Hey, Good News! If you’re a fan of Claire Saffitz, the former Bon Appétit star and the author of two best-selling cookbooks, you might be wondering how to bake cookies like her. After all, she’s known for her amazing skills in creating gourmet versions of popular snacks, as well as her own original recipes for delicious desserts.
In this article, we’ll show you some tips and tricks to bake cookies like Claire Saffitz, as well as some of her most popular cookie recipes that you can try at home. Whether you’re looking for a classic chocolate chip cookie, a chewy oatmeal cookie, or a festive holiday cookie, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get started!
What Makes Claire Saffitz’s Cookies So Good?
Claire Saffitz is not only a talented pastry chef, but also a food writer and a YouTube personality. She has a knack for explaining the science and the technique behind baking, as well as making it fun and accessible for everyone. She also has a great sense of humor and a charming personality that make her videos enjoyable to watch.
But what makes her cookies so good? Here are some of the factors that contribute to her cookie success:
She uses high-quality ingredients
Claire Saffitz doesn’t skimp on the quality of her ingredients. She uses European butter, which has a higher fat content and a lower water content than regular butter, resulting in richer and more flavorful cookies. She also uses dark brown sugar, which adds more moisture and caramel notes to the cookies. And she uses a mix of dark and milk chocolate disks, which create puddles of chocolate in every bite.
She also pays attention to the freshness and the temperature of her ingredients. She brings her butter and eggs to room temperature before creaming them together, which helps create a fluffy and airy dough. She also chills her dough before baking, which prevents the cookies from spreading too much and enhances their flavor.
She measures her ingredients precisely
Claire Saffitz knows that baking is a science, and that measuring ingredients accurately is crucial for achieving consistent results. She uses a digital scale to weigh her flour, sugar, butter, and other ingredients in grams, rather than using cups or spoons. This ensures that she has the right ratio of ingredients for each recipe.
She also sifts her flour before measuring it, which aerates it and removes any lumps or impurities. This helps create a lighter and more even texture for the cookies.
She experiments with different flavors and textures
Claire Saffitz is not afraid to try new things and challenge herself in the kitchen. She experiments with different flavors and textures for her cookies, adding spices, nuts, dried fruits, extracts, or even savory ingredients like cheese or bacon. She also plays with different shapes and sizes for her cookies, cutting them into squares, triangles, or circles.
She also adapts her recipes to suit different occasions and seasons. For example, she makes gingerbread cookies for Christmas, lemon poppy seed cookies for spring, or pumpkin spice cookies for fall. She also decorates her cookies with icing, sprinkles, or chocolate drizzles to make them more festive and fun.
Claire Saffitz’s Cookie Recipes You Need to Try
Now that you know some of the secrets behind Claire Saffitz’s cookie success, you might be eager to try some of her recipes yourself. Here are some of her most popular cookie recipes that you can find online or in her cookbooks:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is Claire Saffitz’s ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe , which she claims is the best one ever. It has everything you want in a chocolate chip cookie: crispy edges, chewy centers, puddles of chocolate, and a hint of salt. It also has a rich butterscotch flavor from the browned butter and brown sugar.
To make these cookies, you’ll need unsalted butter, heavy cream or milk, all-purpose flour, kosher salt, baking soda, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, bittersweet chocolate disks, and milk chocolate disks. You’ll need to brown some of the butter in a saucepan until it smells nutty and has brown bits at the bottom. Then you’ll need to mix it with the rest of the butter and cream in a bowl.
Next, you’ll need to whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda in another bowl. Then you’ll need to cream together the butter mixture and the sugars in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Then you’ll need to add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Then you’ll need to add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Then you’ll need to fold in the chocolate disks with a spatula.
Then you’ll need to portion out the dough into balls using a 1/4 cup measure or an ice cream scoop. Then you’ll need to flatten them slightly and arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then you’ll need to chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
When you’re ready to bake, you’ll need to preheat the oven to 375°F and bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden and puffed. Then you’ll need to let them cool slightly on the pan before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Oat and Pecan Brittle Cookies
This is Claire Saffitz’s oatmeal cookie recipe , which she says is the best one she’s ever had. It has a chewy texture and a complex flavor from the oat flour, the brown butter, and the homemade pecan brittle. It also has a nice crunch from the chopped pecans and a touch of spice from the ginger and pepper.
