Chocolate Chip Cookie Perfection

JacquesTorres is a pastry chef unlike any other- this man can manipulate chocolate into sculpture and art. He is so talented and basically I would make anything he recommended, even something as boring as white rice. I used to watch him, like a million years ago, on the food network. He would make pastries and desserts that seemed impossible to replicate, but so effortless for him (it’s the same feeling I have watching the gymnasts flit around on the narrow beam at the Olympics- they make it look so easy).

This chocolate chip cookie recipe has been around the blog/Pinterest world for a while now. It wasn’t until my friend said I had to try it that I discovered who originally made it- Jacques Torres, who had written it for the New York Times. Done and done. I had to make them. And you know what? He’s never wrong. These cookies are that ideal ratio of crispy outer edges, soft, chewy center, lot’s of chocolate chips and the sprinkle of sea salt on top gives it that salty/sweet wonderfulness. 

This isn’t your typical cookie dough, which is what makes it so perfect. But with perfection you need patience, and there may be few obstacles to overcome. Here are 3 issues I have with this recipe:  1. The flours. Not everyone has cake flour and bread flour stocked in their pantry (these are supposed to help give it that crispy/soft texture-thing) 2. This is not an instant gratification cookie. You can’t spontaneously decide you want a warm cookie with milk for an afternoon snack- it needs to refrigerate for 24-72 hours for the flavors to really develop and the butter to harden. Which leads me to 3. Leaving yummy cookie dough in the fridge for more than 5 minutes is dangerous… I mean, who doesn’t love to eat cookie dough? Sometimes it’s better than the baked version, which may result in fewer cookies than you originally planned on having because someone couldn’t resist a spoonful now and then (not that I speak from experience or anything).

But seriously, get the flours, make the time (try to resist eating all the dough) and make these delicious cookies! I don’t think you’ll regret it.

(recipe after the jump)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Perfection
barely modified from Jacques Torres here

(Makes about 1 1/2- 2 dozen cookies)

Recipe Notes:

- I only added 1 extra tsp. of Vanilla, making it 3 vs. 2 in the original recipe.
- Bittersweet chocolate chips from Ghirardelli are what I had on-hand, but I would love to get these from Jacques Torres' site and try them sometime.

Tools:
- A Stand mixer is recommended for this dough because it's so thick, but you can do it by hand as well (it will probably be a little more time consuming, but at least you'll burn calories before you ingest more calories!)
- Using a larger ice cream/cookie dough scoop will help you get to that larger size cookie. 

Ingredients

2 Cups minus 2 Tbs. of cake flour (8 ½ oz.)

1 2/3 Cups bread flour (8 ½ oz.)

1¼ tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. baking powder

1½ tsp. coarse salt

2½ sticks (1¼ cups) unsalted butter, room temperature

1¼ cups (10 oz.) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 oz.) granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

3 tsp. natural vanilla extract

1¼ lbs. (3 cups) of bittersweet chocolate chips or disks 

Sea Salt

Directions

1. Sift both of the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

3. 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. 
4. 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.

5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

6. Scoop six 3 ½ -ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto the baking sheet, making sure to horizontally turn 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 and keep refrigerated for baking any remaining batches the next day.