Cookie Monster Experiment: 24 hours

Last night I baked batch #2 of my chocolate chip cookies after the dough had rested in the fridge for about 24 hours. These cookies basically went right from the fridge to the oven. When they were done, I scientifically compared them to the previous batch - a difficult job involving many samples - but I was up to the challenge.


The results: The rested cookies were clearly better than the non-rested ones. I have to admit that I am surprised by this; I thought that the difference would be imperceptible. But it was clear. Batch #2 cooked up puffier and had better texture - crispier on the outside and gooier on the inside. This could be explained by the simple fact that the cookie dough was cold and drier than the day before.

However, the flavor was also better in a subtle but tangible way. I've always found the Nestle's Tollhouse recipe a little too sweet for my taste, but I used it because of it's mention in the article. Normally, I cut back the sugar by about 1/3. This time I made it to the directions. When I directly compared a cooled cookie from each batch, the unrested batch tasted more sugary in comparison with the rested batch. The flavor of the second batch was somehow more melded or rounded - fuller. Don't get me wrong, it had the same amount of sugar, but the sugar taste wasn't so assertive.

Does that make sense? I'm not sure. We'll see the results tonight to see if there is even more change.