It can upgrade any chocolate chip cookie recipe.

The recipe included the key ingredient she remembered from her childhood: 1/4 teaspoon of water.

I baked the two versions side by side.

chocolate chip cookies

Simply Recipes / Emma Christensen

Fresh out of the oven, the cookies looked similar.

However, the retro cookies sank and spread a bit more as they cooled.

They also had crispier edges and a chewier center compared to the more modern cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Simply Recipes / Emma Christensen

Both batches were delicious and equally devoured by my family.

Theres even a recipe fromAllrecipesthat call for two teaspoons of hot water.

Water is already a key ingredient in cookies because eggs and butter both contain it.

Adding water to a cookie that uses shortening (or other pure fats) makes sense.

Water helps distribute ingredients like baking soda evenly.

Adding additional water can further hydrate the flour and make a cookie chewier.

Want to see what water does to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe?

It doesnt take much water to improve your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.