Comments on: Cheap vs. Expensive Ingredients in Chocolate Chip Cookies

By: Janet

Janet — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:51:39 +0000

The vanilla is not likely to be a factor. America’s Test Kitchen did a whole experiment on vanilla and determined that artificial vanilla can be used and completely unnoticed in baking. They said save the expensive stuff for when it will not be cooked, like in a custard. Anything baked will basically waste the expensive stuff because the heat cooks off the volatile compounds that are complex and give the good stuff its better flavors.
I would expect that the butter and chocolate chips would make the most difference. The more butterscotch-y flavor could be duplicated in the inexpensive cookies if you use dark brown sugar, or use 2/3 light brown and 1/3 granulated. (Many recipes have a 1:1 ratio of light brown to white sugar.)

By: Kiersten @ Handle the Heat

Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 20:54:50 +0000

In reply to Julene. Hi Julene! For the purposes of this experiment only, we used the Fleur de Sel salt in the cookie dough. Tessa recommends using fine sea salt in her Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and you can always sprinkle a little Fleur de Sel on top of any cookie you like, if you wish!

By: Julene

Julene — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 18:22:59 +0000

For the Cheap/Expensive chocolate chip cookie, is the Fleur de Sel salt used in the recipe or just for the top for the finishing of the cookie.

By: Emily @ Handle the Heat

Emily @ Handle the Heat — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 15:55:17 +0000

In reply to Julene. Hi Julene! Tessa purchased the "See Salt" brand from Safeway, though I'm not seeing it on their website currently. You can also find it directly on See Salt's site. In this specific test, that salt brand was the most expensive salt found in the store. It was used in the recipe.

By: Emily @ Handle the Heat

Emily @ Handle the Heat — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 15:26:59 +0000

In reply to Julene. Hi Julene! Our studio is based in Phoenix, AZ - it may depend on where you live as to whether Grassland is sold in your local store. Check out their store locator here.

By: Julene

Julene — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 22:48:31 +0000

Hi Tess,

Where can I find Grassland unsalted butter

By: Julene

Julene — Sat, 30 Sep 2023 20:18:37 +0000

Hi Tess,

Where do you buy your Fleur de Sel salt. I cant find the brand you have in the pictures of ingredients for the chocolate chip Cheap/expensive test. Also do you use the Fleur de Sel for just the finishing or do you also use it in the recipe

By: Kiersten @ Handle the Heat

Kiersten @ Handle the Heat — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:45:53 +0000

In reply to Roshni. Hi Roshni! Check out Tessa's article here on making thick cookies - some of the adjustments can be made in reverse for thinner cookies! For example, colder cookies will result in thicker cookies, so you could try letting your cookie dough balls sit at room temperature while your oven preheats (or even a little longer) to warm them up slightly, for a thinner cookie with more spread. I hope that helps! Happy baking :)

By: Roshni

Roshni — Mon, 29 May 2023 11:49:41 +0000

Hello! I know you haven’t yet done side by side tests for each ingredient, but I am wondering what you think was the biggest ingredient change that made the thin vs. thick cookies? I have made the brown butter cookies numerous times, and the latest time they were thicker and I actually preferred the thinner style. Will experiment on my own as well but just wondering if you had an idea!

By: Traci

Traci — Tue, 17 Jan 2023 01:39:07 +0000

I need to make the butter change. I only use King Arthur’s Flour, high quality vanilla, brown sugar and chocolate chips. I’ve always gotten generic white sugar and butter. I will try a good butter the next time I bake cookies.