So about that whole 'cream butter and sugar by hand' thing...

I always thought using a stand mixer was the only way to get fluffy cookies, but last weekend I tried creaming by hand for a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Used a wooden spoon for 8 minutes straight and the texture was way better, less airy and more chewy. Has anyone else noticed a difference switching methods?

2 comments

2 Comments

blakefox1mo ago

I read a bit about this in a baking science book called "The Science of Good Cooking" where they talked about how hand creaming traps less air because your arm just cant move as fast as a mixer. The slower blending means the sugar crystals actually cut smaller tunnels into the butter, so you get a tighter crumb instead of big air pockets. Resting the dough for 30 minutes after mixing by hand is a good call too, it lets the flour hydrate more and the gluten relax a little. I found that my hand creamed cookies actually spread less in the oven and stayed thicker in the middle. That chewy texture you mentioned is exactly why I keep doing it now, even though my wrist hurts for a bit after.

lily5741mo ago

I tried the same thing last month and my cookies came out denser too, almost like a bakery style. Did you have to rest the dough longer after mixing by hand?