Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe from New York Times

I was at a picnic the other night. My friend Sara made these cookies and they were a hit, especially with me. They were sooo good. We started talking about the recipe, which she said she got out of the NY Times a couple of weeks ago.

I went home and searched the NY Times website and finally found the recipe. It was from David Leite, who had a great website and now does a blog, I think. Anyway, he is also a member of a group I am in and is a foodie like no other.

I trust him too. I've made other recipes of his and they were wonderful. I am making these cookies next week. I can't wait.

The recipe is a bit different from all other chocolate chip cookies - first it does not use all purpose flour but a combination of cake flour and bread flour and the dough is refrigerated for a very long time before baking. The wait is worth it. Sooo good.

Here is the recipe:

2 cups minus 2 tbsp cake flour (8-1/2 oz)
1-2/3 cups bread flour (8-1/2 oz)
1.25 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp coarse salt
2-1/2 sticks unsalted butter (1-1/4 cups)
1-1/4 cups light brown sugar (10 oz)
1 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar (8 oz)
2 large eggs
2 tsp natural vanilla extract
1-1/4 lb bittersweet chocolate disks*
sea salt

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

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, 5-10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or a silpat liner). Set aside.

Scoop 6-3.5 oz 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. Sprikle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18-20 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

David used Jacques Torres chocolate and suggests also Valrhona feves, oval shaped chocolate pieces that are sold at Whole Foods. Paul Mason said he used Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips that he bought at Shoprite. I suggested to him to search out Scharfen-Berger, which I buy at Wegman's or Williams-Sonoma. Excellent chocolate. The higher the cacao the better.

RisaG