The perfect chocolate chip cookie

For those of you who haven't yet read the NY Times article about the perfect chocolate chip cookie, or are following my saga to produce such a cookie, here's a link to the article and recipe that started the craze.
A few corrections to what I said yesterday in the staff lounge - the beginning of the recipe says that it takes 45 minutes to make a 6 cookie batch, but the full recipe makes enough dough to for a total of 18 cookies. And the dough per cookie is the size of a large golf ball, not a baseball.
I will keep you posted.

Perfection? Hint: It’s Warm and Has a Secret
By DAVID LEITE
Published: July 9, 2008
The recipe for the consummate chocolate chip cookie builds on decades of acquired knowledge, experience and secrets.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/09chip.html?ex=1373342400&en=e65af79d36135b2d&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
(Copy and paste into your browser; for some reason, I can't get this to function as a link)

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Jacques Torres

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 or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)

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.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods (and Fox and Obel).

June 2008

May 2008

April 2008

March calendar

I've overcome some technical difficulties to bring you the March calendar...

Jenna's Kick Butt Chocolate Wake-Ups

I loved Jenna's chocolate cookies from Monday so much that I thought they should "wake up" our sleepy blog.

Chocolate Wakeups

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch* of black pepper
Pinch of cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) natural cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups (6 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
Pearl sugar (optional)

*Using your thumb and forefinger, "pinch" up some of the spice. The
bigger the pinch, the hotter the cookies. These were made with a
moderate pinch, probably about 1/16 teaspoon.

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two
baking sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla, peppers,
cinnamon, and salt. Beat in the egg. Add the cocoa, then the flour. Stir
to combine well; the dough will be very stiff.
Drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto the prepared baking sheets.
Lightly flatten the cookies to 1/4 inch thick with the bottom of a
drinking glass dipped in sugar. If desired, press some pearl or coarse
sugar onto the top of each cookie.
Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes. They won't look brown and they won't
feel done, but that's the correct time and temperature. Remove the
cookies from the oven, transfer them to a rack, and let them cool.

Potato-Leek Chowder

Since it has been three sad months since our last post, and Alex asked, here is the recipe for the chowder I brought today. It's from Cooking Light, so it's very guilt-free!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups finely chopped leek (about 4 leeks)
5 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 cups (2-inch) cubed peeled Yukon gold or red potato
3 cups (2-inch) chopped cauliflower florets
1 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (drained)


Preparation
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek; cook 15 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently (do not brown). Set aside.
Combine broth, potato, and cauliflower in pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes or until potato is tender. Cool 10 minutes; stir in milk. Place one-third of potato mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed potato mixture into a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining potato mixture.

Return pureed potato mixture to pan; stir in leek, pepper, salt, and corn. Cook over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon just before serving.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups chowder and about 2 tablespoons bacon)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 227(31% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 1.5g,mono 2.6g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 9.1g; CHOLESTEROL 4mg; CALCIUM 90mg; SODIUM 629mg; FIBER 5.4g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39g

Welcome, Chuck!

Kudos to Chuck for a great debut - word on the street is that you have earned your spot. The mix CD a la Happy Meal prize was a nice touch and, as far as I know, a lunch bunch first!

Beachy Barbecue

Sniff, it's so nice to see this lovely blog off and running. How far you have all come! I just wanted to invite you all to a little send off I will be having at Montrose Beach. It starts at 2:00 and will go all night! We'll be hanging out at the park next to the beach so bring your self, your family, your dog (Chicago's official doggie beach is there). If you want to contribute to the feast bring something yummy either food or drink, but of course this is not mandatory and I would rather see your empty handed then not at all! Look for the purple balloons to find us.

August Calendar

Amy's tech skills are increasing by the day... here's the August calendar; click on it to enlarge it.