it spreads to the edges.
TECHNIQUE
PERFECTING THE PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH COOKIE
Many recipes for peanut butter sandwich cookies disappoint with soft, dull-tasting cookies and overly
sweet fillings. Here's how we improved the concept.

Super-Crunchy Cookies Fewer eggs and more baking soda add up to thin, flat, extra-crisp cookies.
A Smoothbut Not RunnyFilling Creaminess was crucial, but so was a filling that didnt squish
out the sides. Our formula: peanut butter, butter, and enough confectioners sugar to firm up the
texture.
Big Peanut Flavor Replacing some of the flour with chopped toasted peanuts made
the cookies extra nutty.

TECHNIQUE
WHAT'S WITH THOSE FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES?
Since we knew that the starch granules in flour mute the flavor of peanut butter, we briefly turned our
attention to an Internet sensation: flourless peanut butter cookies, made with just peanut butter,
sugar, egg, and sometimes a bit of baking soda. Indeed, when we tried a sample batch of our cookies
sans flour, they tasted super peanut-y and baked up looking much like traditional peanut butter
cookies. Why didnt these flourless cookies melt right off of the cookie sheet? Because peanut butter
contains approximately 20 percent carbohydrates and 25 percent protein, components that absorb
moisture and harden into a stable network in the heat of the oven. But without the sturdier structure
that only starch from wheat flour can provide, these cookies fell apart in our hands before we could
even take a bite. http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=35474
Chewy Sugar Cookies
From America's Test Kitchen Season 11: Sweet Endings
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Traditional recipes for sugar cookies require obsessive attention to detail. The butter must be at
precisely the right temperature and it must be creamed to the proper degree of airiness.
Sligh...(more)

WATCH THIS RECIPE
Everyone thinks it's easy to make classic buttery-tasting sugary
cookies that are crisp at the edges and chewy in the center. Everyone
is wrong.
Watch the Video
Makes 2 dozen cookies
The final dough will be slightly softer than most cookie dough. For the best results, handle the dough
as briefly and gently as possible when shaping the cookies. Overworking the dough will result in flatter
cookies.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4cups (11 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2teaspoon baking soda
1teaspoon baking powder
1/2teaspoon table salt
1 1/2cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling
2ounces cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces
6tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and still warm
1/3cup vegetable oil
1large egg
1tablespoon milk
2teaspoons vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large rimmed baking
sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in medium
bowl. Set aside.
2. Place 1 cups sugar and cream cheese in large bowl. Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar in shallow
baking dish or pie plate and set aside. Pour warm butter over sugar and cream cheese and whisk to
combine (some small lumps of cream cheese will remain but will smooth out later). Whisk in oil until
incorporated. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture and mix
with rubber spatula until soft homogeneous dough forms.
3. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces, about 2 tablespoons each (or use #40 portion scoop). Using
hands, roll dough into balls. Working in batches, roll balls in reserved sugar to coat and evenly space
on prepared baking sheet, 12 dough balls per sheet. Using bottom of drinking glass, flatten dough
balls until 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle tops evenly with 4 teaspoons of sugar remaining in shallow
dish (2 teaspoons per tray), discarding any remaining sugar.
4. Bake, 1 tray at a time, until edges are set and just beginning to brown, 11 to 13 minutes, rotating
tray after 7 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes. Using wide metal spatula, transfer
cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.
TECHNIQUE
DYNAMIC DUO: BAKING POWDER + BAKING SODA
Many cookie recipes, including our Chewy Sugar Cookies, contain both baking soda and baking
powder. Since each is a leavening agent, why do you need both? The answer is that the two work in
tandem to create cookies that not only risebut spreadto the right degree. Plus in our recipe,
baking soda has one more purely aesthetic effect: It creates cookies with an appealingly crackly top.
Baking powder is responsible for lift, since it is engineered to produce most of its gas after the cookies
go into the oven, where the dough sets before these bubbles can burst.
But too much lift can mean cookies that turn out humped. Heres where baking soda comes in: As
long as theres an acidic ingredient in the dough for it to react with, a small amount of baking soda
can even things out. Baking soda raises the pH of dough (baking powder does too, but not as high),
weakening gluten. Weaker gluten means less structure and cookies that spread. Goodbye, humped
shapes.
As for crackly tops, baking soda reacts immediately in the wet dough to produce large bubbles of
carbon dioxide that cant all be contained by the weakened dough. Before the cookies can set in the
oven, the bubbles rise to the top and burst, leaving fissures in their wake.
The bottom line: For a baker who likes her cookies just so, the use of both baking powder and baking
soda can be a potent combo.

