An epicurean adventure to: The United States of America
Hello, fellow cookie monsters! We've all been there, haven't we? The pantry searches for brown sugar which ends in disappointment.
But fear not! This recipe creates chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar that are just as sweet, chewy and delicious as their brown sugar-laden counterparts.
But how can you make chewy chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar?
Ah, magic! As we know, dark brown sugar is what adds the chewy texture to choc chip cookies. For this recipe, we use all white sugar, which would typically make the cookies drier and harder.
This is where the magic happens - a touch of golden syrup. This little addition brings back the familiar chewiness and flavour we all know and love in classic chocolate chip cookies, with no thanks to brown sugar.
Where do chocolate chip cookies come from?
Chocolate chip cookies originated in the United States and are believed to have been invented by Ruth Graves Wakefield in the 1930s.
They are often associated with warm memories, home baking and a sense of nostalgia. They're the classic American treat! Today, chocolate chip cookies are enjoyed worldwide as a symbol of indulgence, joy and simple pleasures.
For more tasty cookies, also try these Spice Biscuits or these everyday favourites, condensed milk cookies.
Jump to:
- Fast facts - United States of America
- What's to love about this recipe
- Key ingredient notes and substitutions
- How to make these cookies - quick summary
- Tips for making the best cookies
- Decoration ideas
- Storage
- Freezing
- Freezing the cookie dough
- FAQ:
- Other delicious cookie recipes you might enjoy
- More recipes from the US
- Other cookie recipes you might enjoy
- Recipe
Fast facts - United States of America
Location | The United States of America is located in North America, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. |
Language | English is the primary language spoken in the United States. However, due to its diverse population, numerous other languages are also spoken across the country. |
Population | Circa 331 million people. |
Trivia | The United States has the largest number of Nobel Prize winners in various categories, including physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace. |
What's to love about this recipe
- No brown sugar is needed.
- These delicious cookies are that perfect in-between texture, crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle.
- Really simple to make, using basic ingredients only.
- These homemade chocolate chip cookies are the ideal easy recipe to get the kids involved with.
- No need to fuss with cookie cutters. Simply roll the dough into balls and place them in the oven. They will transform into perfectly shaped cookies all on their own.
- Makes 16 decent-sized cookies.
Key ingredient notes and substitutions
Butter
We prefer using unsalted butter, but if you're in the mood for a slightly salty twist in your cookies, you can use salted butter instead.
Sugar
Just plain granulated sugar.
Golden syrup
Golden syrup is now widely available in most countries, and according to Martha Stewart, it can also be found in most US supermarkets.
In case you can't find golden syrup, you can try substituting it with corn syrup, although the flavour might differ slightly. Golden syrup has a richer taste and thicker consistency compared to corn syrup.
We have not tested corn syrup in this recipe.
Eggs
We will need two eggs, but we only use one whole egg and the yolk from the other.
Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do with a lone spare egg white, except perhaps add it to your breakfast eggs the next morning.
Chocolate chips
You can use all milk chocolate, a combination of milk and white chocolate chips, or even go for the richer flavour of dark chocolate chips. It's entirely up to your personal preference!
You can also chop up a slab of chocolate for larger chocolate chunks.
How to make these cookies - quick summary
Preparing the cookie dough:
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter, let it cool a little and then add it to the sugar and golden syrup. With an electric mixer or a stand mixer, beat for about 1 minute. Use the paddle attachment and not the whisk.
- Add the whole egg, the egg yolk and the vanilla extract. Beat for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light in colour, thick and creamy.
- In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour with the bicarb. Add the dry ingredients in two parts to the egg mixture and gently fold it in using a rubber spatula or large spoon.
- Once the flour is almost fully incorporated, tip in the chocolate chips and continue to fold the mixture until all the flour is gone and you have an even spread of chocolate chips.
Making the cookies:
- Scoop out equal spoonfuls of the dough using an ice cream or cookie scoop.
Roll each portion into a ball and then place them on the baking trays, making sure to leave about 8cm of space between each cookie.
No need to flatten the cookie dough balls, they will naturally spread out and form perfectly round, thin (but not too thin) cookies as they bake.
- As soon as you've finished one tray of cookies, place the tray in the fridge whilst you wait for the oven to come up to temperature.
- When the oven is ready, place the first baking sheet on the middle shelf of the preheated oven, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are a light golden brown colour.
In the meantime, keep the second tray in the fridge whilst you're waiting for the first batch to bake.
- Cool the cookies on their trays for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack/cooling rack.
Tips for making the best cookies
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measuring.
- Don't overmix. Overmixing might lead to tougher cookies.
Gently fold the ingredients together and stop as soon as everything has been incorporated.
- Don't be tempted to press the dough balls flatter before putting them in the oven.
The shape of the cookie dough balls also contributes to the crispy outside and chewy middle.
Trust that the cookies will reach the perfect thickness by the time they are baked.
- Not all ovens are alike. If by 15 minutes the cookies don't look done, give it another minute or two, but keep a close eye on it.
Decoration ideas
We like these delicious chocolate chip cookies as they come. They really don't need anything extra, but if you want to be extra fancy, here are some ideas:
- Extra chocolate chips: You can press some extra chocolate chips onto the surface of each cookie dough ball before baking.
- Drizzle: Once the cookies have cooled, drizzle them with melted chocolate, or icing, in a contrasting colour. You can use a spoon or a piping bag for precise lines.
