Why Brown Sugar Is Better For Chocolate Chip Cookies, According To Bobby Flay
Many people have claimed to have the recipe for the "best chocolate chip cookie" over the years, but at the end of the day, the style of cookie you enjoy is based on personal preference. Do you prefer chocolate chunks over chips? Do you like a sprinkling of sea salt on top to contrast the sweet? Do you prefer them doughy or slightly crisp? All of these factors and more play into your idea of the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
One aspect of making chocolate chip cookies that affects both structural integrity and flavor is the type of sugar you use. According to Fine Cooking, brown sugar has a higher moisture content than white sugar, which produces a softer, chewier cookie. BuzzFeed conducted a cookie gauntlet of sorts to determine the ideal ratio of sugars, and they found that the darker the brown sugar they used, the more flavor the cookie had. Bobby Flay echoes this sentiment in an episode of his podcast "Always Hungry," where Flay and his daughter Sophie discuss baking.
Bobby Flay enjoys the rich flavor from the molasses
If you've watched Bobby Flay compete on one of his many cooking competitions, he sweats a bit more than usual if the competition involves baking. "People always ask me, 'Aren't you a really good baker because you're a chef?' but it's two completely different professions," Flay said on his podcast "Always Hungry." For Flay, "It's like a plumber and an electrician, they wear the same uniforms, but they do different jobs. In both cases, if you're an expert in one you can get by in the other, but it's not your focus," he added. Although baking is not Flay's area of expertise, he's picked up a few tricks over the years. On an episode of the podcast, Flay and his cohost daughter Sophie discuss why baking is so difficult.
During the episode, Sophie asks her father why a chocolate chip cookie with dark brown sugar is better than one made with white sugar. "Just think about it, it has a molasses flavor to it, it's got a richer flavor," he explained. Although Flay enjoys the molasses flavor from dark brown sugar, he admits that it is a strong taste and gives the option of sorghum for a more subtle flavor to use in cookies and other desserts. Flay also uses maple syrup and honey as sweeteners, but he won't use agave because he doesn't enjoy the aftertaste.