As a baker, I have always been on the hunt for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. You know the one; the “crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, perfect ratio of chips to dough” cookie. My mom uses a recipe that I love, and was actually the first thing I ever baked on my own. Since that rainy day in 6th grade, I’ve made that recipe for friends and family many times. Over the years, I have noticed that while the cookies always receive many compliments and I have no problem getting rid of them, they are not quite to the “OH MY GOD , I CAN’T STOP EATING THESE” status. I knew there was another recipe out there, and I had to find it …. (cue the Mission Impossible music).
If you are anything like me, you might find yourself logging on to Pinterest to check which post your friend just re-pinned, and then walk out five hours later with a laundry list of projects and recipes you have to try. Through Pinterest, I have tried three new Chocolate Chip cookie recipes, all claiming to be the “BEST COOKIE EVER” with hundreds of comments and re-pins. For the first two recipes I tried, I was not impressed. Don’t get me wrong, the cookies were good… just not “Serve to Obama” good. I was a little skeptical when trying the third recipe, but never being one to back down to a challenge, I knew I must try it.
I found this recipe from Recipegirl online. The secret this recipe also happens to be one of my biggest downfalls, it involves waiting. The dough must be refrigerated for 48 hours before you can bake these puppies. So there I was, armed with my determination and desire. I whipped up a batch and (after a few finger swipes of dough) tucked them in the fridge for a two day slumber. Then came the hard part: I waited… and waited…. ate some dough… and waited some more.
Fast forward 48 hours and DING!, the dough was ready. I followed this recipe pretty closely, except for two minor deviations. I opted not to sprinkle the salt on top of the cookies as I enjoy a sweeter vs. salty taste. I also rolled my cookies a little smaller, about the size of golf balls. They came out of the oven looking beautiful… picture perfect, Martha Stewart style. They tasted just as good. One bite and the chorus began to sing, I had found my perfect cookie. My boyfriend sampled one and he confirmed, these cookies were amazing…
So amazing that I couldn’t stop eating them (be careful what you wish for!). We had to get them out of the house or else we would eat the entire batch ourselves. We took them over to a friend’s house for our weekly Bachelorette gathering and they were gone before the first mention of Ricky. Considering there were at least three dozen cookies and only seven people, I knew this was a win for me. I have made this recipe twice so far and found it only three weeks ago. I already have a few requests to make another batch, which might even happen this weekend.
I share this recipe with you, but do offer this fair warning: These cookies are the REAL DEAL. You will not want to stop eating them and you might find yourself hiding them in your pillowcase in efforts to keep them from your spouse/kids/grandma/pastor. Have a back-up item prepared if you are planning on making these for an event such as a bake sale. Bake with caution.
New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yield: 18 very large cookies or 31 smaller cookies
Prep Time: 15 min + chill time
Cook Time: 18 min
Ingredients:
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 (I used sea salt)
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks)
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
20 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
extra chocolate chips, optional
sea salt (optional)
Directions:
1. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour through salt). I just scraped mine through a fine strainer/sieve since my sifter isn’t all that great. Set aside.
2. Use an electric mixer to combine the butter and sugars- mixing until the mixture is very light, about 5 minutes. Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low, add the dry ingredients and, mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips. Place the dough in an airtight container and refrigerate a minimum of 24 to 36 hours before baking (and up to 72 hours).
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats.
4. For 5-inch cookies, scoop six 3.25 ounce mounds of dough- giant golf ball-sized (I rolled mine into balls) onto a baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Don’t try to fit more on the sheet or you’ll end up with cookies baking into each other. Dot some extra chocolate chips on top, if desired. Sprinkle each ball of dough with a small pinch of sea salt, if desired.
5. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the center is lighter and soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 15 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a rack and let them cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
Tips:
*If you’d prefer to make smaller cookies, shape your cookie dough into small golf ball-size instead (2 ounces), and bake for 15 to 18 minutes.
Recipe from RecipeGirl.com (recipe originally from The New York Times and Jacques Torres )
shedabbles 