Chocolate chip cookies are such a holy grail of baking for two reasons: They’re phenomenally tasty, and virtually anybody can make them. They’re a very simple treat, consisting mostly of just flour, brown sugar, eggs, chocolate chips, and other ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Chocolate chip cookies are hard to mess up, so when it comes to making them, does it really matter how good and knowledgeable of a chef you are? Will a professional chef’s cookies come out significantly better than those made by somebody who isn’t trained in the culinary arts? That is exactly what this new video from Epicurious explores, as they pit three chefs of varying skill levels in a cookie-making contest (via Digg).

The video shows the processes of the three bakers, and there’s some disparity between them. There are different levels of attention to detail, different methodologies and philosophies, and different combinations of ingredients at play. As you might figure, the pro was a bit more advanced in her ingredient selections, opting for smoked melted butter and vanilla bean instead of softened butter and vanilla extract, for example.

When all was said and done, a food scientist came in to explain some of the science behind what each baker did. Instead of choosing a winner, the scientist simply weighed the pros and cons of what every baker did in an informative way. Ultimately, it would seem they all won: When all three bit into their finished cookies, they were enamored with their creations, and that’s what it’s all about.

Do you make a killer chocolate chip cookie? Let us know what you think down in the comments!

Featured image: Kat Gordon/Flickr