When it comes to baking, If it's not one thing that I hear regularly, it's, ‘my cookies came out hard like rocks! What did I do wrong?' Sigh, it's never a fun predicament to be in, and especially if you are in preparation to present them to close family or friends- or worse, a client- it can be nothing short of complete chaos. So when I was presented with a challenge to test my hand at one of my all-time favorite desserts, chocolate chip cookies, I knew it'd be my chance to help shed light on the issue and prevent my fellow bakers from throwing in the towel too soon.

Now I, for one, am not a fan of hard cookies. Nope, I will kindly pass; thank you. Yet when this issue kept being brought to my attention, I knew I had to get to the bottom of it.

Troubleshooting Cookies 101:

Why are cookies coming out hard and crunchy? Or even better, why are my cookies hard like rocks?

Well, the answer may very well reside in the approach to measuring out dry ingredients… and it can start with the flour.

Mismeasured flour

Flour is by far the most common mismeasured ingredient. Yes, you read that right. Regardless of if it's bread flour, cake flour, all-purpose flour, gluten-free flour, etc., the “spoon & level” method will be your friend.

A notable misconception is that you should scoop the flour out of the container/bag with your measuring cup. This is wrong! So very wrong!

You could end up with 50% more than you need, which can cause your result to be stiff and inflexible. To combat this, use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup. Do not pack the flour in, and make sure that you tap the side of the measuring cup to fill in any air pockets.

After you've spooned the flour into the measuring cup, use the back of a knife to level off the top of the measuring cup. Viola!

Now, should you be using baking powder and baking soda, both can settle down in their containers over time. It's recommended to shake it up or give it a bit of a stir, then use a measuring spoon to lightly scoop it out of the container. Use a knife (or the container if it has a leveler) to level it off as well. Done.

Scoop and Level Method

The critical thing to remember here, especially when it comes to these Monster Chocolate Chip Cookies, is that the flour HAS TO BE SCOOPED AND LEVELED! Without this, you might as well start your meltdown now as I can 90% guarantee you they'll be problems later on down the road. Next, if you are in an area where mini chocolate chips are not readily available and you're forced to use regular size chocolate chips, don't fret. Make sure that the regular-sized chocolate chips are placed only on the top of the dough instead of folding it in as they will overpower the dough and leave you with one big ooey-gooey mess, yikes!

What ingredients are needed for Monster Cookies?

1 stick, cold, chopped, unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cup All-Purpose Flour
¾ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking soda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

How to make giant chocolate chip cookies on thebakingmama.com

What equipment is used to make Monster Cookies?

Stand Mixer & Paddle
Small Bowls
Dry Measuring cups
Cookie Scoop
Parchment lined baking sheets
Wooden spoon or rubber spatula

How do I make the perfect giant chocolate chip cookie?

Monster chocolate chips on thebakingmama.com

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Add cold butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to stand mixer
Mix on medium to high speed for 4-5 mins *don't skip this step*
Add in the eggs and vanilla, mix until incorporated
Add in flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch, mix well
The dough will be very thick.
Pour in milk chocolate chips and stir in with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
Using a large cookie scooper, scoop evenly sized balls of dough. Roll the dough in the mini chip and
space out on the parchment-lined baking sheets.

how to make giant cookies on thebakingmama.com

Anything I need to know prior to baking?

Absolutely, before this bakes in a 350-degree oven for 20 mins or until golden brown you only want to press the additional chips on the top. Adding them to the bottom will cause it to unevenly bake. Allow the cookies to cool 5-10 mins before serving.

Is this worth the time in the kitchen?

Overall, this is a fun weekend treat to enjoy with those you love and to see the surprise on their faces when they realize the cookies are as big as their palms will be the talk of the day -in between chomps and chews, that is.

Monster Chocolate Chip cookies on thebakingmama.com

Until next time!

Chef Kim!