Jul 25 2010
NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Over the past two years, the New York Times’ Chocolate Chip Cookie has taken the food blogging world by storm. I kept intending to try this recipe, but life kept getting in the way.
Well, last week it seemed that fate wanted me to make these cookies. If I cut the recipe in half, I had just enough bread flour and cake flour. I didn’t have the 60% cacao chocolate disks required, but I don’t like chocolate chip cookies with that dark of chocolate – it’s only semi-sweet chocolate for me.
The original instructions said the dough balls should be the size of “generous golf balls.” Well, I’ve only seen golf balls one size, so I made dough balls slightly larger. I looked at the size of the dough, looked at the 18 minute baking time, and thought, “You have to be kidding me.”
I intended to check the cookies after 10 minutes…but I got distracted. When the timer went off at 18 minutes, I could smell the cookies as I walked to my kitchen…and it wasn’t a good smell. Let’s just say the cookies were a little…caramelized. Okay fine, they were about one minute shy of being burned.
I rechecked the recipe and saw the 3 ½ ounce weight for the dough…no way would that be the size of a golf ball! So with the next pan, I weighed each ball of dough. Yeah, those balls were the size of baseballs. Quite a bit of difference, if you ask me.
And while the baseball cookies were tasty, I have to admit I don’t see what all of the fuss is about. The chocolate chip cookies I made just a few weeks back were far superior, to me – they tasted more buttery and more complex, while this recipe just kind of tasted like a regular chocolate chip cookie. Don’t get me wrong, they’re good…but I am a bit surprised at how many bloggers have deemed them their favorite (perhaps it’s the darker chocolate?). Or perhaps they simply couldn’t live up to the build-up…
I don’t see myself making them again, however – they just weren’t special enough for me. The friend I gave most of them away to, however, loved them.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
4 ¼ ounces cake flour
4 ¼ ounces bread flour
1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
½ + ¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ + ¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 ¼ stick unsalted butter
5 ounces light brown sugar
4 ounces granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
kosher salt
1. Sift flours, soda, powder, and sea salt.
2. Cream butter and sugars on medium speed with stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add egg and mix well. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour. Fold in chocolate chips. Press plastic wrap directly on surface of dough and refrigerate 24-36 hours (up to 72 hours).
3. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line baking sheets with parchment and scoop six 3 ½ ounce balls of dough (about the size of a baseball) onto the pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake for 18-20 minutes, cool on pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
These are great cookies but I prefer them using 2oz portions as they end up softer. In case you’re interested I reviewed 10 cookies on this page http://www.thegrinninggourmet.com/?page_id=178. Thanks for the post!
I have made the NY Times recipe for Christmas last year. They were such a hit that I was specifically asked to make them again this year. I bought them to work and they were an even bigger hit; many asked for the recipe.
The above recipe is adapted. I use the original recipe except that
I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao bittersweet baking discs. I use Softsilk cake flour and bread flour per the directions. After chilling, I simply slice 1″ thick and bake for roughly 9 minutes and get about 4″ cookies. I did reduce the salt in the batter by half because I realized I had salted butter on hand. They were still absolutely delicious.
Dee, I never said I didn’t like the cookies, just that I prefer other recipes.
When making Chocolate Chip Cookies try browning the butter – the nuttey flavor give the cookies a depth not found by using any other ingredient!
Leslie, I adore browned butter – I’m sure it would make these cookies taste even better.