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It’s not easy to photograph a cookie. I slaved and slaved for many hours trying to take a picture perfect image of the cookie/s. From 200+ pictures, I managed to narrow it down to 46, and then select the final 9, and then the last 4 winners. So, I post 4 photos for you to look at, and suffer, like I did.
After making Cookie #1: Cowboy Cookies , the NY Time Chocolate Chip Cookies were number two on my 20 cookies punch card project list.
The first time I heard about them was on La cuisine d'Hélène blog. That was back in August, and I have waited for the right moment to make them, a.k.a. L.’s birthday in October.
So, let me introduce to you cookie #2: NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies.
NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
NY Times. July 9, 2008. Adapted from at Jacques Torres
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.
Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.
* I used Valrhona white chocolate disks/fèves and a 68% (I think) bittersweet Scharffen Berger chocolate bar which I have cut to chunks with a serrated knife.
A few words about my experiments with the recipe:
I’m not a big fan of oversized food, not even cookies, and I don’t play golf. So I used a 2-inch cookie scoop, or about 2 oz.,(or, for ordinary folks, about 1 ½ heaping tablespoons), for each cookie.
1st batch: I baked a batch after 1 hour because I couldn’t wait. They were OK but flat. Texture not so great.
2nd batch: After 4hours, I got better results with the texture. But, I got so busy with the kids that I didn’t hear the timer beep and they got over baked. But still edible.
3rd batch: Was baked after a day. I used 3 ½ oz., as the recipe says (or 2 heaping tablespoons). Nice cookies. Size too large for me.
4th batch: Back to 2 oz. cookies. Just perfect.
Lesson to all this: you got to have patience. If the recipe says to bake after 24 hours, wait.
And one final thing. These cookies seem to be very popular. And good. I found them also on one of my favorite blogs – Smitten kitchen. While I was slaving on photographing my cookies, she has published her own NY Times cookies with beautiful photos (as they always do over there. Amazing food photography.). Nice coincidence.
2 comments:
I answered your question on my blog http://ourchocolateshavings.blogspot.com/2008/11/classic-dark-chocolate-chip-cookies.htm
I hope it helps but those cookies look mighty fine, don't be too hard on yourself!
Oh man..it seems so popular like you said..I've made it as well and now looking forward to baking athe first batch in few hours..hope mine comes out as great as yours ( and the others' !)
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