# Making Chewy vs. Crunchy Cookies

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-chewy-vs-crunchy-cookies/504835>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 31, 2009, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-chewy-vs-crunchy-cookies/504835 "2009-07-31T02:45:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-chewy-vs-crunchy-cookies/504835/21 "2009-08-13T14:32:56Z")

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> [@Claire\_Beauchamp](#):
>
> Margarine and butter are the equivalents in this regard – both have water and other not-fat substances in them. Shortening is 100% fat.

One thing to be careful of are non-margarine ‘spreads’. Products labeled as margarines are required to have very similar fat/water ratios as butter, and will behave similarly in baking recipes. Most of the butter substitutes you see nowadays (especially now that trans-fats are viewed as bad or worse than saturated fats) have a lower fat and higher water content than butter or margarine, and should absolutely not be substituted for them in baking. Eg. Country Crock, Smart Balance, I Sure As Fucking Hell Can Believe It’s Not Butter, etc.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-chewy-vs-crunchy-cookies/504835/22 "2009-08-13T14:39:16Z")

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> [@Anaamika](#):
>
> The other thing I do that seems to help is take them out before they’re 100% done - they will continue cooking a little on the tray. This means you have to watch them and be Johnny quick on pulling them out…

A second for this tip. They’ll cook for at least two more minutes outside the oven. I’ve found it to be essential to getting soft, chewy cookies.

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**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-chewy-vs-crunchy-cookies/504835/23 "2009-08-14T01:47:28Z")

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> [@Claire\_Beauchamp](#):
>
> A longer answer is that Alton Brown did a show on this topic several years ago with chocolate chip cookies. There are three recipes:
> 
> [The Puffy](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-puffy-recipe/index.html)  
> [The Thin](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-thin-recipe/index.html)  
> [The Chewy](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-chewy-recipe/index.html)

“Three chips for sister Marsha” is available on [youtube.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB-KVveLp3k&feature=PlayList&p=197DB9764D8E6183&index=18) Be sure to watch part 2, it gets into the science of chewy cookies.

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