I grew up enjoying the tang of yogurt and sour cream in baked goods. Thin, light yogurt pancakes were a childhood favorite that pitted me in eating contests against my dad (I think I won once). Traveling in countries that didn’t bother producing baking powder taught me to pair baking soda with acidic ingredients like buttermilk, yogurt and sour cream. Once I started baking with them, I couldn’t stop: flatbread, coffee cake and even the scones I shared earlier this month.
Sour cream in cookies may surprise you if you’re used to flat, crisp, sugar-forward treats and view sour cream as a nacho and taco condiment, but it’s a fantastic ingredient. It pairs beautifully with bittersweet chocolate, and a dusting of salt complements both flavors.
In terms of baking chemistry, sour cream does far more than boost flavor. It adds moisture, making cookies softer without thinning the dough as much as a liquid like milk. Its acid not only breaks flour’s gluten into smaller molecules but also reacts directly with baking soda, creating tender, cakey cookies. Its fat makes cookies richer and smoother, and the dough becomes velvety as chocolate chips melt into it in the oven.
To enjoy that texture, I garnish these cookies with a simple sprinkling of flaky salt, often reaching for a flavored, smoked or infused jar for a fun twist. You can break up the smoothness by stirring a cup of toasted and chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or pecans into the dough. For a silky look, let the cookies cool, drizzle them with chocolate ganache and then garnish with salt.
Chocolate–Sour Cream Cookies
Makes about 50 cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3-3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sour cream
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (about 1-1/2 cups)
Flaky salt for sprinkling
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, alternating with the sour cream and stirring until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover and freeze for 10 minutes.
Shape a tablespoon of chilled dough at a time into a ball, placing it on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat the process with the remaining balls, placing them about 2 inches apart, until the sheet is full. Sprinkle each dough ball with sea salt, pressing it slightly into the dough if necessary so that it sticks.
Bake at 350°F for 12-14 minutes, until the cookies are golden with set centers. Immediately move the cookies to a wire rack to cool. Scrape any crumbs from the baking sheet and continue baking the remaining dough. Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.