I Tried King Arthur's 2024 Recipe of the Year, and It's No Wonder These "Controversial" Cookies Crashed Their Website (2024)

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Recipe Review

Kiersten Hickman

Kiersten Hickman

published Dec 29, 2023

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I am a big fan of King Arthur Baking Company. Not only do I collect their baking tools and trinkets like they are trophies, but I’ve also actually traveled to their bake school in Vermont and taken classes, all in an effort to learn some coveted baking secrets. So you can only imagine my sheer delight after finding out King Arthur announced a Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookie as their 2024 Recipe of the Year. I immediately tied on my apron and began baking.

And it seems I wasn’t the only one; this recipe was so popular among home bakers that it quite literally broke the internet. The link stopped working for a few hours, leaving many bakers waiting impatiently for supersized, super-soft chocolate chip cookies. Thankfully, the internet brought this highly popular cookie recipe back to life, giving me enough time to try the recipe myself. And let me tell you — it was absolutely worth the wait.

Get the recipe: Supersized, Super-Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

How to Make King Arthur’s Supersized, Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

In a large mixing bowl, combine light brown sugar and table salt. Set aside.

In a medium-sized saucepan, heat unsalted butter over medium heat. Continue stirring until the butter starts to sizzle and brown — about five minutes. It should smell toasty and nutty, and the butter should have flecks of golden-brown in it.

Immediately pour the hot butter over the brown sugar and salt in the bowl. Whisk until the sugar melts and the mixture almost resembles smooth caramel.

In that same saucepan, heat up bread flour with whole milk, whisking constantly. The flour mixture will cook and become thick, like mashed potatoes. This is called the tangzhong starter. Immediately remove from the heat and add to your bowl of sugar and butter, whisking until smooth.

Add in large eggs, cold straight from the refrigerator, as well as pure vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Next, add in bread flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk until smooth.

Place the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge for 15 minutes. While you’re waiting, chop up semi-sweet chocolate wafers or bars. If you have chips, that’s fine as well — just make sure to chop them.

Once the dough has chilled, toss in the chocolate and mix together with a spatula until everything is combined. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 72 hours.

When it’s time to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop out 1/4 cup of cookie dough (roughly around 85 to 90 grams) and roll it into a ball. Place it on the baking sheet, leaving enough room for each cookie to bake; you want to keep it to no more than 5 or 6 cookies on a baking sheet. If you want smaller cookies, measure out around 50 grams of dough per cookie.

Bake in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes. For smaller cookies, leave them in for only 15 to 18 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes before devouring.

My Honest Review

There’s a reason these cookies have been crowned King Arthur’s Recipe of The Year: They’re perfect. They’re crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with the right balance of buttery dough and dark bittersweet chocolate. It is by far my favorite chocolate chip cookie yet.

While the tangzhong starter (cooking some flour with milk) may seem a little intimidating, the step wasn’t as scary as I originally thought, and it truly makes all the difference. The texture of these cookies is perfectly chewy in the way you always dream a chocolate cookie would be, and I know the technique of cooking some of the flour must certainly be the reason.

It’s definitely not a step everyone is willing to take, though. After just a couple days of this recipe being out in the world and many home bakers are skeptical of the steps this cookie requires. King Arthur themselves even called it “controversial” in a recent Instagram, thanks to the sheer comments the company has received.

Aging the dough was absolutely the right call for these cookies. Is it easy waiting an entire day to bake delicious cookies? Absolutely not. Was it worth it? 100%. I only waited 24 hours before baking, but it was still enough to give this dough that rich flavor and bake a cookie that is perfectly shaped.

Don’t be intimidated by how big these cookies are; trust me, it’s worth it. I measured out 90 grams for each cookie before rolling them up and baking. It took me a little longer. given I had to bake them in batches, but the texture of the cookies are perfect. I don’t think I would go any smaller, to be honest.

So, does this recipe deserve the coveted title of Recipe of the Year? I think you know the answer to that … yes!

3 Tips to Make King Arthur’s Recipe of the Year

  1. Watch the video first: If the recipe intimidates you, I highly recommend watching King Arthur’s video of them baking the cookies first. It’s easier to watch someone do it and makes the steps seem simpler and a lot more manageable. It’s only 15 minutes long, but I think it will make you feel better before tackling the recipe on your own.
  2. Use a mixture of bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate: The recipe calls for semi-sweet chocolate, but the recipe video says you can use a mixture of the two types of chocolates in your cookies. This is the method I decided to go with, and for someone who loves darker chocolate, it was the perfect balance of sweet and bitter for my cookies.
  3. Stick some extra chocolate chips on top: If you’re really going for the “wow” factor, I recommend adding even more chocolate chips to the top — un-chopped, of course. This gives the cookies that Instagram-worthy look that will have all of your followers drooling on their screens.

