The Chewy

The Chewy.  It doesn't look chewy but it is.  Trust me.

Do you know have jeans have names?  There's the Paige Skyline.  And the AG Stilt.  And the Joe's Curvy.  Well, apparently chocolate chip cookies have names too.  Let me introduce you to The Chewy.

My sister Jill told me about The Chewy.  It's an Alton Brown recipe and the cookies are, as advertised, very chewy.  There's a slight crunch around the edges and then the middle is deliciously chewy.  The ingredients aren't all that different from the millions of other chocolate chip cookies out there.  This recipe, like the Cook's Illustrated recipe, calls for melted butter and one egg and one more egg yolk.  But, unlike other recipes I've tried, instead of all purpose flour, The Chewy is made with bread flour.  Could that be the difference?   Who knows.

So here's the thing.  The Chewy cookie is addictive.  Make these at your own risk.  Too many of these babies you you'll be checking to see if Paige makes a Mom Jean.


Recipe:  The Chewy
(Alton Brown)

Ingredients:


8 ounces unsalted butter
12 ounces bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces granulated sugar
8 ounces light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 ounce whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:


Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda onto a paper plate. Pour the butter into your stand mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the whole egg, the egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the egg mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

Using the paper plate as a slide, gradually integrate the dry ingredients, stopping a couple of times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once the flour is worked in, drop the speed to "stir" and add the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven.

Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-ounce portions onto parchment-lined half sheet pans, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake 2 sheets at a time for 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven, slide the parchment with the cookies onto a cooling rack and wait at least 5 minutes before devouring.