Quite honestly, chocolate chip cookies are not my favorite. I worked at the Great American Cookie Company for three years, and though I did not overdose on chocolate chip cookies, I experienced an array of other flavors that piqued my interest more. However, when the New York Times said they have found the best recipe to chocolate chip cookie heaven, I was not about to turn a blind eye to it. Instead, I got out my ingredients and worked the kitchen. And don’t forget Dorie Greenspan’s advice of getting the butter and eggs to room temperature before mixing:
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet disks at least 60 percent cacao content
Sea salt.
- Mix flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl
- Cream butter and sugars until very light – 5 minutes
- Add eggs one at a time until fully incorporated
- Add Vanilla
- While reducing your mixer to a low speed (stir mode), add the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined
- Carefully mix in chocolate pieces (I used Ghirardelli)
- Wrap up cookie dough in plastic, and wait 24-36 hours before baking – DO NOT EAT RAW OR SUCCUMB TO BAKING EARLIER!
After you’ve entertained yourself for the 24-36 hours (I only waited 24 hours) preheat your oven to 350F, get our your cookie sheets and line them with parchment paper. To scoop cookies, I like to use an ice cream scoop, which is about an inch across. Scoop your dough however you like (NYT says 3.5 ounch scoops), place onto the baking sheet, and sprinkle with sea salt (it brings out the sweetness) and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
I got about 30 cookies out of this batch, and they were by far the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made in my own kitchen. I think there were a lot of great tips in this recipe and they should be taken to heart:
- For the love of all things baking and those you feed, use good chocolate.
- In the same vein, use good, pure vanilla, not artificial/imitation.
- The use of bread flour and cake flour definitely gives you a lighter dough consistency.
- Sea salt, a great touch that brings out all of the sweetness contained within.
- As stated in the original NYT article, allowing the dough to sit for 24-36 really enhances the flavor of the cookies by giving all ingredients time to soak in, especially the eggs.
