Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Admittedly, I love all types of chocolate chip cookies. 😉 That being said, these might be my ultimate favorite chocolate chip cookies. They are thick, crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, and are loaded with both semi-sweet and dark chocolate. SO good.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by David Leite. I weighed all of the dry ingredients, modified the cookie size and baking time, and used a mixture of chopped bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate as well as semi-sweet chocolate chips. The original recipe uses disks of chocolate because they melt differently than chocolate chips; the chopped chocolate had the same effect.

Prior to baking, the dough is refrigerated for 24 to 36 hours. This results in a firmer dough because the dry ingredients absorb the wet ingredients. I also froze scoops of this cookie dough with great success.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

• 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
• 1 ⅔ cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 ½ sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
• 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves (at least 60 % cacao)(I used a combination of semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate)(see note below)
• flaky sea salt

1. Sift or whisk 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.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Stir in the vanilla.
5. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.
6. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them.
7. 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.
8. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
9. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop mounds of dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. (I placed 8 cookies per sheet.)
10. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 14 to 16 minutes.
11. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more.
12. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Serve warm.

Chocolate: Bittersweet chocolate disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are sold at Whole Foods.

Note: The dough can be scooped into portions and frozen. Bake directly from the freezer adding 2 minutes onto the baking time.

Brown Butter & Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oh my… these were quite fabulous. The combination of brown butter, dark chocolate, and the finishing touch of sea salt really elevated this incredible variation of a classic chocolate chip cookie. I know that I will make them again and again. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Kate Davis. I used Nestlé 62% cacao bittersweet chocolate morsels instead of the recommended dark chocolate wafers or disks, and they were still absolutely amazing. I also made smaller cookies.

Yield: about 50 cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 chocolate toffee bars, 1.4 oz/39 g each, (preferably Skor), chopped into ¼-inch pieces
• 1½ cups chocolate wafers (disks, pistoles, fèves; preferably 72% cacao) (I used one 10 oz bag of Nestlé 62% cacao bittersweet chocolate morsels)
• flaky sea salt

1. Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, 5–8 minutes. Scrape into the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl) and let cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, whisk flour, baking soda, and kosher salt in a separate medium bowl.
3. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar to the browned butter. Using the mixer on medium speed, beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.
4. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until mixture lightens and begins to thicken, about 30 seconds.
5. Reduce mixer speed to low; add dry ingredients and beat just to combine.
6. Mix in toffee pieces and chocolate wafers with a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula.
7. Let dough sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate. Dough will look very loose at first, but will thicken as it sits. (I let my dough sit for 1 hour.)
8. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°, preferably on convection. Using a small ice cream scoop, portion out 11 balls of dough and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about 3″ apart (you can also form dough into ping pong–sized balls with your hands). Do not flatten; cookies will spread as they bake. Sprinkle with sea salt.
9. Bake cookies until edges are golden brown and firm but centers are still soft, 7 to 9 minutes.
10. Let cool on baking sheets 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
11. Repeat with remaining dough and fresh parchment-lined baking sheets.

Do Ahead: Cookie dough can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill. Let dough come to room temperature before baking.

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