To make these cookies, you’ll need unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, oat flour, baking soda, ground ginger, black pepper, allspice, kosher salt, cloves, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, pecans, light corn syrup, and baking powder.
First, you’ll need to make the pecan brittle by combining some of the sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Then you’ll need to cook it without stirring until it turns amber, about 15 minutes. Then you’ll need to stir in some of the butter, baking powder, and chopped pecans. Then you’ll need to spread it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it cool completely. Then you’ll need to break it into pieces and chop them finely.
Next, you’ll need to brown some of the butter in a skillet over medium heat until it smells nutty and has brown bits at the bottom. Then you’ll need to transfer it to a bowl and let it cool slightly.
Next, you’ll need to whisk together the flours, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Then you’ll need to beat together the brown butter and the sugars in a stand mixer until smooth and fluffy. Then you’ll need to add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Then you’ll need to add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Then you’ll need to fold in the pecan brittle pieces with a spatula.
Then you’ll need to portion out the dough into balls using a tablespoon measure or a cookie scoop. Then you’ll need to arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then you’ll need to chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
When you’re ready to bake, you’ll need to preheat the oven to 350°F and bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden and set. Then you’ll need to let them cool slightly on the pan before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy!
Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies
This is Claire Saffitz’s pistachio cookie recipe , which she says is one of her favorites from her cookbook Dessert Person . It has a buttery shortbread base that’s flavored with orange zest and cardamom. It also has a pistachio paste filling that’s made from scratch using roasted pistachios, honey, and almond extract.
To make these cookies, you’ll need unsalted butter, granulated sugar, orange zest, kosher salt, all-purpose flour, cardamom pods, pistachios, honey, almond extract, egg white, sanding sugar or turbinado sugar.
First, you’ll need to make the pistachio paste by combining some of the pistachios, honey, almond extract, and salt in a food processor. Then you’ll need to process until smooth and thickened.
NextNext, you’ll need to make the shortbread dough by beating together some of the butter, sugar, orange zest, and salt in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Then you’ll need to add the flour and cardamom and mix until a crumbly dough forms. Then you’ll need to divide the dough into two equal portions and shape them into disks. Then you’ll need to wrap them in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
When you’re ready to assemble the cookies, you’ll need to roll out one disk of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 10 by 14 inch rectangle. Then you’ll need to spread half of the pistachio paste evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/4 inch border around the edges. Then you’ll need to roll up the dough from one long side into a tight log. Then you’ll need to repeat with the other disk of dough and the remaining pistachio paste.
Then you’ll need to wrap the logs in plastic wrap and freeze them for at least 2 hours or up to 2 weeks.
When you’re ready to bake, you’ll need to preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Then you’ll need to slice the logs into 1/4 inch thick rounds and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets. Then you’ll need to brush them with egg white and sprinkle them with sanding sugar or turbinado sugar.
Then you’ll need to bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until golden and firm. Then you’ll need to let them cool slightly on the pans before transferring them to a wire rack. Enjoy!
A Table Breakdown of Claire Saffitz’s Cookie Recipes
To help you compare and contrast Claire Saffitz’s cookie recipes, we’ve created a table breakdown that summarizes some of their key features, such as ingredients, yield, time, difficulty, and ratings. You can use this table as a reference when choosing which recipe to try next.
