Chocolate Chip Cookies (dare I say perfect?)

After my mediocre CCC experiment the other day (let's be honest, those cookies kind of sucked), I went back to the  Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from the New York Times article that I referenced in a recent post. These cookies did not disappoint. They came out thick, with crispy outside and chewy-gooey chocolate-y insides.

I think the key to this cookie's goodness is the aging process. The article explains the chemistry at work here, but there are also flavor development processes going on. Think of your stews, soups and meatloaves. Almost universally, these are better the second or third day than they are when first cooked. Same with these cookies. The rest time lets the flavors meld and deepen - the article describes the 36 hour cookie, in comparison with cookies from younger dough like this: "they had an even richer, more sophisticated taste, with stronger toffee hints and a definite brown sugar presence."

I mixed up the dough for these cookies Sunday afternoon and baked them Tuesday night. They were over the 36 hours, as I baked them at around the 50 hour mark. While the dough aged temptingly in the fridge, we started calling it "the entity" as it was a sizeable mound and beckoned with a siren's call.

Then, after all that, I messed up in the baking. But, like many mistakes, I think I ended up with a happy accident. These cookies are supposed to bake at 350. I wasn't looking when I set the oven and it wasn't until after I took them out that I realized the oven was at 450. The outside got pretty golden brown, but the insides were still gooey. Since this is my preference, I'd gladly make this mistake again.

By a small miracle of exceptional will-power, all of  these cookies (minus the 2 - 1/2 that Tom & I had to sample) got bundled up and delivered to my brother this morning for his birthday. A very happy and delicious ending to a Chocolate Chip Cookie quest that included 2 different doughs, about 4 bags of chips and lots of happy sampling.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(From the New York Times article, "Perfection? Hint: It's Warm and has a Secret" and recipe adapted from Jacques Torres)
Notes about my adaptations follow the recipe

Ingredients

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (this is 8-1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 -2/3 cups (this is 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.

What to Do

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.

Notes about My Adaptations

Flour - I didn't use cake flour. I used all purpose flour and bread flour. I think you will get slightly different results using only AP flour, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. I did weigh my flours, as I think you get a more accurate quantity that way.

Chocolate - I didn't use the disks. I had 2 types of semisweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli & Guittard), but I did use 1-1/4 lbs of chips. Holy crap.

Size - I baked a standard size cookie, not the jumbo version described here. Should I even bother trying to be moderate when using 1-1/4 lbs of chocolate and lots of butter?

Bake Temp & Time: I accidentally baked at 450 instead of 350. At that higher temp, the (smaller) cookies took about 11 min. I'd guess that at 350, they'd be more like 12-14 min.