Tuesday, August 31, 2010

NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everybody has their favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. And everybody claims theirs is the best. I have tried many many CCC recipes in my day and while I've never turned any of them down...some aren't as good as others. So I was intrigued when I ran across this article from the NY Times. If you want to read it, check it out HERE. I have seen this recipe all over the blogosphere, so thought it was about time to try it out.

Do you want to know the trick to this recipe? Chilling the dough. For at least 36 hours. Yes, you read that right. Chill the dough for almost 2 days!!!! What is wrong with these people? Don't they know cookie dough is meant to be eaten raw by the spoonful?? Immediately after mixing? Well, i'm here to tell you...it's well worth the wait.


Don't get me wrong, the dough was fantastic. But the cookies? Amazing. I know I say that about alot of recipes I post on this blog, but these are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten. And when I was younger, we stopped at Mrs. Fields Cookie shop in the mall ALOT and these are even better than those!


I used chocolate chips for this batch shown, but I made another batch using a big fat chocolate bar from Trader Joe's that I chopped up. I loved the big chunks of chocolate. If you're going to try this recipe, so with the big chopped up chocolate bar. Yum-O. The only thing I did not do is sprinkle the cookies with sea salt.


I made these for co-workers to thank them for donating to my Avon Walk (remember this post?) and received many compliments. If I can plan ahead, this is definitely my go-to CCC recipe from now on!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Jacques Torres, recipe from the NY Times
Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) 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 (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks, at least 60 percent cacao content
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

I hope you try these cookies, they are amazing!!! Thanks for stopping by today!

8 comments:

Joni M said...

I'm off to read the article you shared! Also, thanks for the recipe! When it comes to baking, I need all the help I can get! LOL!

Rebecca Keppel said...

Wow those look fantastic! It's funny that you should mention chilling as the key bc one night I was making a batch of Nestle's Tollhouse recipe and it was SO hot here that I had to put the dough in the fridge while I was waiting for the ones in the oven to bake and I swear the ones from the fridge came out the best. I think I'll give this recipe a try this weekend--TFS!!

Amber Zimmerman said...

I'm catching up on reading your latest posts and drooling over all the yum recipes! I MUST try those choc. chip cookies, although I don't know if the dough would last that long in this house. ;-)

Davi said...

Great sounding recipes...thanks for sharing just in time for the long weekend!

Mona Pendleton said...

YUMMY Mara! These cookies look like scrumptious lil' treats!

Cassie said...

#1...I love cookies...especially chocolate chip.
#2...I am so excited to be on the Crop Suey DT with you!!
=)

Sue said...

O.K., I have seen these enough now to get the message...It's time to make them myself! YUM!

IamDerby said...

Ok these look great but 32 hours??? I dont know if I can handle that.