How can I control how crunchy (hard) my cookies are?

by Holly
(North Carolina)

Q.My husband likes very hard cookies and my son likes them very soft. Sometimes they turn out one way, and sometimes they turn out the other way - What determines this and how can I predict which I will end up with?

A.This is a great question as people's preference in chocolate chip cookies varies widely. For a crunchy cookie I recommend the following:

Make sure there is more white sugar than brown sugar in your recipe. White sugar will yield a drier, crispier, cookie. Then, let your cookie bake longer in the oven. I usually recommend taking them out when just the edges are brown but if you wait until the whole cookie has a golden tint (not too golden as to alter the taste) you can take them out and then leave them on the cookie sheet 1-2 minutes. This should give you a pretty crunchy cookie.

For a really soft cookie just reverse the above! More brown sugar than white. The molasses in brown sugar adds more moisture to the cookie. Then take the cookies out of the oven JUST when the edges are starting to brown. They may even look a little doughy on top, but take them out anyway. Leave them on the hot cookie sheet 1-2 minutes and then remove.

For a VERY soft cookie, I highly recommend the Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe on this site. It uses pudding as an ingredient that adds starch to the recipe making them very soft and almost cake like.