Dec 3, 2009

20 Days of Cookies - Day 1

In the next 20 days before Christmas I will be posting my favorite cookie recipes. I encourage you to share your feedback about your own personal favorites. It might just inspire me to pick up a few new favorites of my own!

Day 1: Classic Chocolate "Chip"
After reading an article in the NYT about the perfect chocolate chip cookies, I have never them the same since. As Jacques Torres describes, the once never told secret to why Toll House cookies are unmatchable, is to let the cookies chill at least 24 hours. This allows the eggs to be absorbed, and the sugars to dissolve, leaving a more caramelized tender cookie result. Trust me, it works! (Another secret to baking is to weigh your dry ingredients. If you're a serious baker, I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale.)

Recipe:
2 cups minus 2 tablespoons cake flour (8 1/2 oz.)
1 2/3 cups bread flour (8 1/2 oz.)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar (10 oz.)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (8 oz.)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds semisweet chocolate shavings
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 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate shavings in and incorporate 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.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
• Scoop golf ball size mounds of dough onto baking sheet. 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. Best if eaten warm, with a creamy hot chocolate ;-)

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

(Recipe adapted from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/09/dining/091crex.html)

1 comment:

Mindy said...

I like this series of posts....can't wait to try these and to see the other 19!

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