The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

This summer, with too much time on my hands, I set off on a quest to discover the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. With little baking experience, I began with the Nestle Tollhouse recipe, and began baking a batch a week. Each week I experimented with the ratios of sugar and flour, and tried adding a variety of different ingredients such as coffee, various kinds of nuts, peanut butter, and in one dramatic batch, I tried adding Red Hots. As you can imagine, my results were often unappetizing, albeit entertaining.

When I finally gave up on tampering with Tollhouse Tradition, I found a recipe in the New York Times, and could not resist making one more batch. The recipe is an adaption from Jacques Torres, the famous chocolatier in New York City. His secret ingredient is sea salt, sprinkled over the cookies right before sliding them into the oven. It is such a delicious recipe, I will never feel the need to play “Cookie God” again.

Time: 45 minutes (for 1 6-cookie batch), plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

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

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.

My advice: I find that the cookies taste better if you use only 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 cup granulated sugar. Also, I stuck with Nestle dark chocolate chips, there’s no need to buy fèves. So, enjoy!