One major consideration that someone trying to make chewy chocolate chip cookies should keep in mind is the type and amount of flour being used. Bread flour can often produce chewier cookies than the all-purpose variety. Recipes for chewy chocolate chip cookies also tend to include slightly more flour than other recipes, as this helps protect moisture within the cookie leaving them chewy and moist rather than crispy. Someone making chewy cookies should also make them slightly larger than crispier cookies, and they should be baked at a higher temperature for a shorter time period.
Chewy chocolate chip cookies are often made by someone ensuring that they retain a good amount of moisture during baking. One of the best ways for a person to do this is through the use of bread flour rather than all-purpose types. Bread flour creates greater amounts of gluten when it is combined with other ingredients, such as milk, melted butter, and eggs; this gluten acts as a shield for moisture within the cookies.
The amount of flour used in a recipe can also have an impact on whether or not someone produces chewy chocolate chip cookies. Most recipes for chewy cookies include slightly more flour than recipes for crispier cookies. This additional flour also helps form more gluten that creates a chewier texture. Someone can potentially use a recipe for crispy cookies, and add more flour to make them chewier.
The way in which the cookie dough is handled after it is mixed together can also have a notable impact on how well someone produces chewy chocolate chip cookies. Cookie dough should typically be refrigerated for about a half hour prior to its use, to help keep it from cooking too quickly during baking. Someone making chewy chocolate chip cookies should also spoon the dough onto baking sheets in a fairly large amount. These larger, cold portions of cookie dough spread less during baking, allowing more internal moisture to be retained, which helps keeps them chewy.
It is also important when making chewy chocolate chip cookies to avoid overcooking the dough during baking. While recipe times serve as a good guideline, differences in oven temperatures can result in significantly varied baking times. These types of cookies are often baked at a slightly higher temperature than crispy cookies, but for a shorter period of time. They should typically be removed from the oven when the outer edges become golden brown and the middle portion is still pale, though not raw.