The Crispiest Chocolate Chip Cookies were served at the Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, Michigan for many years. They are a classic chocolate chip cookie designed to be crispy rather than chewy.
One of my favorite cookbooks is the Silver Palate Cookbook, written by Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso. My thesis advisor in graduate school introduced me to the book and recipes like Chicken Marbella. The recipes remind me of Ina Garten's, which are, as Ina would say, fabulous.
For many years, Julee Rosso owned the Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, Michigan. Visiting her inn was a bucket list item for me. To celebrate my 40th birthday, my husband and I took a solo trip to the Upper Peninsula and down through the state of Michigan, culminating with a stay at the Wickwood Inn.
At the Inn, we enjoyed a morning breakfast buffet and afternoon "Bites and Sips," which consisted of gourmet appetizers, made with local ingredients. Everything was amazing.
One of my favorite things was getting coffee each afternoon from the coffee bar and enjoying these delicious crispy chocolate chip cookies.
I don't typically like crispy cookies. I usually prefer soft and chewy cookies, but I was surprised by how much I liked these! They are so buttery and delicious.
I liked them so much that I immediately tried to find a recipe for them and stumbled upon the recipe on the actual Wickwood Inn website. I made them for the girls right when we got home.
Unbeknownst to us at the time, only 23 days after we checked out of the Wickwood, it was sold to new ownership. My aunt has since stayed there, and from her recollection the afternoon spread is not as extensive and she did not see these cookies.
I am so thankful that I was able to experience the original Inn just in time. It was there that I discovered our favorite Water Street Coffee and that I purchased a signed copy of the New Basics Cookbook, which features a variation of this lasagna. It was such a memorable experience!
Make the Batter
Preheat the oven and line three cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you don't have three, you can reuse the parchment paper after baking the first tray.
Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat together the butter, sugars and vanilla.
Add the egg and mix until well combined, then add the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Bake the Cookies
Drop scant teaspoons of dough 2-inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. This is a very small amount of dough and they will spread.
Bake the cookies one tray at a time, until they are golden.
Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for one minute before removing them to cooling rack.
The cookies become crispier as they cool.
You may end up having dough left after filling three trays. If so, just bake a fourth tray.
Storage
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain crispiness.
Gluten Free Option
To make these cookies gluten free, substitute a gluten free baking flour in place of all purpose flour, such as Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. The cookies will be more fragile than when made with all purpose flour.
📖 Recipe
Crispiest Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 1½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 14 tablespoons butter (softened)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1¼ semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you do not have three, you can reuse the parchment to bake on the same cookie sheet.
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.1½ cup all purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down as needed.14 tablespoons butter, 1 cup dark brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add the egg, beating until well combined. Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.1 egg
- Fold in the chocolate chips.1¼ semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Drop scant teaspoons of dough two inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake the cookies one tray at a time for 7 to 9 minutes until they are golden. Watch the first tray carefully to get the timing right, which will vary depending on the oven.
- Allow to cool one minute on the baking sheets before removing with a spatula to a rack to cool completely. They will become crispier as they cool.
- Store cookies in an airtight container to retain the crispiness.
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