Baker's Corner: The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Before I say anything else, allow me to proudly announce that my quest for the perfect chocolate chip cookie has ended with this recipe. Hurray!

To elaborate, I've been on the lookout for the perfect cookie recipe for a very long time. Although I have posted only one cookie recipe on my blog so far, please believe me when I say that I've tried many. I like the soft, chewy kind of cookies and the two varieties that I love the most are white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies and chocolate chip cookies. 

The last recipe that I posted for chocolate chip cookies was good but it did not meet my expectations entirely. The recipe in this post is an adaptation of a recipe from Jacques Torres which was published on the New York Times in 2008. 

The cookies turned out exactly the way I had envisioned. They were chunky, soft, moist and chewy with a subtle hint of saltiness and gooey chocolate goodness as you bit into them....positively sinful. I made two batches to take to a friend's house and then to my workplace and the unanimous verdict was that my chocolate chip cookies were much better than the store-bought variety. The husband was one happy customer too. He kept going back for more. 

This is a recipe that I am going to laminate and preserve for posterity. I hope you try this recipe because once you do, chances are, it will be your go-to cookie recipe for life 😊

The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preparation time: 30-45 mins, plus at least 24 hrs chilling

Baking time: 18-20 mins per batch
Makes: ~ 50 small cookies
Recipe Category: Dessert/American
Recipe Level: Easy
Recipe Source: Adapted from here

Ingredients:

2 cups cake flour

1-2/3 cups bread flour

1-1/4 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp salt

2-1/2 sticks (11/4 cup) butter, softened

1-1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 cup white fine granulated sugar 

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3-4 cups good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips, keep chilled until use

Sea salt to sprinkle over the cookies just before baking, Optional

Method:

1. Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Keep aside. 
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars together until light and fluffy (~5 mins). Use a mixer with a paddle attachment for this purpose. 
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. This step is very important. 
5. Drop the chocolate chips in and incorporate gently without breaking them. Press a sheet of plastic wrap against dough and stick your bowl in the fridge for 24 to 36 hours. The chilling makes handling much easier and helps to churn out better cookies. I was pressed for time so was able to chill the cookie dough overnight (~16 hrs) but fortunately the outcome was still good. 
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 deg F/175 dec C. Line the baking tray with parchment paper. 
7. Scoop lime-sized balls of dough onto your baking sheet, at least 1-1/2 inches apart. I used a small ice cream scoop for this purpose. The cookies spread out on their own as they bake. 
8. Bake in the oven (on level 3) for 18-20 mins until golden brown yet still soft. I baked mine for exactly 19 mins. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool for at least 10 mins. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
9. Enjoy the cookies while they are still warm, with a glass of cold milk.

Notes:

• Use good quality fresh ingredients when you are baking. It makes a world of difference
• The cookie dough may be used in batches and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours
• I skipped sprinkling the sea salt on top of the cookies before baking but you can go ahead with this step
• Cooling the cookies is very important because when they come out of the oven they will be quite soft
• It is always better to under bake the cookies ever so slightly because the cookies continue to cook after you take them out of the oven
• For an interesting flavour/texture variation, you can incorporate chopped nuts of your choice, white chocolate chips or peanut butter chips into the cookie dough
• Storing the cookies in an airtight container will preserve its freshness

Cheers,

Megha