What makes a cookie chewy - effects of ingredients question

[kbarb]

Something I've always wanted to know . . . if you have a recipe for a cookie or a bar, how do you modify it to make it more dense and chewy, yet still soft?

This question came up twice:
•once when I was trying to figure out how to make what were called "Ranger Bars" that were available when I was a lad - flat square shaped cookies about 1/4" - 3/8" thick, but very soft and chewy.

•and lately a project to bake a Clif type bar.

I've found recipes for these, but the results are never dense and chewy, in my opinon, but too light and dry.
(I might be using the wrong terminology here - I'm after the consistency/texture of a Clif bar - the opposite of crumbly.)

all of which begs The Question:

Do I add more oil/fat, leave out the leavening, more water, less water, more or less flour?

Anyone know what controls to this attribute?

[Mezzaluna]

I know that brown sugar (or mix of brown and white sugars) can make a difference.... too much oil and you'll have a different effect (one I wouldn't like, but that' s just me!).

[Aurora]

Here is a URL to Alton Brown's cookie recipes:

The Chewy Recipe: Recipes: Food Network

He has three recipes:

The Chewy
The Thin
The Puffy

Take a look at the ingredients that he uses in each recipe and you can see what makes each of these types of cookies.

[MsMadelineRose]

We're learning cookies this week in school~! Straight from my book, hope it helps~!

Moisture is neccesary for chewiness, but other factors are also required. In other words all chewy cookies are soft, but not all soft cookies are chewy.

1. High sugar and liquid content, but low fat
2. High proportion of eggs.
3. Strong flour, or gluten developed during mixing.

MsMadelineRose
Ever seeking Knowledge

[Chad Aaland]

Basically....less fat=more chewy, more fat=less chewy/harder.

[Entropy]

I once asked a pastry chef this question. He just told me to cut the time on the baking slightly. It seemed to work for him, his cookies always remained fairly chewy and soft. In school I remember reading that using inverted sugars, like corn syrup, glucose, or molasses, etc. affects chewiness, but I've never tried it out, I wouldn't even know substitute amounts in place of sugar if that would in fact work...

What about using a lower-protein flour like cake flour, anyone? Or would that only make it more soft?

I also read somewhere once that using melted butter vs. room temp butter could make more chewy cookies, but I've never tried it.

LOL, sorry if this doesn't help, but I'm a bit curious myself!

[kbarb]

Ok, thanks everyone . . . now we're getting somewhere.

I'm trying my Clif Bar recipe tonight - see how chewy/flavorful that comes out.

Kent