For Slice-And-Bake Cookies, You Need Mini Chocolate Chips
Prepping cookies in advance and freezing them is a great way to get a jumpstart on baking. Depending on the type of cookie dough, some can last frozen for up to a year. Rather than rolling out each cookie individually and freezing them, roll all the dough into one log. Then, when you're ready to bake, thaw the dough and simply slice it into disks. Place the frozen disks flat on your baking tray, and you're ready to go.
If you're using this slice-and-bake method for chocolate chip cookies, the type of chips you use will impact how the sweet treats turn out. Miniature chocolate chips are a great choice for these cookies because it's easier to slice around them through the dough.
Larger chocolate chips may make for a gooier chocolate bite, but they can cause problems when slicing. The larger the chip, the more likely that it will block the knife. Of course, you could simply push the chip out of the way, but this could cause the dough to split, and you may wind up reshaping some of the cookies. For faster and easier slicing, mini chips are definitely the way to go.
Always substitute chocolate chips in equal weight
If your cookie recipe calls for larger chocolate chips, you need to make sure you're exchanging an equivalent amount. When swapping out 1 cup of chocolate chips, you don't just measure 1 cup of the mini variety. Instead, get out a kitchen scale to ensure there's an equal weight exchange.
One cup of standard chocolate chips generally weighs around 6 ounces, or 170 grams. To ensure you're using the same amount of mini chips, you'll want to weigh out an equal conversion. Or, if your recipe provides a weight for the ingredient, ensure the mini chips are equal to that amount.
If you don't have a kitchen scale on hand, you can guesstimate the amount. A full measuring cup of the standard variety of chocolate chips has more air space due to the size. When measuring out minis, they are likely sitting closer together. To account for this, cut out about one-third of the called for amount. Of course, if you like your cookies ultra-chocolatey, a little extra never hurt.
Adding extra ingredients to your cookies? They should be tiny, too
If you're adding other ingredients to your rolled, slice-and-bake cookies, make sure they follow the smaller size recommendation, too. Chopping up walnuts or almonds could add a nice crunchy, nutty flavor to the cookies, but make sure these extra ingredients won't impede the knife slicing through the dough.
Chopping nuts down to tinier sizes with a knife may seem tedious, so here are a few ways to get them extra small with ease. You can toss them in your food processor and pulse a few times to break them down. You can place them on a cutting board (inside a resealable bag for less mess) and crush them into bite-sized bits using a rolling pin. Or, if you're working with smaller quantities, you can even try using your coffee grinder to break them down.
Rolling and freezing slice-and-bake cookies is a great way to save time for future baking. Just make sure any additions to your cookies are small enough to stay out of the way when slicing.