The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

The first recipe I remember confidently making on my own -- my very own little go-to classic -- was the chocolate chip cookie. The recipe came from my mom’s Betty Crocker cookbook, which she’d received as a new bride in the early ’70s, and I had it more or less memorized by the time I was 12. My mom still has the book, and, to this day, it opens naturally to that buttery, floury page. Page 134, I believe.

When it comes to the chocolate chip cookie, everyone has an opinion about how to make it. More butter, less flour, a certain type of chocolate. Growing up, my girlfriends and I spent many after school hours watching Y&R while devouring one friend’s mom’s classic recipe. She’s still making them for us to this day (though the occasion is typically a little more special than just “after school”) and they are still exactly the same in flavour and consistency as they were 20 years ago. This is owed to a secret that neither mother nor daughter will ever reveal. We’ve all tried to guess, but they’ll never give up the goods.

Last summer, the New York Times ran a lengthy feature on the chocolate chip cookie, outlining the crucial criteria for the perfect specimen by way of interviews with highly respected bakers and pastry chefs.
In the end, they were able to narrow the deliciousness down to several crucial factors.

First, the dough has to be made ahead of time and left to rest in the fridge anywhere from 24 to 72 hours. This, the experts maintained, allows the dough to “fully soak up the liquid -- in this case the eggs -- in order to get a drier and firmer dough, which bakes to a better consistency.” Ultimately, it resulted in a richer, browner and more caramelized cookie.

Size, they insisted, also matters. There’s a reason bakeries make big, greedy six-inchers. The larger sized cookie allows for “three distinct textures.” The outside inch is crunchy. The dead centre is gooey and soft. In between is the sweet spot, where the two textures mix.

As for the chocolate, the New York bakers preferred high-quality imported brands like Callebaut or Valrhona, with a cacao content of at least 60 per cent. Not chunks, preferably, but thin disks. And, the ratio of chocolate to dough, they agreed, should be no less than 40 to 60.

Then there’s the salt. A pinch of fleur de sel on top before baking creates that irresistible salty-sweet dimension. And, of course, the Warm Rule. All cookies taste better straight from the oven.

Below is what they came up with as the consummate recipe. It’s adapted from one by New York bakery owner Jacques Torres and incorporates all the agreed-upon crucial factors from those consulted.

I first made it for friends at the cottage this summer and I kid you not when I tell you that, without knowing the back story, people were commenting, “This is the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever had.”

There’s nothing picky or difficult about these, really. Good quality ingredients make all the difference, though, and they’re worth seeking out. Visit a gourmet food shop for chocolate disks or chips that are higher in cacao content; with a little poking around, they can be found. The same goes for fleur del sel -- I used Maldon, which is relatively easy to get.

This recipe, which makes about 16 five-inch cookies, calls for a mix of cake and bread flour which I didn’t bother with. There was no explanation as to why this was necessary, so I went with unbleached white flour instead -- and had great results.

Use room temperature eggs and butter and consider weighing your ingredients (instead of using measuring cups) for greater accuracy. And don’t forget to plan ahead; your dough needs at least 24 hours to veg in the fridge and do its thing. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups minus 2 tbsps (8-1/2 oz) cake flour

1- 2/3 cups (8-1/2 oz) bread flour

1-1/4 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp coarse salt

1-1/4 cups unsalted butter

1-1/4 cups (10 oz) light brown sugar

1 cup plus 2 tbsp (8 oz) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp natural vanilla extract

1-1/4 bittersweet chocolate diks or feves, at least 60 per cent cacao content

Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars 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 six 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.

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