This recipe for a chewy yet crispy cookie is similar to a Martha Stewart favourite from one of her first cookbooks. If you forgot to buy berry sugar, you can whizz regular granulated sugar in a food processor for a few minutes until the crystals are super fine. The dough is easier to mix, due to the creaming time, in a stand mixer, but you could use a hand mixer (or a bowl and a wooden spoon). Adapted from a recipe by Joanne Chang via David Lebovitz. Watch the time on these, you do not want to underbake. This recipe specified a large cookie, but I found that a smaller cookie gave better chewy/crispy results. It’s a good choice for a cookie exchange as it keeps well and offers a good yield.
| 1 c | unsalted butter, at room temperature |
| 1 c | superfine sugar |
| ½ c | firmly-packed light brown sugar |
| 1 | large egg, at room temperature |
| 3 T | water |
| 2 t | vanilla extract |
| 1¾ c | flour |
| 1 t | kosher salt (Diamond, you may need less with another brand) |
| 1 t | baking soda |
| 1½ c | bittersweet chocolate chips (or equivalent in chopped bittersweet chocolate) |
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and creamy, about 5-7 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides occasionally.
Slowly beat in the egg, water and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the chocolate chips and toss. With the mixer on low speed, stir in the flour and chocolate chip mixture until thoroughly combined. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the at least 3 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Make large (¼ c) or small (approx half that) balls of dough and arrange on parchment-lined cookie sheets about 3-inches apart as they will spread, a lot. Flatten the cookie slightly with your hand and bake for 13-14 minutes.
Rotate the baking sheets halfway through and check during the last few minutes. They should be just starting to turn golden brown. The cookies will be very soft when you remove from the oven, they crisp up with cooling. After five minutes transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Makes 30-60 cookies depending on size. The large cookie took two minutes longer to bake than the smaller cookie.