New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

With Valentine's Day approaching, I've been hearing a lot about the way in which people express their love.  There is no doubt that we all show our love in different ways.  (Pretty profound for a food blogger, right?)  For me, I tend to express my love to others through food.  (That should really not come as a surprise to anyone.)  When one of my son's friends recently underwent surgery, it was almost instinctual for me to bake him a batch of "get well" cookies.  (It's therapeutic for me to close the world off and be alone in my kitchen to bake but that's another issue.) 

No matter how old you are or how you receive love, if someone bakes a homemade chocolate chip cookie for you, you are going to feel loved.  I know I felt loved when my mom baked chocolate chip cookies for me when I was a kid.  I still get that wonderfully warm and "loved" feeling today when I am presented with a homemade chocolate chip cookie that was baked especially for me.

I found a New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe on Whipperpool.com and I decided that these would make great "get well soon" cookies.  I made a couple of rookie mistakes while I was baking though and I made 2 major errors.  I was in a big hurry when I started this batch of cookies - mistake #1.  The recipe called for 10 ounces of butter and in my haste, I added 10 Tablespoons (5 ounces) instead.  (Like I said - rookie mistake.)  I neglected to read the fine print in the recipe that said, "refrigerate the dough for at least 24 hours prior to baking."  Oops. Just in case you were wondering what happens when you add half the butter and do NOT refrigerate the dough - this is it...

Why did I take so many pictures of my epic failure?  At this point, I still thought that these cookies were salvageable.  Unfortunately, they got even harder as they cooled and I deemed them unworthy for "get well cookies."  (We still ate the whole batch ourselves, instead.  Sacrificial.)


Here is the recipe as intended.

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: About 18 cookies
Prep Time: 24 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8½ ounces) cake flour 

1 & 2/3 cups (8½ ounces) bread flour

1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1¼ cups (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 & 1/3 cups (20 ounces) dark chocolate chips, at least 60% cacao content
Sea salt, for sprinkling

1. Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and set aside.



















2. Cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until very light, about 5 minutes.















Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the vanilla.

 
Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.

Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.

 






4. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to 72 hours.





5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
6. Scoop 3 1/2-ounces of dough, roll into a rough ball (it should be the size of a large golf ball) and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until you have six mounds of dough on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.

Bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes.

Transfer the parchment or silicone sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies onto another cooling rack to cool a bit more, until just warm or at room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough (or keep some of the dough refrigerated for up to 3 days, and bake cookies at a later time). Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe from The New York Times

  













And to our sweet friend who is recovering from surgery - we're praying for a speedy recovery. 



















Ciao!

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: About 18 cookies
Prep Time: 24 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8½ ounces) cake flour
1 & 2/3 cups (8½ ounces) bread flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1¼ cups (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 & 1/3 cups (20 ounces) dark chocolate chips, at least 60% cacao content
Sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Sift together the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and sugars on medium speed until very light, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Press plastic wrap against the dough and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
4. Scoop 3 1/2-ounces of dough, roll into a rough ball (it should be the size of a large golf ball) and place on the baking sheet. Repeat until you have six mounds of dough on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer the parchment or silicone sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies onto another cooling rack to cool a bit more, until just warm or at room temperature. Repeat with remaining dough (or keep some of the dough refrigerated for up to 3 days, and bake cookies at a later time). Store leftover cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe from The New York Times