- Sprinkles: Add a scattering of colourful sprinkles or edible glitter on top of the cookies before baking, or immediately after they come out of the oven.
- Chocolate Ganache: Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate ganache, allowing it to set before serving. You can also sprinkle some crushed nuts or shredded coconut on top.
- Sandwich: Pair up two cookies and spread a layer of buttercream or Nutella in between to create cookie sandwiches.
Storage
These cookies have excellent storage potential, up to 3 months. To keep them fresh, store them in an airtight container in a cool and dry space in your cupboards.
Freezing
You can batch-bake the cookies and store them in the freezer, ready for the holidays.
Simply place the cooled cookies in a freezer-safe container or bag, making sure to remove any excess air.
Pack them in a single layer and place a sheet of parchment paper between each layer of cookies.
They can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw them at room temperature a few hours before you'd like to enjoy them.
Freezing the cookie dough
If you want the convenience of freshly baked cookies anytime, you can freeze the chocolate chip cookie dough before baking.
Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap, then in a freezer bag. Ensure it is well-sealed and place it in the freezer.
When you're ready to bake, remove the frozen cookie dough from the freezer and let it defrost in the fridge overnight. The next day, roll the dough into balls and bake as instructed in the recipe.
FAQ:
Brown sugar plays a vital role in chocolate chip cookies by contributing both to the texture and flavour of the cookies.
The moisture content in brown sugar helps to keep chocolate chip cookies soft and chewy. It also adds a subtle hint of caramel flavour and complexity to the overall taste. The molasses present in brown sugar provides depth and richness, enhancing the cookies' flavour profile.
Golden syrup, while not an exact replica of brown sugar, offers its own unique qualities that make it a very good substitute.
In terms of texture, golden syrup provides moisture to the cookie dough, resulting in cookies that are soft and chewy, similar to those made with brown sugar. Its viscosity helps bind the ingredients together, helping the structure of the cookies.
In terms of flavour, golden syrup provides a distinct and slightly deeper taste compared to other liquid sweeteners like corn syrup. While it may not precisely replicate the caramel notes of brown sugar, golden syrup brings its own richness and complexity to the cookies.
Its unique flavour profile adds a lovely twist, creating a delicious and unique variation of the classic chocolate chip cookie.
So, while the taste may differ ever so slightly from cookies made with brown sugar, golden syrup is an excellent alternative when brown sugar is unavailable, or when you just want to try something different.
Prevents spreading: Chilling the cookie dough helps solidify the fats in the dough, like butter, which reduces the chances of the cookies spreading too much during baking. This can result in cookies that are a little thicker and maintain their shape better.
Enhances flavour: Allowing the dough to rest in the fridge for a while before baking gives the ingredients an opportunity to meld together, allowing flavours to develop and intensify. This can lead to cookies with a more complex and well-rounded taste.
Controls browning: Chilled dough takes slightly longer to heat up in the oven, which can help control browning. This can prevent the cookies from becoming overly brown too quickly or burnt on the edges while ensuring they are fully baked.
Creates a chewier texture: The chilling process can help the dough retain moisture. This can result in cookies that have a chewier texture, as the moisture is retained during baking.
Other delicious cookie recipes you might enjoy
The best eggless peanut butter cookies
Valentine's sugar cookies on sticks
More recipes from the US
Learn how to make the Classic American Club Sandwich
Condensed milk chocolate chip cookies
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Gigi Hadid Pasta - The Viral Spicy Vodka Pasta Recipe
Perfect 4-ingredient banana bread
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies recipe (eggless)
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Other cookie recipes you might enjoy
Recipe
Chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar
Ingredients
- 150 grams butter - unsalted
- 225 grams sugar - white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs - we will use one whole egg and the yolk from the other
- 300 grams all purpose flour
- 0.5 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 350 grams chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Place the butter in a microwavable bowl and melt on a low heat until liquified. Set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, measure the white sugar into a large bowl along with the golden syrup.
- Pour the melted butter onto the sugar and syrup. With an electric hand mixer, or stand mixer, beat for 1 minute until combined.
- Add the vanilla extract, one whole egg and the egg yolk only from the other egg to the sugar mixture.
- With the mixer, beat for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is light in colour, thickened and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour and the bicarbonate of soda.
- Add the flour in two parts to the egg mixture, gently folding it in by hand with a spatula or large spoon. As soon as most of the flour has been incorporated, stop mixing.
- Tip in the chocolate chips and continue to combine the cookie dough until all the flour has disappeared and you have an even distribution of chocolate chips. Do this gently and don't overmix.
- Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to measure out equal amounts of cookie dough.
- Gently shape each portion into a ball and place onto the baking trays, leaving enough space in between each cookie to allow for spreading (about 8cm).
- As soon as you've finished one tray of cookies, place the tray in the fridge whilst you wait for the oven to come up to temperature.
- When the oven is ready, place the first tray on the middle shelf, and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are a light golden colour. In the meantime, keep the second tray in the fridge whilst you're waiting for the first batch to bake.
- Allow the cookies to cool on their trays for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.
**Nutritional data disclaimer**
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is calculated by a third party and we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We try our best to give you the most accurate information, but we do not take responsibility for errors that may be present. Also, the nutritional value of the recipe may change depending on the exact brands and products used. We recommend that you consult with a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian for personalised advice on your dietary needs.
Nutrition
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