Jacques Torres Says You've Been Making Your Chocolate Chip Cookies All Wrong - Exclusive

There is perhaps no other cookie as beloved as the humble chocolate chip. The simple, yet decadent treat is both universal and personal at the same time. There are countless ways to make chocolate chip cookies, and everyone has an opinion on how they should turn out — some prefer a crunchier cookie, while others go for a chewy, gooey center. 

One thing we can basically all agree on when it comes to chocolate chip cookies? The more chocolate the better! But shockingly, that's where everyone is getting it wrong, according to Jacques Torres. In an exclusive interview with Mashed, the world-class chocolate master and presiding judge on Netflix's Nailed It! explained that we're all making a big mistake with our chocolate chip cookies, depriving ourselves of a better, richer experience. Luckily, you can change that before your next batch, because Torres revealed to us the secret to making perfect chocolate chip cookies every time.

This may sound ridiculous, but the biggest mistake you're making with chocolate chip cookies is actually using chocolate chips, according to master chocolatier Jacques Torres. Despite what we've always thought, those store-bought bags of chocolate chips you probably reach for are the very thing ruining your dessert. This is because "the chips... don't melt," says Torres. "They have the same shape after coming out of the oven [as] before they go in the oven." How did we never notice this? Torres didn't hide his feelings about the chips, either. The Nailed It! judge advised us, "If chocolate doesn't melt, something is wrong with that chocolate. Don't use it."

So step away from the chocolate chips, and do it the way Torres does at his own chocolate factory (via Mr. Chocolate). Torres told Mashed "we make cookies with the same chocolate that we use to make the little candy." He's referring to melting chocolates, which usually come in a disc-shaped form, known as fèves, according to The Kitchn. Torres says they are so much better for your baking, because "that chocolate melts. When we put that into the dough, it just melts into the dough. When you eat it, it melts into your mouth." Torres swears that "it's a completely different experience than chocolate that doesn't melt," and honestly, who are we to argue with the man known as Mr. Chocolate?

The chocolate master has even shared a recipe for his extra-large chocolate chip cookies with Tasting Table, so you can make his version of the sweet treat any time a craving hits. And be sure to catch Torres in the newest season of Nailed It!, available to stream now on Netflix.