POWDER, NO SODA: With only baking powder in the mix, our cookies bake up humped with less
crackly tops.
POWDER + SODA: Both leaveners in the dough lead to cookies that are perfectly mounded and
nicely crackly.
TECHNIQUE
SECRET WEAPONS FOR TASTE AND TEXTURE
Sugar cookies can be cloyingly sweet, and even those billing themselves as chewy rarely are. These
two ingredients helped us create the best flavor and chewy texture.

CREAM CHEESE: Cream cheese is an ingredient not often included in sugar cookies. But we found it
helps cut their one-note sweetness and round out flavors.

OIL: All-butter sugar cookies may have rich taste, but they never boast real chew. Swapping some of
the butter, which is mainly a saturated fat, for unsaturated vegetable oil boosts chewiness
considerably. Why? The two types of fat create a sturdier structure that requires more force to bite
through.
http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=26333&extcode=L3KN4AA00
Baked potato wedges
450 degrees for 20-30 min. flip after 10 min or so
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic powder (or minced garlic)
black pepper
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
pepper
salt
parmesan cheese



A crpe is nothing but a thin pancake cooked quickly on each side and wrapped
around a sweet or savory filling, but it has a reputation for being difficult. We
wanted an easy method for crpes ...(more)

Serves 4
Crpes will give off steam as they cook, but if at any point the skillet begins to
smoke, remove it from the heat immediately and turn down the heat. Stacking
the crpes on a wire rack allows excess steam to escape so they wont stick
together. To allow for practice, the recipe yields 10 crpes; only eight are needed
for the filling.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar, plus 8 teaspoons sugar for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 lemon, cut into wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat over low heat for at least 10
minutes.

2. While skillet is heating, whisk together flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt in
medium bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Add half of milk
mixture to dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Add butter and whisk until
incorporated. Whisk in remaining milk mixture until smooth.

3. Using paper towel, wipe out skillet, leaving thin film of oil on bottom and sides.
Increase heat to medium and let skillet heat for 1 minute. After 1 minute, test
heat of skillet by placing 1 teaspoon batter in center and cook for 20 seconds. If
mini crpe is golden brown on bottom, skillet is properly heated; if it is too light or
too dark, adjust heat accordingly and retest.

4. Pour cup batter into far side of pan and tilt and shake gently until batter
evenly covers bottom of pan. Cook crpe without moving it until top surface is dry
and crpe starts to brown at edges, loosening crpe from side of pan with rubber
spatula, about 25 seconds. Gently slide spatula underneath edge of crpe, grasp
edge with fingertips, and flip crpe. Cook until second side is lightly spotted, about
20 seconds. Transfer cooked crpe to wire rack, inverting so spotted side is facing
up. Return pan to heat and heat for 10 seconds before repeating with remaining
batter. As crpes are done, stack on wire rack.

5. Transfer stack of crpes to large microwave-safe plate and invert second plate
over crpes. Microwave on high power until crpes are warm, 30 to 45 seconds
(45 to 60 seconds if crpes have cooled completely). Remove top plate and wipe
dry with paper towel. Sprinkle upper half of top crpe with 1 teaspoon sugar. Fold
unsugared bottom half over sugared half, then fold into quarters. Transfer sugared
crpe to second plate. Continue with remaining crpes. Serve immediately, passing
lemon wedges separately.

TECHNIQUE
WHISK AWAY
Most recipes for traditional American pancakes caution against overmixing the
batter; doing so activates the formation of gluten and will render the results tough
and dense. In theory, the same logic would apply to crpes, but our mixing tests
showed that all that worry was for naught. Why? It all comes down to the liquid-
to-flour ratio. The high proportion of liquid in crpe batter makes it so dilute that
gluten developmentthat is, the network of proteins that give baked goods their
chewis not actually a factor. This also means that you can use anything from
low-protein cake flour to high-protein bread flour and get a similarly tender
crpe.

TECHNIQUE
IS THE PAN READY?
Here's a test to make sure that the pan is hot enough: Drop a teaspoon of batter
into its center. If this mini crpe is golden brown on the bottom after 20 seconds,
the pan is ready. If it's blondor burnedadjust the heat accordingly.

TECHNIQUE
TROUBLESHOOTING CRPES
PROBLEM: Splotchy browning

SOLUTION: Preheat pan 10 minutes



PROBLEM: Batter spreads unevenly

SOLUTION: Tilt and shake



PROBLEM: Crpe tears when flipped

SOLUTION: Wait, then try again


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