It’s time to address the infamous debate: crispy cookies or soft cookies - which is better?
Obviously, the winner comes down to personal taste. But which style of cookie actually came first: the soft fluffy variety, or the crispy crunchy kind? That’s exactly what we explore below. We also discuss some of the subtle differences in how each style of cookie is made.
For those of you looking for a healthy, guilt-free cookie, we’ll wrap up by talking about how to find store-bought crispy and soft cookies with high quality ingredients.
So, does history favor the soft, or the crispy? As far as we can tell, we have to award this round of the debate to crispy cookies.
Historically, the very first cookies were actually more like biscuits or crackers. These treats eventually evolved into crispy style cookies such as the biscotti - one of the earliest and most popular cookies.
Back in the day, crisp cookies like biscotti were preferred largely because of their long shelf life. These crispy cookies were so thoroughly baked that it made them resistant to mold, and able to keep for months at a time. This made crispy cookies a favorite of sailors (even Christopher Columbus) because they could endure long sea voyages without going bad.
If you’re looking to make a flatter, crisper cookie, the key is to use ingredients that allow the cookies to spread out while they’re baking. You’ll want to use a fat with a low melting temperature, such as butter or coconut oil, as these allow the cookies to spread much more during baking than solid fats (like shortening, for example).
Another tip is to simply bake the cookies slightly longer than you would a soft cookie. For crispy cookies, it’s best to bake them until the edges start to brown (but not burn) and the cookie is baked all the way through.
Soft-baked cookies are often made using a solid fat with a higher melting point, which prevents the cookie from spreading while baking. The result is a thicker, softer, chewier cookie.
Another simple trick for softer cookies is to use chilled dough. Chilling the cookie dough before baking is another way to keep the cookies from spreading too thin while they’re in the oven.
Now you know how crispy and soft cookies are made, but what if you want a convenient store- bought solution? Good news: Maxine’s Heavenly now offers both crispy and soft-baked cookies, so you can satisfy your sweet tooth no matter your preference.
Plus, both our soft-baked and crispy style cookies feature higher quality ingredients than many other store-bought brands. We don’t use refined flour, and we sweeten our cookies with clean ingredients like coconut sugar and dates.
The result is guilt-free cookies that still have the homemade taste you know and love. And whether crispy or soft-baked, our cookies will always be gluten-free and vegan. So you can share them with everyone!
You can learn more about the benefits of our wholesome ingredients here.