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I Tried King Arthur's 2024 Recipe of the Year, and It's No Wonder These "Controversial" Cookies Crashed Their Website (2024)

FAQs

What does it mean when cookies don't spread out? ›

Your cookies won't properly spread if your oven temperature is too high; the edges of your cookies will cook faster than the middle before they have a chance to spread properly. To avoid this issue altogether, always double-check the temperature setting on your oven before beginning any cookie-making sessions.

What is King Arthur baking known for? ›

King Arthur Baking Company is an American supplier of flour, ingredients, baking mixes, cookbooks and baked goods. Founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1790, King Arthur Baking Company is now based in Norwich, Vermont.

How do I make my cookies spread more? ›

How To Ensure a Good Spread
  1. Warm Dough. To encourage a good spread during baking, you may want to try using warm cookie dough instead of refrigerating it. ...
  2. Chilled Dough. ...
  3. Get Your Oven Nice and Toasty. ...
  4. Use Fresh Baking Powder. ...
  5. Use the right baking sheet. ...
  6. Use a Scoop & Don't Overcrowd. ...
  7. Don't Overmix. ...
  8. Add More Liquid.
Feb 22, 2023

Why aren t my cookies spreading out reddit? ›

Too much flour/not enough butter. Make sure you're measuring flour correctly. If you're using volumetric measurements, use a spoon to coop flour into your measuring cup before leveling it off. Don't just use the measuring cup to scoop into the bag.

Do you flatten chocolate chip cookies before baking? ›

Just before the dough goes in the oven, I take each ball of dough, and flatten it slightly. I then press chunks of chopped chocolate onto the top. You can add some of the chocolate dust from chopping too. Then I squeeze it back into a ball, and place it on the baking sheet.

Who owns King Arthur Flour in USA? ›

Sands, Taylor & Wood Company converted to an employee-owned business structure in 1996, and also changed its name to The King Arthur Flour Co., Inc., reflecting its principal brand. The company has been 100% employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) since 2004.

Where is King Arthur Flour made in USA? ›

Norwich, Vermont

Our flagship location, located in the beautiful small town of Norwich, has something for everyone (along with plenty of parking).

Is King Arthur Flour better than other flours? ›

Some flour brands allow wide fluctuations in their protein content, so every time you use it, you'll get slightly different results. King Arthur Flour is milled with the strictest specifications in the industry. Baking with flour that's consistent in protein will give you the best, most consistent results at home.

Should I use baking soda or baking powder in cookies? ›

Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies. Since baking powder is comprised of a number of ingredients (baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, etc.), using it instead of pure baking soda will affect the taste of your cookies.

What does cornstarch do in cookies? ›

“The result is added tenderness with more structure.” You don't need much of the ingredient to notice significant changes in your favorite recipe. Add a teaspoon or two to your dry ingredient mix and it will drastically change the texture. It's also fun to experiment until you get the exact finish you desire.

Are all cookies going away? ›

After a series of delays, Google has said it plans to phase out cookies for 100% of Chrome users by Q3 2024.

Why do cookies not flatten when baking? ›

One of the most common reasons why cookies didn't spread out in the oven is because you added too much flour. Cookies rely on the perfect ratio of butter to flour in order to spread just the right amount when baked.

What makes cookies spread out? ›

Cookies spread because the fat in the cookie dough melts in the oven. If there isn't enough flour to hold that melted fat, the cookies will over-spread. Spoon and level that flour or, better yet, weigh your flour. If your cookies are still spreading, add an extra 2 Tablespoons of flour to the cookie dough.

What affects cookie spread? ›

6 Reasons Why Your Cookies are Spreading
  • Room Temperature Butter. If it's too soft, it will melt faster in the oven and ultimately spread out. ...
  • Excess Sugar and Fat. Measuring is key in baking. ...
  • Mixing Butter & Sugar. ...
  • Dough is Too Warm. ...
  • Greased Cookie Sheets. ...
  • Warm Cookie Sheets. ...
  • Oven Temperature. ...
  • The Test Cookie.

Why do my cookies always turn out flat even when I follow the recipe? ›

WHY ARE MY COOKIES FLAT? HOW TO FIX FLAT COOKIES
  • OVEN IS TOO HOT. Oven temperatures are a crucial factor in baking. ...
  • INGREDIENTS MEASURED INCORRECTLY. ...
  • BAKING SHEET IS TOO HOT. ...
  • BUTTER IS TOO SOFT. ...
  • BAKING SHEET IS OVER-GREASED. ...
  • DOUGH WASN'T CHILLED BEFORE BAKING. ...
  • DOUGH IS OVERMIXED. ...
  • BAKING SHEET WAS OVERCROWDED.

Why did my cookies come out flat? ›

The Problem: Your Oven Is Too Hot

If your cookies repeatedly turn out flat, no matter the recipe, chances are your oven is too hot.

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