cookie jar: pan banging chocolate chip cookies

Have you heard?

Last fall a cookie recipe broke the internet and I’ve thought of little else since.

Which is saying a LOT, since it was a chocolate chip cookie recipe. I mean………….how groundbreaking could it be?

But blogger and pastry chef Sarah Kieffer, of the STUNNING Vanilla Bean Blog (and whose book is at the top of my wish list) shared these cookies that basically jumped off the screen, they looked so delicious.

Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies l sherisilver.com

And so different, too. Super thin, with lots of wrinkles, this is a cookie that looked at once crispy on the outside and chewy in the center. And also as big as Noah’s head.

Behold!

Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies l sherisilver.com

I looked at as many posts as possible, by other bloggers who tried this recipe, to see if there were tips or adaptations I’d want to keep in mind. And it seems that the recipe (which is very straightforward, btw – basically the back-of-the-bag recipe we’ve all made before) should be followed as Sarah instructs. The key tips being:

Use chopped chocolate, versus chocolate chips. Chocolate chips keep their shape and don’t melt during baking. Chopped chocolate spreads into the cookies as they bake, which is what you’re looking for.

Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies l sherisilver.com

Make the cookies as large as directed, for maximum wrinkly-ness.

For best results, don’t substitute (or eliminate) ingredients.

Line your baking pans using the dull side of aluminum foil (I’ve no idea why, but the consensus seemed to be DO IT).

As for changes, I streamlined the recipe (after learning this game changer) and made 2 small but significant adaptations:

Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies l sherisilver.com

  1. I only put 3 cookies on a sheet at one time. These babies SPREAD, and I don’t know how you could put the suggested 4 to a sheet without them colliding into one another in the oven.
  2. I increased the freezer time to 30 minutes. There was significantly more spread to the first batch than in subsequent batches (which had a minimum of 30 minutes in the freezer, as opposed to the first, which was in for 15 minutes).

We all agreed they were insanely good, but would I make them again? Probably not. Sure, there is the WOW factor of giant (5 – 6″ across) wrinkly, crispy-chewy cookies. But you’re in the kitchen – bound to the oven – for a LONG time. For 10 cookies. That said, they were not difficult or labor intensive, so I would not be averse to doing them again by request.

Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies l sherisilver.com

Would LOVE to know if you’ve ever made them, plan to make them, or have sampled them yourself!

Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies
very lightly adapted from The Vanilla Bean Blog

2 sticks (1/2 pound or 16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons water
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line 4 baking pans with aluminum foil – dull side up (according to Sarah, “this helps create the crinkles in the cookies and lends an extra-crisp, golden brown bottom”).

Beat the butter on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add both sugars and beat for another 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and water and mix on low to combine. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low to combine. Add the chopped chocolate and mix on low to combine.

Form the dough into 10 balls, each weighing 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams). I used my trusty kitchen scale to weigh out the dough; you can use a heaping 1/3 cup measure if you prefer. Place all of the balls on one of the baking sheets and freeze for 30 minutes.

Remove 3 of the balls from the freezer and place on one of your other baking sheets, spaced far apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Raise the pan 4″ and drop it back onto the rack. Bake for another 2 minutes and repeat the raising/dropping. Repeat every 2 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the centers still look partially uncooked. This took between 15 and 16 minutes in my oven.

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and repeat with remaining balls; let cool completely before removing the cookies from the pan.

(print this recipe)


This delicious recipe brought to you by Sheri Silver
https://sherisilver.com/2018/02/01/cookie-jar-pan-banging-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Pan Banging Chocolate Chip Cookies l sherisilver.com

More cookies? Check out my Pinterest board!

14 Comments

  1. Drew on February 1, 2018 at 10:58 am

    Thanks for sharing your review of this recipe, Sheri. I try these “this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever no seriously omg you will die and your ghost will spend eternity crying because ghosts can’t eat these cookies!!!” recipes often, because a) cookies and 2) what if they actually are the best? But as much as I enjoy the results, none so far has been better than the Tollhouse recipe. That being said, I might keep this recipe around for a bake sale because they look amazing.

    • sherisilver on February 1, 2018 at 2:54 pm

      Hey friend – see, I’m mostly “meh” on the Tollhouse recipe. I think you’d enjoy making these (mainly for the noise :)) and they are seriously delish. I also think you’d like the chocolate chip cookie brittle I made recently (and which is done in 45 minutes start to finish). I’ve got yet another variation coming up soon so stay tuned!

  2. Michelle on February 1, 2018 at 7:50 pm

    Great post! I liked these (they looked beautiful) but they have a much higher ratio of white sugar to brown sugar so for me they did not taste “caramelly” enough. I might try them with extra brown sugar in the future.
    My fave is the browned butter ones from picky palate blog

  3. Natalie on February 2, 2018 at 7:17 am

    These cookies look amazing! I LOVE the texture!

    • sherisilver on February 2, 2018 at 4:28 pm

      Thank you! And they taste just as amazing too! 🙂

  4. Scientifically Sweet on February 2, 2018 at 10:57 am

    They look great Sheri! With my recipe you don’t need to bang on the pan to get those wrinkles though 😉

    • sherisilver on February 2, 2018 at 2:16 pm

      Thank you! and I’m intrigued! Will you share your recipe?

      • Scientifically Sweet on February 2, 2018 at 10:13 pm

        Sheri – I’m so glad you found my blog, and my recipe!! Let me know what you think. I’m looking forward to browsing your recipes further 🙂

        • sherisilver on February 3, 2018 at 8:17 am

          Running out shortly to get the chocolate – will report back soon! 🙂

          • Scientifically Sweet on February 5, 2018 at 8:34 pm

            Woo hoo! I saw your post – you did such a great job with them! xo



          • sherisilver on February 5, 2018 at 9:39 pm

            Thank you so much – and I’m so glad it brought me to your wonderful blog! 🙂



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Hi! I'm Sheri!

Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!