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.