Brighten Your Day

The Science Behind Baking The Most Delicious Cookie Ever!

June 12, 2015

Thanks to a bioengineering grad student named Kendra Nyberg - who co-taught a class at UCLA called Science and Food - and chef and cookbook author Tessa Arias, the perfect cookie can be created if you follow these simple tips...

Credit: OZY

1. Ooey-gooey: Add 2 cups more flour.

2. Crispy with a soft center: Use 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

3. A nice tan: Set the oven higher than 350 degrees (maybe 360). Caramelization, which gives cookies their nice brown tops, occurs above 356 degrees, says the Ted video.

4. Chewy: Substitute bread flour for all-purpose flour.

5. Just like store-bought: Trade the butter for shortening. Arias notes that this ups the texture but reduces some flavor; her suggestion is to use half butter and half shortening.

6. Thick (and less crispy): Freeze the batter for 30 to 60 minutes before baking. This solidifies the butter, which will spread less while baking.

7. Cakey: Use more baking soda because, according to Nyberg, it "releases carbon dioxide when heated, which makes cookies puff up."

8. Butterscotch flavored: Use 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (instead of the same amount of combined granulated sugar and light brown sugar).

9. Uniformity: If looks count, add one ounce corn syrup and one ounce granulated sugar.

10. More. Just, more: Chilling the dough for at least 24 hours before baking deepens all the flavors, Arias found.

It's like finding all the answers to a math test you haven't studied for!

(H/T) Ozy.