| Recipe | Ingredients | Yield | Time | Difficulty | Ratings |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chocolate Chip Cookies | Butter, cream, flour, salt, baking soda, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, bittersweet chocolate disks, milk chocolate disks | 18 large cookies | 45 minutes (plus chilling time) | Easy | 4.8 out of 5 stars |
| Oat and Pecan Brittle Cookies | Butter, flour, oat flour, baking soda, ginger, pepper, allspice, salt, cloves, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, pecans, corn syrup, baking powder | 36 medium cookies | 1 hour (plus chilling time) | Medium | 4.6 out of 5 stars |
| Pistachio Pinwheel Cookies | Butter, sugar, orange zest, salt, flour, cardamom pods, pistachios, honey, almond extract, egg white, sanding sugar or turbinado sugar | 48 small cookies | 45 minutes (plus chilling and freezing time) | Hard | 4.7 out of 5 stars |
FAQs About Claire Saffitz’s Cookie Recipes
If you have any questions about Claire Saffitz’s cookie recipes , we’ve compiled some of the most frequently asked ones below. You can also check out her YouTube channel or her cookbooks for more information and tips.
You can find some of Claire Saffitz’s cookie recipes online on her YouTube channel , her website , or other websites that feature her recipes . You can also find more of her cookie recipes in her cookbooks Dessert Person and The New Way To Cake .
Claire Saffitz recommends using chocolate disks or feves , which are flat and round pieces of chocolate that melt into puddles in the cookies. You can use any brand or percentage of chocolate that you like, but she prefers using a mix of bittersweet (70%) and milk (40%) chocolate disks for a balanced flavor.
No, you should not substitute oat flour for all-purpose flour in Claire Saffitz’s oat and pecan brittle cookies . Oat flour has a different texture and gluten content than all-purpose flour , which will affect the structure and consistency of the cookies. You should use both flours as specified in the recipe for the best results.
You don’t need to make cardamom pods for Claire Saffitz’s pistachio pinwheel cookies . Cardamom pods are the dried seed pods of the cardamom plant, which are used as a spice in many cuisines. You can buy them whole or ground in most grocery stores or online . You’ll need to crush the whole pods with a mortar and pestle or a rolling pin to release the seeds, which you’ll then grind into a fine powder. You’ll need about 1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom for the recipe.
Yes, you can freeze Claire Saffitz’s cookie dough and bake it later . In fact, she recommends chilling or freezing the dough before baking for most of her cookie recipes, as this helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much and enhances their flavor. You can freeze the dough for up to 2 weeks, and then bake it straight from the freezer, adding a few minutes to the baking time if needed.
You can store Claire Saffitz’s cookies after baking in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 2 months, and then thaw them at room temperature or in the microwave before serving.
It depends on the recipe, but you might be able to make some adjustments to make Claire Saffitz’s cookies gluten-free, vegan, or nut-free . For example, you can use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour , vegan butter instead of dairy butter , flax eggs instead of eggs , and dairy-free chocolate instead of regular chocolate . However, you should be aware that these substitutions might alter the taste and texture of the cookies, and that some recipes might not work well with them. You should also check the labels of your ingredients for any potential allergens.
Claire Saffitz has made many other cookie recipes besides the ones mentioned in this article. Some of them are:
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
- Gingerbread Cookies
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich Cookies
- Brown Butter and Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Cookies
You can find these and more cookie recipes on her YouTube channel or her cookbooks.
Some tips for baking cookies like Claire Saffitz are:
- Use high-quality ingredients and measure them precisely.
- Bring your butter and eggs to room temperature before creaming them together.
- Sift your flour before measuring it.
- Chill or freeze your dough before baking it.
- Rotate your pans halfway through baking for even browning.
- Don’t overbake your cookies. They will continue to cook on the pan after you take them out of the oven.
- Have fun and experiment with different flavors and textures.
You love Claire Saffitz’s cookies so much because they are delicious, creative, and satisfying. They have a perfect balance of sweetness, saltiness, crunchiness, chewiness, and gooeyness. They also have a variety of flavors and ingredients that appeal to your taste buds. They are made with love and passion by a talented pastry chef who knows how to make baking fun and easy. They are simply irresistible!
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this article about Claire Saffitz’s cookie recipes . We hope you learned something new and got inspired to try some of her amazing creations. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert baker, you’ll find something to love in her cookie repertoire.
If you liked this article, please check out our other articles on baking , cooking , and food . We have more tips, tricks, and recipes for you to explore. Thank you for reading!