Sometimes you crave a perectly soft and chewy cookie that melts in your mouth, and then there are those days when a thin and crispy confection sounds like the perfect treat. Regardless of the type of cookie you prefer, we should be armed with the tools to bake our favorites with little difficulty and stress. But what goes into baking a chewy cookie vs. a crispy one? Well, we’ve turned to Jocelyn Delk Adams of Grandbaby Cakes to teach us how to make the pefect crispy or chewy cookie every time you bake. You won’t believe how two drastically different cookie outcomes can come from essentially the same recipe with just a few tweaks. Whether you prefer your cookies crispy or chewy, you can guarantee that with one of these recipes they will disappear before your very eyes.

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Chewy Cookies:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda and put aside.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, add butter and both granulated and brown sugars and cream together for 3-4 minutes on high until light and fluffy.
4. Next add in eggs one at a time beating until incorporated.  Then add in pure vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
5. Turn down your mixer to low and add in flour mixture in three intervals beating after each addition until well-combined.  Lastly, stir in chocolate chips.
6. Place dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.  Two hours is even better.
7. Scoop cookie dough in balls the size of a tablespoon and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet at least 1 1/2 inches apart.
8. Bake 10-12 minutes.  Cookies may seem undone but remove from oven.

Notes to making cookies chewier:

• More brown sugar in this recipe increases moistness due to the addition of molasses.
• This version replaces on whole egg with two egg yolks. By omitting the egg white, the end result is softer and moister.
• By adding the secret ingredient cornstarch, the texture of the dough becomes softer and chewier. It’s like magic!
• My chewy cookies need a little bit of chilling time. By chilling the dough, you create a firmer base that slows spreading and thinning as it bakes. This step is crucial and should not be skipped. Plan ahead when attempting these cookies.
• This is one of the most important steps for chewy cookies. You must slightly underbake. Underdone cookies are the key to soft cookies for days, though I don’t think these delicious treats will stick around that long.

Crispy Cookies:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda and put aside.
3. In the bowl of your mixer, add butter and both granulated and brown sugars and cream together for 3-4 minutes on high until light and fluffy.
4. Next add in eggs one at a time beating until incorporated. Then add in pure vanilla extract and beat until smooth.
5. Turn down your mixer to low and add in flour mixture in three intervals beating after each addition until well-combined. Lastly, stir in chocolate chips.
6. Scoop cookie dough in balls the size of a tablespoon and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. These cookies spread a lot.
7. Bake for 14-16 minutes and cool. Tip: Begin checking your oven around 10 minutes to ensure they don’t burn or brown too much on one side. Rotate the cookies if needed.  

Notes to making cookies crispier:

• By increasing the amount of granulated sugar and cutting down the brown sugar, I also decrease the moist factor.
• Egg whites help to dry out and create stability in a cookie dough. Here I use whole eggs because the egg whites are essential in contributing to a crispier cookie.
• By adding milk to the crispy dough, it helps to thin the overall batter making it spread wider and faster as it bakes.
• The best part about these cookies is there is no wait time between creating the dough and baking the dough. They go right from the mixing bowl to the oven. This is the perfect time-saver cookie!
• The baking time on these cookies is extended a bit to ensure a crisp end product. You should also watch the oven to make sure they don’t burn. Turning the cookie tray once in the oven will ensure even baking

Allow cookies to cool and then enjoy!