Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just wanted to say thanks to my dear sister for her lovely post on French Apple Cake while I was away in Maui for the week with my family.  We had a wonderful time, it was our first visit to Maui and certainly won't be our last.  What a gorgeous place.

Back to baking:

Why do I keep making chocolate chip cookies when I have two perfect go-to recipes?  One is super chewy, the other buttery, crispy on the edges and chewy on the inside.  But when I found this recipe for famed master pastry chef Jacques Torres' chocolate chip cookies I just couldn't resist.  I was totally intrigued by the use of cake flour and bread flour.  I used The Cilantropist's version of the cookie since she did an amazing job of perfectly halving this originally enormous recipes. 

If you're thinking of making this recipe, be aware that you must, and I mean MUST, leave it in the fridge or freezer for at least 24 hours.  I actually do this with all drop cookies now.  It allows the gluten to relax giving you a chewier cookie.  I divided the recipe in two, did the 24 hour refrigeration with half and froze then second half for a week.  The frozen cookie dough was so much chewier then the first.  I highly recommend freezing the dough for at least 24 hours rather than refrigerating it.

I used a new type of chocolate chip from my favourite chocolate company, Guittard.  These are their Super Cookie Chocolate Chips, and holy moly they are perfection!  Seriously, they have done something to make these meltier for longer, which in addition to being some of the best chocolate ever makes these chocolate chips straight from heaven.  They are hard to find, but you can buy them online.

Jacques Torres Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Jacques Torres,  recipe used from The Cilantropist 

1 cup cake flour, OR add 2 tbsp cornstarch to the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill to the top with all-purpose flour

3/4 cup bread flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 1/4 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix first five ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.  In a mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla together until creamy, about 5 minutes.  Add egg and mix, then add dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until everything is well incorporated.  Add chocolate chips and mix by hand to distribute.  Form the dough into a compact ball in the bowl, and press plastic wrap directly against the dough.  Refrigerate or freeze dough for at least 24 hours, up to 48 hours. 

To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop out dough and form into balls that are approximately 1 3/4-2 inches in diameter.  Place on prepared baking sheet about 3 inches apart.  Bake until golden brown; about 15-17 minutes, depending on how soft you want the center of your cookies.  Cool baking sheet on a wire rack, then transfer cookies to the rack to cool completely.  This recipe will make about 18-20 cookies that are 3-3 1/2 inch in diameter.     

Linked to:

Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Sweets for a Saturday 

Sweet Tooth Friday