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Everything You Need For the Chocolate Chunk Cookie, with Links

We’re sitting here in New York amidst the first real snow storm of the year and feel compelled to remind you that the Greatest Chocolate Chunk Cookie in the World exists. And you need to make them. (When you do, head on over, because the craving is real.)

Inspired by a comment from one of our Substack readers who had trouble sourcing chocolate discs (and sticker shock at some of the search results), we’ve compiled a list of all the specialty ingredients and equipment you will need on your cookie journey. If you don’t find these items locally, we’ve provided nationally available items you can have shipped straight to your doorstep.

This is the first in a new series we’re calling Everything You Need For, in which we’ll detail any special equipment and ingredients that Carla uses in the most recent recipe drop.

—E.W.

Everything You Need for Radio Bakery’s Chocolate Chunk Cookie

Ingredients

The Bread Flour

Chef Kelly Mencin at Radio Bakery uses white bread flour instead of all-purpose. Its higher protein content lends chewiness and ensures the cookie doesn’t spread too much on the sheet.

• King Arthur Baking’s Unbleached Bread Flour is the one Kelly used in recipe testing. $6.95 per 5-lb bag.

• Radio sources Small Valley Milling’s Organic White Wheat Bread Flour. If you want to make it exactly like they do, give this freshly-milled flour a try. $11 per 5-lb bag.

• If you’re in the Northeast, Chef Kelly also recommends using Farmer Ground’s Half White Bread Flour. You can search for stockists on the Farmer Ground site, or purchase online from Farm to People. $6.99 per 2-lb bag.

If you are considering an alt bread flour that’s not on this list, make sure the protein content is 12% or above.

The Chocolate

The chocolate-two-ways approach to Radio’s recipe is very intentional. Kelly uses flat, wide 72% discs (aka pistoles or wafers) from E. Guittard, which melt into puddles of bittersweet chocolate. Smaller 58% Cocoa Barry buttons disperse chocolate bits in every bite.

• Guittard has a fair amount of bittersweet/semisweet baking discs to choose from. If you like darker notes, their 74% Bittersweet Chocolate Organic Wafers ($10.99 per 12-oz bag) are in the right flavor zone. To go full Radio, order the exact same product in 1-pound bags for $29.99. For at-home recipe development purposes, we roughly chopped up Guittard’s 70% Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars ($7.69 per box of 3 2-oz bars), which you could find in a well-stocked supermarket baking aisle. Carla also did a round with the 66% Semisweet Chocolate Organic Wafers (10.99 per 12-oz bag) in development and was happy with the results.

• Cacao Barry’s 58% Heritage Mi-Amere Dark Chocolate Pistoles are not easy to come by during a casual market run. Instead, Carla subbed Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Premium Baking Bar with 56% Cacao ($2.46 per 4-oz box), with an excellent outcome. Callebaut Semisweet Chocolate Chips ($16.95 per 16-oz bag) look good, too. If you can’t find the above brands, look for any baking chocolate around 50%.

The “European” Unsalted Butter

We! love! fat! in! this! house! It’s our mantra for many, many reasons, and when it comes to this cookie, higher butterfat percentage delivers superior flavor and texture (hello creaminess, elasticity, and richness). European-style butter boasts around 82% butterfat—that’s what you want for the best-possible cookie.

• Plugra Unsalted Butter ($4.99 per 8-oz block) has a product locator for in-store pick-up.

• Vermont Creamery Rich & Creamy Cultured Butter, Unsalted ($4.19 per 8-oz box) is great. Store locator here.

• Where I live, Kerrygold Grass-fed Pure Irish Butter, Unsalted ($3.98 per 8-oz block) is pretty easy to source these days; I’ve seen it stocked in Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Target, amongst other more regional stores.

Equipment

Stand/Hand Mixers

This cookie’s signature chew really relies on a lengthy 10-minute creaming process, made possible by an electronic mixer.

• Carla uses her trusty, well-worth it KitchenAid Stand Mixer, which ranges in price depending on the style and size you select, but Breville’s The Bakery Chef is also highly rated. Both are on average $300-$400.

• If a stand mixer isn’t in the cards, or kitchen space is limited, both brands also make hand beaters. Carla has used KitchenAid’s 7-Speed Hand Mixer ($74.99 — it’s on sale!) for years, but she also really likes the Breville Handy Mix Scraper ($149.95). Those coated beaters are «chef’s kiss».

Large Cookie Scoop

We want a big ol’ cookie.

• This #12 cookie scoop ($5.26), is the right size, as is OXO’s Large Cookie Scoop ($17.99). You can also use a 1/4 cup dry measure and just scoop out the dough with a small flexible spatula.