Classic Flavor in a Crispy Package: Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

When we were in NYC recently (back when leisure travel was still a thing), I was browsing the market close to our hotel looking for a snack. I picked up a fruit bowl from the produce section and as I waited to check out, I saw a small bag of Tate's chocolate chip cookies by the cash register. I almost never purchase cookies at the grocery store, at least not for eating (I will buy Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers to grind up for crusts). But I do love a crispy cookie, so I bought the Tate's and enjoyed them thoroughly after we got back to our hotel.

Joanne Chang's recipe for "Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies" in Pastry Love is her version of a Tate's. To make the dough, you cream room temperature butter and sugar; add an egg, vanilla, and water; and incorporate the dry ingredients (flour, kosher salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips). You need to chill the dough for at least four hours before baking, and I left the dough in the refrigerator for a full day. I also scooped the dough into cookies (using a #20 scoop, yielding 25 cookies per batch) before chilling, because it's can be much more difficult to scoop dough when it's cold.

I flattened the scoops of dough slightly before baking. The cookies definitely spread out a good amount, and while the cookies in the cookbook photo all look like they're perfectly round (much like a real Tate's cookie), my cookies had irregular shapes. So they didn't look as nice as I would have hoped, but they were pretty darn delicious. The were crisp, but not as crunchy as a Tate's. Still, they had a deeply caramelized flavor that was so satisfying. I was delighted with these crispy cookies, which delivered the familiarity and comfort you expect from a good chocolate chip cookie, with a texture that was a little more fun.

Recipe: "Thin, Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies" from Pastry Love by Joanne Chang.