Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies... Revisited

Ok, so today being National Chocolate Chip Day I decided to revisit the well known chocolate chip cookie from Tate's Bake Shop.

This cookie has been a constant mystery to me- let me explain why.

I bought a pack of the chocolate chip cookies a while back, brought them home and presented them to my son, Kris, who proceeded to inhale about 4 before I had to stop him or I think he'd have eaten the whole dozen! I did another experiment a few months ago.

I've read many comments on the cookies and so many say they're addictive. And they are! But why?
Because it's like eating one potato chip...you just can't!   Tate's cookies are hard and crunchy, crunchy like potato chips so it's hard to eat just one. Crunchy like a cracker...again, hard to eat just one.

But here's the other thing I kept going back to. Tate's cookies are shipped all over the country. If I tried to ship my cookies to, let's say, California, they'd be stale by the time they got there. So how does she do it?

Well, I don't know exactly how Tate's does it but I figured out how I can do it.
They're twice baked...just like a biscotti! That's the conclusion I've come up with. Twice baking them takes alot of moisture out of the cookie, makes it hard and crunchy and allows it to remain fresher longer. Just like biscotti.

All the recipes I've read on her cookies just say to bake them longer but I found the twice baking is key.
I bake them first for the regular time called for in the recipe, about 11 to 12 minutes. Then I take them out and let them cool, then I put them on a wire rack ( so air circulates all around the cookie) and place them back in the oven for between 4 - 5 minutes. The oven temperature remains at 350.

They have to cool completely before you can feel them to be sure they're hard. They will always feel softer while still warm. If, once they're completely cooled again, they feel still a little soft in the center, then place them back in the oven again for another 2 minutes or so. Just keep an eye on them so they don't burn.

Now that's my way of making them hard and crunchy. Maybe Tate's Bake Shop has a different method of making them hard and crunchy. Maybe the convection ovens bake them differently than my home oven.

If anyone reading this gives my test a try I'd love to hear from you on how the experiment went for you.

Next...crunchy oatmeal raisin!
Happy Baking!