Best Chocolate Chip Cookies…Ever…Seriously

• December 7, 2014
• Mari Bickmore
• 2 comments

I can’t believe it is December already!  I mean I just got used to using 2014 and soon it will be 2015.  The years have started on a downhill run and are just zipping by me. But it’s Christmastime!  well close.  Growing up, my mother’s favorite time of year was Christmas.  She put up like a million lights.  That might be somewhat of an exaggeration, but not  by much.  She made Christmas such a magical time for me as child, that nothing I do ever seems to quite live up to my own expectations.  This recipe certainly isn’t a “Christmas cookie”, but I needed to make cookies for a Church Christmas public open house and I wanted a great cookie.  If you want everyone to say your cookie is the best one at the party, this is the one. It is the  New York Times cookie with my slight variations.  I have made a lot of chocolate chip cookies in my life, and played with several recipes.  This is absolutely the best cookie I have ever made.  It does have the slight drawback that the dough has to chill at least 18 hours (they say 24, but I wonder if 12 wouldn’t do it).

It is best to always let your butter and eggs come to room temperature before starting your cookies.  Your butter is not going to blend and get light and fluffy if it is cold.  As always, the better ingredients you use, the better the end result.  I use better quality chocolate, like a Ghirardelli.  Remember, chocolate comes from a bean, so isn’t it technically a health food?

Fabulous Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 ½ sticks unsalted butter

1-1/4 cups light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tbs sugar

2 cups minus 2 tbs cake flour

1-2/3 cup bread flour

1-¼ tsp baking soda

1-½ tsp baking powder

1-½ tsp coarse salt

2 eggs

2 tsp vanlila

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, grated

10 ounces bittersweet choc chips

sea salt

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

3.  With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes.

4.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

5.  Stir in the vanilla.

6.  Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time, and then mix until just combined.

7.  Stir all chocolate into dough using a spoon.

At this juncture I took a fairly small bowl of dough out (for about a dozen cookies) and added about 1/2 cup of coconut into it.  I highly approve of the outcome.  Next time I am going to do that again but add some rolled oats (never use steel cut or instant oats when you do this).

8.  Press plastic wrap against dough, tucked in well to keep it from drying out, and refrigerate for 18 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.  I also put a moistened kitchen towel over the bowl.

9.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350º degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop dough with a 1-1/2 Tbsp cookied scooper (for larger cookies use a small ice cream scoop) onto the prepared cookie sheet, then sprinkle lightly with sea salt (optional) and bake until golden brown, but still soft, 10-12 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool.  I always use parchment paper on cookie sheets, it makes for quick and easy clean-up, but you can lightly grease cookie sheets also.

Really, you will love these.  I haven’t tried using my new gluten-free flour, but it has worked on everything else.  I will try it and post later how they turn out. I am concerned about it though, since using these two different types of flour makes the perfect consistency.  As always, I hope you love this recipe and, if you do, let me know!