A Chip-Less Chocolate Chip Cookie Isn't The Same As A Sugar Cookie
If you're making a batch of chocolate chip cookies and find you're out of the namesake addition, you can still turn them into some tasty treats, much like the viral chip-less cookies dubbed "boneless" chocolate chip cookies earlier this year on social media. Since the main flavor in the cookies is sugar, it makes sense that these would turn into sugar cookies, right?
As it turns out, chocolate chip cookies sans chips are still pretty different from a typical sugar cookie recipe. The type of sugar used in the two cookies plays a major role in contributing to the flavor. While sugar cookies generally use granulated white sugar as the primary sweetener, chocolate chip cookies may use it alongside brown sugar, or not at all, using all brown sugar instead. Brown sugar contains molasses, which can add extra moisture to the cookies.
That difference in sugars used is the major distinction between the two types of cookies. In fact, they can't simply be swapped into recipes in place of one another, due to the way the sugar affects the rest of the cookie dough.
The sugar changes the texture of the treats
Cookie recipes that call for brown sugar — like chocolate chip cookies — are often a little moister than those made with white sugar. Brown sugar can absorb moisture from other ingredients in the dough, like eggs or water. As the cookies bake, that moisture is retained, and the texture of the finished product is altered because of it.
White sugar, on the other hand, won't absorb moisture the same way. So as white sugar cookies bake, that excess moisture may evaporate out of the dough. These cookies often turn out crispier and more solid, which may be the ideal structure for the cookie if you're decorating designs with royal icing.
The brown sugar also alters the color of the cookies. While standard sugar cookies may be a little lighter, the molasses content can give the chip-less cookies their distinctive light brown color. Light brown and dark brown sugar also have differing levels of molasses, so the variety you use will change the cookies as well.
Baking times differ between the cookies
These chip-less cookies are also baked differently than sugar cookies are. Sugar cookies are a little more delicate and easy to burn, and are usually fully baked in about 10 minutes or less. Because chocolate chip cookies hold onto a little more moisture, they may need to stay in the oven for a few minutes longer to bake fully. Even with the extra bake time, they'll likely still turn out a little softer and chewier than plain sugar cookies.
For those who may not care for the taste of chocolate, it is, fortunately, fairly easy to make the dessert. If you're following a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, you'll only need to omit the addition. Alternatively, you can purchase a packaged chocolate chip cookie mix from the grocery store. Pour the mix through a mesh strainer to remove the chips, then prepare and bake as directed by the package.
While chip-less chocolate chip cookies might feature brown sugar as the forefront flavor, the cookies aren't quite the same as sugar cookies. The differences in sugar type and bake time set the two apart, making for slightly different flavors and colors.