How do I manipulate cookie recipes?

Oh, man… I was just looking at something about this today but can’t remember the website. Let me think…it was about chocolate chip cookies; if you want them chewy, you beat the heck out of the butter/sugar/egg, & chill the portioned-out dough on the cookie sheets so it’s cold before putting the cookie sheets into the preheated oven. For crispy, you just stir the sugar etc. so there’s not so much volume and I think put it right in the oven (heated). I think that’s how it was….good luck!

I was told the amount of white and brown sugar you use helps with the chewy and crunchy factor. I don’t know if it’s true but, I have a recipe that’s something like 2 cups peanut butter, ¼ cup white sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar and an egg. It only makes one dozen cookies, but they are awesome and very soft. You can’t really move them from the sheet until they are almost totally cool.

Also this episode of Good Eats on the Food Network will probably be helpful.

This is an interesting question! I found this site which talks about cookie ingredients in depth.

Although difficult to read, the site @PandoraBoxx gives is a useful one and quite complete.

This is a useful experiment you can try whenever you forget what different changes do.

Lock them in a closet and deprive them of food. Manipulation should be easy once they are weak and hungry.

Found the site! Hope it helps.

To make cookies crispy-
1. Most crisp cookies are made from stiff dough so lower the proportion of liquid
2. High sugar or fat- large quantities make it easier to make a stiff dough with low moisture
3. Bake long enough to evaporate most of the moisture
4. Smaller sizes or thin shape so the cookie cooks faster

For Soft Cookies: basically opposite of crispy :)

For Chewy Cookies:
1. High sugar and liquid content, but low fat content
2. High proportion of eggs
3. Strong flour

To increase the Spread of Cookies:
1. High sugar- granulated sugar increases spread, while confectioners’ sugar reduces spread 
2. High baking soda encourages spread
3. Incorporating lots of air during mixing increases spread while just mixing to the paste reduces spread
4. Low temperature increase spread so high temperature decreases
5. High liquid content increases  
6. Strong flour decreases spread
7. Cookies spread more if on a heavy greased pan

The good ole culinary college days. I have forgot everything about cooking, but retained the baking rules. :)