master-cooks | Christina Tosi's Rule Of Thumb For Adding Mix Ins Into Cookie Dough

Christina Tosi, the renowned pastry chef and founder of Milk Bar, has a straightforward approach to incorporating mix-ins into cookie dough that elevates the texture and flavor of the final product. Her rule of thumb emphasizes balance and creativity, encouraging bakers to think beyond traditional chocolate chips. Tosi suggests starting with a base cookie dough recipe and then considering the mix-ins as an opportunity to add layers of flavor and texture. She advises using a combination of two or three different types of mix-ins to create a complex and interesting bite. For example, pairing something sweet like chocolate with something crunchy like nuts or cereal can add depth to the cookies. Tosi also recommends considering the size and texture of the mix-ins to ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. She highlights the importance of not overwhelming the dough with too many additions, suggesting that about one to one and a half cups of mix-ins per batch is usually sufficient. By following these guidelines, bakers can create cookies that are not only delicious but also uniquely tailored to their personal tastes, turning simple cookie dough into a canvas for culinary creativity.

Some extras might require a little recipe shuffling

Baking can be quite particular, so it's important to understand that you can't just throw in any ingredients and expect uniform results. For instance, choosing between granulated and powdered sugar for sugar cookies will yield two distinctly different, though equally sweet, outcomes. The same principle applies when deciding between butter and shortening for pie crust, a topic that Christina Tosi has also explored with Chowhound. Moreover, swapping butter for coconut oil can result in crispier cookies. As you might anticipate, Tosi also points out that when adding certain ingredients, you may need to adjust the flour content. "Mix-ins that could melt in the oven, such as toffee bits, marshmallows, or candy cane pieces, might require a bit more flour," she explains.

A key piece of advice for creating the most delicious treats is to conduct a little experiment first. "Before baking an entire batch of cookies, try making a single one — I refer to it as the 'test cookie'," Tosi suggests. "This allows you to assess the balance of flavor, texture, mix-ins, and spread, giving you a chance to make adjustments to the dough before baking the rest — do you need more mix-ins? More flour? More salt? Should you roll it in confectioner's sugar?"

Once you've navigated through all that baking experimentation, many types of cookie dough can be frozen for several months. Many finished cookies also freeze well. When you're ready to enjoy some, simply place them on a plate to thaw or give them a quick reheat in the oven.

Christina Tosi's Rule Of Thumb For Adding Mix-Ins Into Cookie Dough

Some extras might require a little recipe shuffling

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