Jacques Torres' Chocolate Chip Cookies

Not quite as good as the Thomas Keller recipe but very, very close. Chocolate chip cookie recipes cast a wide net and which one(s) you prefer really depends upon...well, you. I can't claim that one recipe is 'the best' because not everyone will agree. My personal ideal chocolate chip cookie is chewy, fat, and doughy. By doughy I mean that I like to taste the actual cookie and not be bombarded with chocolate. *Gasp*. I love my chocolate but if I want it I will make a double chocolate cookie or a brownie. A chocolate chip cookie should be an equal marriage of cookie and chocolate.

Some of my friends like mass quantities of chocolate in every bite, some like cakey cookies, while others prefer flat and crispy. It would be amusing to have a round table discussion about this during the Sunday morning political shows.

Ok. I know. Lets get on with the actual cookie. These cookies met all my qualifications except for the thickness factor. They are thicker than the default Nestle Toll House recipe, and much more complex. But they are not as fat as Thomas Keller's. There are some recipes for these cookies that you bake immediately. The original calls for refrigerating the dough for about 36 hours. That is exactly what I did ( with great patience and an occasional wayward spoon ). Refrigerating the dough makes a huge difference, especially with this recipe. The first batch that went through the oven were the best because they had been cold for so long. Due to the humidity, the cookies became progressively thinner per batch despite the fact that I kept sticking the dough back in the refrigerator. However, this didn't affect the flavour.

One of the things that I loved about the Thomas Keller recipe was the omission of vanilla extract. You tasted the real cookie. This recipe calls for a lot of vanilla, but it is not at all intrusive. These are very rich. I know that term is used loosely but when I say something is rich, I mean it in every sense of the word. The lengthy refrigeration time allows the sugars and vanilla to meld almost seductively into the flours and butter. They have a very slight spicy, caramel flavour with a dab of nuttiness. You would almost think that there was cinnamon added into the dough. The light sprinkling of sea salt makes these even more intriguing. Sea salt is one of my signature ingredients. I almost always add more than what a recipe calls for. I didn't have to with this one. Please don't skip this step. It really pulls out the dark chocolate and makes it even deeper. The salt and chocolate just play around on your tongue, It's amazing!

Last but not least. These cookies are soft and chewy! The edges do have a light, pleasant crisp which gives them that little nutty flavour I was talking about. If you want to draw out that aspect even more, leave them in the oven longer. One more thing. These are huge cookies! :) You can make them smaller but if you are going to go through the 36 hour refrigeration time than give yourself a break and make large cookies. They are a well earned reward and so worth the agonizing wait. :)

*update* I made the classic, full version of these cookies here. :)

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

( recipe adapted from Cookie Madness & The New York Times )

* printer friendly recipe *

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon pastry flour
• 1 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 lb ( 2 sticks ) of butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 1 lb of coarsely chopped, fine quality Dark chocolate
• Sea salt for sprinkling

Method:

In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk together and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars together at medium speed for about 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients and mix only until just combined ( about 8 seconds ). Carefully mix in the chopped chocolate by hand. Try not to over mix. Cover the dough in plastic or place in bowl with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for 24-36 hours.

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F. and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. For large cookies, use a 4 oz scoop ( about 1/2 cup ). If you want smaller cookies use a 2 oz scoop ( 1/4 cup ). Roll into uniform balls. Leave a lot of room between each cookie and the sides of the cookie sheet. Lightly sprinkle each cookie with sea salt. For large cookies, bake for about 16-20 minutes. For smaller cookies, reduce the time to 12-15 minutes. Mine were done much earlier than what the recipe said. Bake until they are light golden in colour but still soft. Do not over bake. Transfer the cookie sheets to a wire rack and let them cool for 10 minutes before transferring them to your hungry mouth. :)