New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Chewy Or Crunchy

post #1 of 15
12/30/05 at 4:05pm
Thread Starter 
After many years of selling cookies to the public, we are still out on the question of preference. 1.. Nice color soft and chewy or 2.. Nice color a little harder and crunchy.
Our kitchen is split. the sales seem split.
The problem is forcast. Right now we basically bake both versions of our line.12 varities including 1 oz. and 3 oz.
We never seem to get it right. I always have one or the other left at the end of the day. (not a huge problem.Everything goes out to a caterer at the end of the day for his Chefs choice) I would however like to get retail for everything.
Would like to know your likes and dislikes.
also ideas.
pan
PS At this time, customers, choose,point, direct etc. when choosing which creates added time for the front.
Reply
post #2 of 15
12/30/05 at 4:43pm
I personally like both but I like my chewy cookies to be thicker where as harder cookies IMO should be thinner.

For example, I've been baking Christmas cookies like mad for the past week. My Linzors, Almond Snowballs, and Shortbreads have a soft texture (mostly b/c my grandmother can't take hard foods now, no teeth) where as my Sugar cookies and my Ginger Snaps are thin but delivers a crunch.

If none of this helps, just put me down for Chewy!
Reply
post #3 of 15
12/30/05 at 6:23pm
Thread Starter 
Headless Chicken.
I really appreciate your post. Of course this discussion followed my wife and I home from the bakery. I was racking my brains trying to figure out what I don't like about the crunchy cookies. I like sugar cookies and thing like that, but when it comes to the thicker crunchy ones, I think I feel like there is too much bulk dryness for my mouth to contend with. THINNER!
Huge Help
Thank You
pan
Reply
post #4 of 15
12/30/05 at 6:53pm
HC -- couldn't have said it better myself. Thicker -- chewy, thinner -- crispy. There is nothing like a thick, gooey chocolate chip, or a thin cinnamon & shaved almond crisp.
Reply
post #5 of 15
1/2/06 at 7:41pm
My vote goes solely for chewy cookies, the size doesn't really matter, but a thicker one would probably be chewier so I would like it more. I won't even eat a hard cookie or a crispy one. But I tend to only like dense foods, I don't like those crunchy thin cookies, I like dense gooey cookies. Actually I'd prefer the dough to a cookie, because it's even denser, but the best cookie would be one that isn't "done" on the inside and it's just a little doughy right in the middle, and chewy throughout the rest.
Reply
post #6 of 15
1/3/06 at 5:13pm
I lean to the chewy side. If I wanted to break my teeth, I'd eat a Jaw Breaker.

There are those cookies that must be crispy/crunchy just due to their texture. They are good, but I just prefer my chewy, gooey chocolate chip cookies!

My part Swedish mother in law loves to cook, and bakes around the holidays all of the different cookies, i.e. spritz, peppercocker (sp?), sugar cookies, etc.
Reply
post #7 of 15
1/6/06 at 8:32am
You need both chewy and crisp as each variety of cookie is distinct. Can you find out who your target market is and select your varieties based on that?
Reply
post #8 of 15
1/6/06 at 10:41am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the posts.
We carry a variety of cookies. We do have the crunchy kinds,lunettes,sugar, linzer etc.
I'm basically focusing on types like choco. chip, oatmeal, peanutbutter, white choco mac, triple choco-nut, etc. We have a well established base. The concern is that we are baking both types of each.
Thanks again
pan
Reply
post #9 of 15
1/6/06 at 11:46am
I'm working with a chef that is demoing, "Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie"
the discription is "crunchy-gooey".
Guess my point is can there be a marriage of chewy/crunchy into one cookie vs making one or the other or both.

This recipe has ground oatmeal and ground choc in it as well as choc chips and toasted pecans....chew from the oatmeal and limited cooking time with a ratio that works for a crisper cookie.....
Reply
post #10 of 15
1/6/06 at 1:33pm
A sales mix issue you have probably already considered: You can's sell a soft gooey cookie on the second day, while the crispy one will hold just fine.

My vote is for soft choc chip type cookies. I like my oatmeal cookies thinner and golden brown. Brings out the nuttiness of the oats. As for other more classical types, classical guidelines dictate.
Reply
post #11 of 15
6/20/11 at 7:47am

My 2¢ worth:

Overall, my preference is overwhelmingly for chewy cookies, especially choc chip, oatmeal, etc.  But I DO enjoy french (or danish) butter cookies.  The kind with low moisture.  They are tender, and yet crisp enough that they do crunch when you eat them.  (Helped along by the coarse sugar crystals on top, usually).  But most crisp cookies I have no problem leaving in the cupboard for months on end.   Chewies - 2 days max, no matter the quantity.

Donna

Reply
post #12 of 15
6/20/11 at 11:05am

I think the type of cookie should somewhat determine the chewiness.  thin ginger snaps, well they HAVE to be crunchy crisp.  Butter cookies and shortbread cookies have to be crumbly/dry. 

Toll house cookies are the definitive chewy cookie (chocolate chip), though there are chocolate chips in some crispy cookies (like butter cookies with chips in them).

Oatmeal cookies are another chewy one, with raisins to add to it, as are hermits, chewy, raisiny and thick. 

But there are oat crisps (florentines?) that are thin and lacy and crispy. 

Chocolate cookies can go both ways, but i do agree that generally thin is generally crisp, and thick is either crumbly (shortbread) or chewy.

Reply
post #13 of 15
6/20/11 at 2:43pm

Myself I prefer the thick and chewy cookie while my wife prefers the thin and crisp/crunchy type ... to me they are both good but as stated I prefer the soft and chewy type, if I really want crunchy I will go with hard candy.

 

But now if I REALLY had a choice I would go with a steak ... medium please  peace.gif

Reply
post #14 of 15
6/20/11 at 4:26pm

As a non-professional, would the season as well as the cookie determine the texture?

One can never satisfy all tastes at all times.   

Reply
post #15 of 15
7/4/11 at 3:43pm

chewy middle with slight crisp edge chocolate are my favorite..especially right from the oven with the chocolate chips slightly melted.  But I have tried the beverly hills cookies from Celebrity bakery which is thinner since it has oats in it along with macadamia nuts...I find people favorite are chocolate chip with walnuts, white chocolate madacamia with dried cherries.. I am starting to like peanut butter cookies but a lot of folks have peanut allergy.  I have not yet to find a good oatmeal raisin that is soft and not overly sweet.

Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Pastries and Baking General