Tiny Chocolate Chip Cookies, Mini, Petite, or just Small -- whatever you call them, these little guys are a nice change from their dense, chewy, counterparts. Inspired by the ones from Trader Joe's, these are crisp through and through packed with chocolate chips. M&Ms are optional.
Shortening in Tiny Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are different than Crispy Minis because they have a slightly higher ratio of granulated sugar plus a little bit of water which contributes to the spread. The recipe also contain shortening. I tested them with butter only, and while the cookies were good, the texture just wasn't quite the same as when made with a mixture of butter and shortening. The shortening, I think, makes them a little "sandier". That being said, if you want an all-butter recipe, you could always try the Crispy Minis in the link above. And one last thing about shortening, I used butter flavored when I first made these, but I've changed over to regular Crisco because I developed some sort of aversion to their artificial butter flavoring. Sometimes it's okay in things, but it can be a little overpowering. For butter flavoring, I'm partial to a few drops of Happy Home.
Mini Chips
For miniature size treats like these, it helps to use miniature chocolate chips. The mini chips, combined with Mini M&Ms Baking Bits make the cookies crispier. But "normal" size baking chips are fine too.
Recipe
Tiny Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56 grams)
- 4 tablespoons butter flavored shortening (48 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar (75 grams)
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 48 grams lightly beaten egg 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon warm water
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached ap flour (140 grams)
- 1 ½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips or 1 cup mini chocolate chips plus a handful of M&Ms baking bits or M&Ms
- ½ cup chopped and toasted pecans optional
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, shortening, salt and both sugars with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir until mixed, then stir in the lightly beaten egg. Beat the batter with the electric mixer for 30 seconds.
- Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water, add to batter and stir with a heavy duty scraper until well blended. Gradually add the flour, stirring until evenly blended, then stir in the chocolate chips and candy (and/or nuts).
- Drop the dough by rounded half teaspoonfuls (or scant teaspoons -- I find rounded ½ teaspoonfuls easier to manage) onto plates or small trays lined with plastic wrap, then cover and chill for a half hour or until the dough is a bit firmer. Shape each raggedy little mound into a neat ball and flatten slightly.
- When ready to bake, arrange mounds of dough on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookies are slightly brown. Check your cookies at 8 minutes since ovens vary. If your cookies are coming out too brown or have crispy edges and soft centers, reduce the heat by 25 degrees and cook for a minute or two longer.
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