The Famous NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies Dilettante bittersweet chocolate couverture 72% cacao chocolate disks on cream striped place mat with carved pumpkin in background

The Famous NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies- Part I

I saw this recipe when it first came out and knew I had to try to make it. I’ve been wanting to try it for a while but I didn’t have everything that was required. So I finally got some bread flour but I still didn’t have all I needed. I needed to get some cake flour but couldn’t justify the almost $4 for a box of it. Then I learned that I could make my own when I was making my banana cupcakes. What a brilliant idea!
The only thing left to get was the bittersweet chocolate disks. I’ve seen people saying that these things were about $15 a pound! That’s way too much to spend on it especially since I didn’t know if these cookies would be good or not. I know that everyone says they are but who know I might be the one person in a world that doesn’t like them. So the $15 a pound chocolate was out of the question. Luckily I was at Safeway one day and was just browsing around and saw these Dilettant bittersweet chocolate couverture’s on clearance. $5.99 for 12 ounces is something that I can handle. I only wish that I had gotten more than one! I of course had to taste test one to make sure that it wouldn’t ruin my cookies. Such sacrifices that I make to ensure that people get the best cookies possible!
Anyways so now that I had everything I just needed to find the time and motivation to make them. I mean who has ever heard of making cookies and not eating them for a day or two?? Since I’m having dinner guest on Friday I thought that this would be the perfect excuse to make them and not have to eat them all. Since the recipe says that it can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours I figured I would make them today and let the experiment begin.
So today is part I. I made the cookie dough and will let it sit until it’s been 24 hours before baking a batch. That will be part II and I will update tomorrow on how they turned out. Then Friday will be part III. I’m planning on baking the remainder of the cookies then but I may save a few for Saturday and see if that extra day makes them better or not. Hopefully all the waiting will be worth it!
I didn’t make many changes but I did cut down on the sugar because I don’t like my baked goods too sweet. Generally I cut down the sugar on all my recipes by at least 1/4 cup. I also reduced the amount of salt because I didn’t use unsalted butter. I didn’t put the full amount of chocolate that was called for because I was afraid that there might be too much chocolate. I know that’s crazy talk but I didn’t want the chocolate to be over powering. My container of chocolate disks was 12 ounces and I didn’t use the whole thing. Hopefully the cookies still turn out good with all my changes!

Ny Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Jacques Torres
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon course salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds chocolate disks or feves, at least 60% cacao content (I used 72% chocolate disks)
Sea salt
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder int 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 to 10 seconds. (I gave a final mix by hand to get all the flour in the bottom of the bowl incorporated.)

Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. (I did this by hand with a wooden spoon to ensure that my disks stayed as whole as possible.)

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.

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